2012 Athena Film Festival Program

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THE ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL A celebration of women and leadership February 9–12, 2012 Barnard College

PROGRAM GUIDE Welcome to Barnard College 2 A Note from the Festival Co-Chairs 2 Greetings from the Festival Founders 3 Founding Organizations 4 Festival Co-Chairs 5 Honorary Host Committee 6 Industry Advisors 6 Sponsors 7 The 2012 Athena Film Festival Awards 9 The Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award 10 The 2012 Athena Film Festival Award Winners 11 Workshops for Filmmakers 16 Films and Panels 17 Directions and Campus Map 42 Friends of the Festival 43 Organizational Partners 43 Staff and Volunteers 44 Athena Center Advisory Boards, Leadership Council and Donors 44 Index 46 Notes 47


WELCOME TO BARNARD COLLEGE

I am delighted to welcome you to Barnard for the second annual Athena Film Festival, a vibrant celebration of women and leadership. To be able to host this gathering of talented filmmakers and women leaders is a truly great moment for the College. Last year’s inaugural festival was a brilliant beginning to what we at Barnard hope will become an ongoing event and an enduring conversation. Over the course of the weekend, we will share with you the stories of remarkable women—remarkable both in spirit and accomplishment. Through the screenings and the discussions that follow, their important work will be brought to light. We hope you enjoy it all, and come away with a deeper appreciation for the art of film and women who are changing the world.

Debora Spar President, Barnard College

A NOTE FROM THE FESTIVAL CO-CHAIRS We are pleased to welcome you to the Athena Film Festival for what promises to be a memorable weekend. Throughout our careers, we have dedicated our energies, talents and passion to ensuring that the stories of women – their courage, compassion, complexity, and humor – make it to the big screen. To ensure that young women grow up believing they can make a difference in the world, they need to see role models to whom they can relate. They need to meet the women leaders who are changing lives for the better, and be inspired to do the same. We are confident that you will enjoy the wonderful stories of women leaders that are showcased during this festival and hope you will leave us entertained, better informed, inspired, and ready to make a difference.

Debra Martin Chase President and CEO Martin Chase Productions

Jennifer Christman Executive Director The Picture House

Diablo Cody Mira Nair Writer Director 2


GREETINGS FROM THE FESTIVAL FOUNDERS

Thanks so much for joining us at the second Athena Film Festival. To pick this year’s line-up we watched over 200 films. It was a diverse lot from numerous countries in multiple languages. Women firefighters and aviators. Women who challenged conventions, broke barriers, and opened doors for others. Women who made peace, who made music, and who used their naked power to stand up to injustice. We have been inspired as we watched these extraordinary films about so many courageous women. We hope these features, documentaries and shorts will inspire you as well. We are proud this year to honor distinguished women who have left their mark on the entertainment industry and who have demonstrated their commitment to ensure the success of other women along the way: From the Fempire writers: Diablo Cody, Liz Meriwether, Dana Fox and Lorene Scafaria to directors Julie Taymor and Dee Rees, to producers Rachael Horovitz and Nekisa Cooper, to TV creator and playwright Theresa Rebeck. Kathryn Kolbert

We also are proud to create a new award in honor of Laura Ziskin, an exemplary Hollywood producer who died of cancer in June 2011. Laura was a producer of the Spider-Man films, the Academy Awards®, and a founder and chief light of Stand Up to Cancer. Journalist, Katie Couric, will present the award to Laura’s daughter, Julia Barry, who will accept it in her mother’s honor. In future years, the award will be given to a woman in the film industry who has led with grace and integrity, blazing trails and setting an example for younger women who aspire to leadership. During the weekend you will have many opportunities to watch thoughtful and engaging films and meet wonderful filmmakers, writers, actors and directors as they examine leadership with a new lens. We hope you will enjoy the festivities and come back to Barnard again soon.

Melissa Silverstein

­ Kathryn Kolbert Athena Center for Leadership Studies Barnard College

­ Melissa Silverstein Women and Hollywood

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FOUNDING ORGANIZATIONS

A distinguished leader in American higher education for over 100 years, Barnard College is today the most sought after liberal arts college for women in the United States. Founded in 1889, the College was the first in New York City, and one of the few in the world, where women could receive the same rigorous liberal arts education available to men. From its four-acre campus in Manhattan, Barnard’s world-class faculty educates over 2,400 gifted, curious, and independent undergraduate women, many of whom have gone on to become world leaders in diverse fields. Barnard’s dedication to the advancement of women, combined with its partnership with neighboring Columbia University, and its setting in an international city, makes it unique among American liberal arts colleges today. For more information, visit barnard.edu.

