After two years exclusively online, CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival returns to the theater in 2022, with in-person viewings of features, shorts, documentaries, animation, experimental and narrative films May 12-15 at the Pickford Film Center. For those unable to make it to the theater in person, a special online version of the festival will be held May 19-30.
CASCADIA Executive Director Cheryl Crooks points out that women remain grossly underrepresented as directors in the film industry. Of the 250 top-grossing films in 2021, only 17% were directed by women, according to the Center for the Study of Women in Film and Television at San Diego University. That same report found that the percentage of women directors is on the decline. In 2021, women directed only 12% of the top 100 films, down from 16% in 2020.
This makes CASCADIA’s mission all the more critical, according to Crooks.
“CASCADIA remains one of only a handful of festivals in the U.S. dedicated to exclusively showing films directed by women,” she said. “In our 2021 festival, more than half of our films were directed by women of color.”
Since the festival began in 2017, CASCADIA has showcased the work of more than 125 women directors from around the world. This year’s official film selections, including four short film programs and six features, will be announced in March. The program director for this year’s festival is Los Angeles-based film critic and programmer Claudia Puig, president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and longtime critic on NPR’s Film Week.
Passes for this year’s festival go on sale in April. Act fast, because seats are limited and advanced reservations are required. A limited number of walk-up tickets will be available on the night of shows. Proof of Covid vaccination is required. No exceptions.
ABOUT CASCADIA
CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and showcasing the work of women filmmakers, was formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 2015. The organization also works year-round to provide film production, exhibition, and distribution education. More information about CASCADIA may be found on their website at www.cascadiafilmfest.org.
