Ever wondered how many A-list films are directed by women? How many female directors are behind those big screen blockbusters? The answer: not enough. Luckily, the Citizen Jane Film Festival is changing that.
Since 2008, the Citizen Jane Film Festival grew out of a series of lectures delivered at Stephens College by female film professionals. The lecturers included Tricia Brock, director of “Gossip Girl” and “Ugly Betty,” and Joyce Kogut, costume supervisor for “Jerry Maguire,” among others.
Citizen Jane co-director Paula Elias says a film festival was the next logical step.
“Citizen Jane is so much more than a film festival,” she says. “It’s a bandwagon. We do a lecture series throughout the year, bring in filmmakers (and) have a Q&A session. It allows students to talk to professionals with experience in specific fields.”
This year’s festival features more than a dozen films and shorts, all directed by women. Supplementing the films are events such as “Superwomen: Amazing Feats in Filmmaking,” and the “Women in Music Showcase,” which will take place tonight. This year’s apocalyptic theme is related to the ancient Mayan “2012 end-of-the-world” prediction. Elias welcomes change and hopes the festival accentuates reform in filmmaking.
“For women in film, we wouldn’t mind if the world ended and a new one started,” says Elias, who points out that female directors are one in 20 out of the annual top grossing films.
Elias says the 5 percent representation needs to increase.
“Five years ago, it was 13 percent,” Elias says. “Then it was 9 percent, then 7 percent, and in 2011 it was 5 percent. We’re 51 percent of the population, it makes sense that we should have a greater voice.”
The festival is only a fragment of a far greater initiative to encourage women to be more involved in the film industry. Citizen Jane also organizes a film academy for young women every summer at Stephens College in Columbia.
“Our mission is to celebrate and support female filmmakers,” Elias says. “It isn’t something we should do just one weekend a year. It’s ongoing.”
Besides the local effort to kickstart female involvement in film, Elias also suggests the public watch more films produced and directed by women.
“Find out who the director is and support those films opening night, because those box office figures determine the success of the film,” Elias says.
If you want to do just that, tickets for the festival can be found at the [Citizen Jane website](http://www.citizenjanefilmfestival.com/passes/) and are $10, but students receive a $2 discount. Bring friends, bring a date, bring your parents: this year’s festival will be quite memorable. Also, don’t miss the Dance Party for the End of the World, a massive dance party starting at 10 p.m. Saturday at The Bridge. Just because it’s the end of the world, doesn’t mean there can’t be dancing.