Barnard’s Athena Center for Leadership Studies is an interdisciplinary center devoted to the theory and practice of women’s leadership. Launched in 2009, the Athena Center offers specialized academic courses, mentoring, and leadership opportunities for Barnard students as well as public lectures and forums with notable leaders from across the globe. Its Leadership Lab workshops, specifically designed for adult women at early to mid-stages of their careers, offers the training women need to become better leaders. And as it grows, the Athena Center will bring together leading scholars and practitioners from across disciplines to investigate the ideas at the forefront of women’s leadership. A special initiative of Barnard President Debora Spar, the Athena Center is directed by Kathryn Kolbert, a public-interest attorney and journalist, who brings to Barnard an impressive record of collaborative leadership, educational programming, and civilrights advocacy. For more information, visit athenacenter.barnard.edu.

Since its inception in 2007, Women and Hollywood has been working to raise awareness about films, TV shows, theatre and other entertainment that highlight women and their contribution to the culture. Founder Melissa Silverstein has been featured on CNN, the BBC and in other publications including Newsweek, Salon, Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. In recent years, Silverstein has been named one of “The Top 100 Arts Tweeters” by the Times of London and “One of 10 Film Critics to Follow on Twitter” by Flavorwire. Women and Hollywood was named “One of the Top 100 Websites for Women” by ForbesWoman and “Best Hollywood Blog” by totalfilm.com. In 2011, Women and Hollywood joined the IndieWIRE blog network. For more information, visit http://blogs.indiewire.com/ womenandhollywood.

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FESTIVAL CO-CHAIRS

Debra Martin Chase

Debra Martin Chase, President and CEO of Martin Chase Productions, is an Academy Award®- and Emmy-nominated motion picture and television producer whose producing credits include The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Princess Diaries and The Cheetah Girls. The first African American woman to have her own producing deal at a major studio and a Harvard-trained lawyer, Chase was the producing partner of Whitney Houston in Brown House Productions. She also ran Denzel Washington’s production company, Mundy Lane Entertainment, where she produced numerous films including The Preacher’s Wife and Courage Under Fire. Chase just completed the remake of Sparkle for Sony Pictures, the musical Elixir for ABC Family, a new American Girl movie, and has the remake of Dirty Dancing in development.

Jennifer Christman ’84, a Barnard alumna, parent and member of the Athena Center’s Leadership Council, is the Executive Director of the Picture House, an art-house theater in Pelham New York. She has transformed its big-screen programming slate from first-run commercial fare into a cultural experience that includes art and indie films, educational programs, and lecture series.

Jennifer Christman ’84

Diablo Cody

Diablo Cody broke into the Hollywood scene in 2007 by writing the screenplay for Juno which earned her a WGA Award, an Independent Spirit Award, and the Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay. She went on to write the horror film, Jennifer’s Body as well as to create and executive produce the Showtime series United States of Tara. Most recently, Cody wrote and is producing a film version of the best-selling book series Sweet Valley High and is writing and executive producing a new comedy series in development for Fox Network. Her latest film, Young Adult, was released in December 2011. She is preparing to make her directing debut with Lambs of God, based on a script she wrote.

Mira Nair is the rare filmmaker who moves fluidly between Hollywood and independent cinema. After several years of making documentary films, Nair made her entry to the world stage in 1988 with her first feature, Salaam Bombay!, now hailed as a classic. The film received more than 25 international awards, including an Academy Award® nomination for Best Foreign Film. Over the next decade, Nair directed four feature films including the award-winning Monsoon Wedding. In 2004, she directed Reese Witherspoon in an adaptation of Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. She also directed The Namesake based on the award-winning book by Jumpha Lahiri and Amelia, starring Hilary Swank. She is currently working on The Reluctant Fundamentalist. An avid philanthropist, in 2005 Nair founded Maisha, a non-profit filmmakers’ training program based in East Africa.

