Calling all women and non-binary filmmakers! The spotlight is yours with Rianne Picture’s second annual Women X Film Festival, set from September 2 to 4. Rianne Pictures created this festival and platform to celebrate and showcase the most underrepresented groups in the film industry- women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. This is an amazing festival to be a part of as a participant or a member of the audience because of its important mission and inspiring journey.
Launching last year during the pandemic was not without its challenges, but the Women X Festival persevered nonetheless. Rianne Pictures notes that like most industries and events, the pandemic interfered with their plans, but the organization was determined to create an inclusive, collaborative and creative space giving a voice to underrepresented filmmakers.
“It’s that pure positivity and celebration that lies at the very heart of Women X film festival,” Rianne Pictures writes, which allowed it to flourish in spite of the chaos of 2020 and move to an online platform with different panels, networking rooms and with an overall calm creative space. Not to mention it’s all accompanied by closed captions. This ensured a festival more inclusive than they could have imagined and a flood of attendees with more to come the second time around!
Festival director and founder of Rianne Pictures, Caris Rianne, worked towards this idea for years in a passionate effort to create an opportunity for the amazing work done by women and nonbinary filmmakers on and off the screen to receive worthy praise. Part of the mission is to expand the on-screen narrative of people of color and the LGBTQ+ community to give all underrepresented groups a voice in film. This organization understands that festivals are a cornerstone of the film industry, yet remains a heavily gendered area of the industry that favors straight white men, a filmmaking “boys club” keeping women creators from breaking the glass ceiling, much less entering the festival space. A new age has begun for filmmaking and for society. The Women X Festival is here to be that “dynamic, new” festival fit for any creator that has been quieted by mainstream filmmaking.
A celebration of the love of film and the diverse experiences that inspire what hits the screens, Women X provides an unmatched collaborative networking experience for unique creators with its unique mission.This festival is about more than just viewing the passion projects of women and non-binary filmmakers because it also creates opportunities for new and diverse filmmakers to attend information panels and gain access to resources that will aid them in future career endeavors.
The Rianne Pictures website features all of the 2020 winners, extensive information on who they are as a company and what this festival is all about, which is ultimately something filmmakers won’t want to miss! Follow along as the anticipation builds for one of the most inclusive festivals.
Visit their Instagram and Twitter accounts to stay updated as Rianne Pictures grows Women X to be the stage for underrepresented filmmakers to find their voice and make their mark.
June 30 is the final day for submissions and the festival will be held September 2-4.