Hollywood has long been dominated by men, with few women reaching executive heights in major studios or getting the opportunity to produce or direct high-budget, blockbuster films. Yet, in other realms of filmmaking—from documentaries to shorts to foreign films to independent features—there is an ever-growing stream of highly talented and successful women filmmakers. Here in the Bay Area, female filmmaking talent is not only existent, it is rampant.

In addition to regularly scheduled screenings of films made by and about women, accomplished women filmmakers will visit all-girl schools in the Bay Area to meet with students and serve as key role models for young girls interested in both business and creative careers.

Past events in the series:


American Violet
Students viewed the film American Violet before engaging in a powerful and lengthy discussion about the very real-life experiences of a disenfranchised minority woman. Read more...

Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai School Visit
Director Lisa Merton met with seventh and eighth grade classes to screen and discuss her inspiring documentary. Read more...

The Monkey Kid
Director Xiao-Yen Wang visited the Julia Morgan School for Girls to show and discuss her autobiographical film about a nine-year-old girl in Beijing during the Cultural Revolution. Read more...

Going on 13
In a professional development session for teachers, directors Kristy Guevara-Flanagan and Dawn Valdez presented their documentary chronicling the lives of four pre-teen East Bay girls. Read more...

Whale Rider
Niki Caro’s award winning film screened for 200 students at the Grand Lake Theater with a Q&A with executive producer Linda Goldstein Knowlton and a live Maori dance presentation. Read more...

Phoenix Dance
Filmmaker Karina Epperlein visited the Julia Morgan School for Girls to show her short film about a dancer who lost his leg to cancer and to discuss filmmaking, disabilities and body image. Read more...