Mira Nair

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HONORARY HOST COMMITTEE

Julie Parker Benello ’92 Susan Cartsonis Dina DeLuca Chartouni ’82 Glori Cohen P ’14 Lisa Brenner Devlin ’97 Abigail E. Disney and Pierre N. Hauser Barbara Dobkin Faith Gay and Francesca Zabello Caroline Hirsch Diane and Jon Levin P ’13 Jennifer Siebel Newsom Lida Orzeck ’68 Gigi Pritzker Rosina Rubin Regina Kulik Scully Nancy Stephens Sandra Wilkin

INDUSTRY ADVISORS

Nicole Bernard, SVP Audience Strategies, FOX GROUP Bonnie Bruckheimer, Producer Lisa Cortés, President, Cortés Films Penney Finkelman Cox ’73, Producer Madeline DiNonno, Executive Director, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media Lindsay Doran, President, Three Strange Angels Delia Ephron ’66, Writer Julie Fontaine, EVP Theatrical Publicity, Lionsgate Nancy Gates ’89, Co-director, TV Talent, United Talent Agency Sanaa Hamri, Director Chris Hegedus, Documentary Film Director Gale Anne Hurd, CEO, Valhalla Motion Pictures Annette Insdorf, Film Professor, Columbia University Terry Lawler, Executive Director, New York Women in Film & Television Sharon Lawrence, Actress Margaret Nagle, Writer Nancy Schreiber, Director of Photography Anne Thompson, Thompson on Hollywood

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SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

PREMIERE LEVEL

The Workshops for Filmmakers are sponsored by JustFilms, a Ford Foundation initiative. Building on 75 years of support for the arts, JustFilms supports works that educate, motivate and create positive change in people’s lives by conveying stories that have the power to transform how we think and act.

in association with Regina Kulik Scully and Jennifer Siebel Newsom

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GOLD LEVEL

Dobkin Family Foundation

SILVER LEVEL

BRONZE LEVEL

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THE 2012 ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

The 2012 Athena Film Festival awards, which recognize extraordinary women for their leadership and creative accomplishments, will be presented at the opening reception on Thursday, February 9, 2012. Emcee: Lizz Winstead Co-creator and former head writer of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and co-founder of Air America Radio, Winstead is a critically acclaimed political writer and producer. As a performer, Winstead brought her political wit to The Daily Show as a Correspondent and later to the radio waves co-hosting Unfiltered, Air America Radio’s mid-morning show with Hip Hop legend Chuck D, and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. Recently, Winstead wrote and produced an independent pilot of her Off-Broadway hit, “Wake Up World”, a scathing satire about Morning chat shows. Known as as one of the top political satirists in America, Winstead is currently touring the country, selling out shows from LA to NYC. Her talents as a comedian and media visionary have been recognized by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly’s 100 Most Creative People issue. She makes numerous television appearances on HBO, and Comedy Central and has weekly segments on The Ed Show on MSNBC and HLN’s The Joy Behar Show. Lizz Winstead

Presentation of the Athena Film Festival Award to Julie Taymor: Gloria Steinem A writer, lecturer, editor, and feminist activist, Gloria Steinem travels across the globe as an organizer, lecturer and a frequent media spokeswoman on issues of equality. In 1972, she co-founded Ms. magazine, and was instrumental in the magazine’s move to the Feminist Majority Foundation. In 1968, she helped to found New York magazine, where she was a political columnist and wrote feature articles. The author of many best-selling books, Steinem now lives in New York City, and is currently at work on Road to the Heart: America As if Everyone Mattered, a book about her more than thirty years on the road as a feminist organizer. Presentation of the Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award: Katie Couric

Gloria Steinem Courtesy HBO

Katie Couric

Katie Couric is an award-winning journalist and TV personality, well-known cancer advocate, and New York Times best-selling author of The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives. Beginning in September 2012, she will host a new syndicated daytime daily talk show, Katie. Couric joined the Disney/ABC Television Group in summer 2011 and serves as special correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week, and primetime news specials. In September 2006, Couric joined CBS News and became the first female solo anchor of an evening news broadcast. On May 31, 2006, Couric completed a 15-year run as co-anchor of NBC News’ Today Show. Couric is a co-founder of Stand Up To Cancer, co-founder of the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance with the Entertainment Industry Foundation and Lilly Tartikoff, and co-founder of the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health.

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THE LAURA ZISKIN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Laura Ziskin (1950–2011) was an extraordinary woman who used her talents, indefatigable energies, and standing in the industry to make wonderful movies and improve the lives and health of women. One of Hollywood’s leading producers and studio executives with a penchant for discovering new talent, Ziskin produced numerous films during her career beginning with Murphy’s Romance (1985) to No Way Out (1987). A string of hits followed including Pretty Woman (1990) one of the most successful films in Disney’s history which she executive produced.

Laura Ziskin

“Movies are arguably the most influential, important medium in the world. They have a tremendous cultural impact. Because women are now making movies, then women’s ideas, philosophy, point of view will seep into that culture. And that’s never happened in history. Ever, ever, ever. We can’t even see the impact of that yet.” —Laura Ziskin

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In 1994, Ziskin was named President of Fox 2000 Pictures, a newly formed feature film division of 20th Century Fox. Under her stewardship, Fox 2000 released such films as Courage Under Fire, One Fine Day, and The Thin Red Line, which garnered seven Academy Award® nominations including Best Picture. Ziskin also twice produced the Academy Awards®, earning multiple Emmy nominations for her work. She was perhaps best known for her role in producing one of the most successful franchises in Hollywood, the Spider-Man Films. Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 are among the highest grossing films in history. Her last film, The Amazing Spider-Man will be released this year. Notably, Ziskin was able to penetrate the inner circle of A-list producers, for decades considered an all-boys club. Laura Ziskin used her standing and relationships with Hollywood executives and stars to give back to others. After being diagnosed with breast cancer she, along with journalist Katie Couric, former Paramount head Sherry Lansing, and others, created Stand Up to Cancer, a research and advocacy organization. Ziskin produced the historic Stand Up to Cancer telecasts that were broadcast simultaneously on all major networks, raising millions for the organization. She told her story, repeatedly, so that other women suffering from this horrific disease would know that they are not alone. Katie Couric will present the first Ziskin Award to Julia Barry, Laura’s daughter who will accept it on behalf of her mother. In the future, the Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to a woman in the film industry whose leadership demonstrates vision and courage and sets a standard for other women to emulate.


THE 2012 ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

For Her Exceptional Talents as a Motion Picture Producer RACHAEL HOROVITZ A veteran of the film industry, Rachael Horovitz is a producer of this year’s Oscar®nominated hit Moneyball, which she started developing in 2004 while at New Line Cinema. The film, based on Michael Lewis’ best-selling book, is directed by Bennett Miller, and stars Brad Pitt. It is one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year. Horovitz’s producing credits also include HBO’s Grey Gardens (2009) for which she received an Emmy, a Golden Globe, Best Film from the Broadcast and Television Critics Awards, and the 2010 David Wolper Producer of the Year Award from the Producers Guild. About Schmidt (2002) was also produced by Horovitz (the film won Golden Globe Awards for Jack Nicholson’s performance as well as the screenplay, and was nominated for two Academy Awards®). Other films include State and Main (2000), Next Stop Wonderland (1998) and No Telling (1990). Horovitz spent over a decade as a senior production executive at Revolution Studios and New Line Cinema. At Revolution, she worked on such projects as Mona Lisa Smile, Maid In Manhattan, and Samantha: An American Girl Holiday, which she executive produced. At New Line, she worked with such filmmakers as Wes Anderson, Bernardo Bertolucci, Michel Gondry and Alexander Payne. Active in New York City causes, Horovitz has served on the Board of Directors of the Ghetto Film School, through which she helped found The Cinema School, the country’s first public high school specializing in film.

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THE 2012 ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

For Her Vision and Courage as an Exemplary Director JULIE TAYMOR In her distinguished career that spans the globe, Julie Taymor has directed a wide range of theatrical performances on and off Broadway, classical operas and Hollywood films. During the 1970s, Taymor lived both in Japan, studying the art of puppetry and Japanese theatre and in Indonesia, working as a theatre director. She achieved her first success with The King Stag, that toured 66 cities across the world. In the 1990s, Taymor directed several classic operas including Igor Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex in Japan (1993), Mozart’s The Magic Flute in Italy (1994), with conductor Zubin Mehta, and the acclaimed 1994 production of Strauss’ Salome in Russia with conductor Valeri Gergiev. In New York, Taymor continued her theatrical career, directing Titus Andronicus and Juan Darién: A Carnival Mass at Lincoln Center. Moving to Broadway in 1997, she directed The Lion King which is now the seventh longest running show on Broadway. The show won five Tony Awards including two for Taymor for best costume design as well as for best direction of a musical, making her the first woman to receive that honor. Her film Frida (2002), which chronicles the artist and revolutionary Frida Kahlo, was nominated for six Academy Awards® (the winner of two for make-up and musical score). Taymor continued her success with the 2004 production of The Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera and the 2006 staging of Grendel at the Los Angeles Opera, and the Lincoln Center Festival. Taymor’s other films include Titus (2002), Across the Universe (2007), and The Tempest (2010) starring Helen Mirren. Her work developing and directing SPIDERMAN: Turn Off the Dark on Broadway has helped the show become one of the top grossing shows currently in production.

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THE 2012 ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

For Their Impact as Emerging Filmmakers DEE REES Dee Rees, the writer and director of one of 2011’s standout feature films Pariah, was recently named “Breakthrough Director” at the Gotham Awards. An alumna of NYU’s graduate film program and a 2008 Sundance Screenwriting & Directing Lab Fellow, Rees has written and directed several short films, including Orange Bow and Pariah. The latter, completed in 2007, screened at over 40 festivals worldwide (including Sundance), garnered 25 Best Short awards and was a finalist for the 2009 Sundance/NHK International Award. Rees was also selected as a 2008 Tribeca Institute/Renew Media Arts Fellow for her work, was chosen as one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film” for 2008, and was nominated for a USA Fellowship in 2009. Rees developed Pariah into a full length feature. The film, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and released in 2011 by Focus Features, was nominated for several Independent Spirit Awards. The Nashville native’s recent short film, Colonial Gods, which chronicles a complicated friendship between a Somali and a Nigerian, aired on the BBC in the fall of 2009. Prior to making Pariah, Rees directed a documentary feature, Eventual Salvation. The film, which she also edited, premiered on the Sundance Channel in October 2009. It follows her grandmother’s return to Liberia to help rebuild a community following the country’s civil war.

NEKISA COOPER Nekisa Cooper, producer of Pariah, is a 2008 Sundance Institute Creative Producing Fellow and represented the Independent Filmmaker Project at the 2009 Cinemart/ Rotterdam Producing Lab. Cooper has also produced the short films Orange Bow (as co-producer) and Colonial Gods, and is currently in post-production on the feature documentary La muñeca fea, a Creative Promise Award winner from the 2009 Tribeca All Access Program and 2010 Elizabeth Peña Fellowship Award Winner through Film Independent. The film focuses on a group of elderly sex workers who live together in Mexico City. Before she became a producer, Cooper had a successful career working in brand management for such companies as Colgate-Palmolive, L’Oreal, and General Electric, and held assistant coaching positions for women’s basketball on the Division I, Division III, and high school levels. She earned a BA from The College of William & Mary and an MBA in marketing from Clark Atlanta University.

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THE 2012 ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

For Their Creativity and Sisterhood THE FEMPIRE: DIABLO CODY, DANA FOX, LIZ MERIWETHER, AND LORENE SCAFARIA

“There are so few slots for us in Hollywood. Sometimes you hear the lobsters-ina-pot metaphor — if the lobsters cooperated, they could get each other out. We’re cooperating. We refuse to just lie there and boil.” —Diablo Cody This Hollywood powerhouse writing posse includes four writers, each of whom have demonstrated remarkable success in her own right. Cody won an Oscar® for Best Original screenplay for Juno. She has since written the horror film Jennifer’s Body and created and executive produced Showtime’s The United States of Tara. Cody is writing and producing a film version of the best-selling book series Sweet Valley High and has a new comedy series in development for the Fox Network. She is also preparing to make her directing debut this year with Lambs of God, based on a script she wrote. Her latest film, Young Adult, was released to critical acclaim in December 2011. Lorene Scafaria is the screenwriter for Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist and just finished filming her directorial debut, Seeking a Friend at the End of the World, which she also wrote. Dana Fox wrote What Happens in Vegas, The Wedding Date and co-wrote Couples Retreat. She also did rewrites on 27 Dresses and Knight and Day. Liz Meriwether is the screenwriter of the 2011 film, No Strings Attached, and the creator and executive producer of the hit Fox comedy New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel. All close friends, the four have demonstrated that women can support each other, have fun together and be a crucial support network for the inevitable ups and downs of the highly competitive film business. As Cody describes the Fempire: “It’s rare to find women who have that balance between work and life, who are really psyched for another woman’s success. I love that about our little group.”

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THE 2012 ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

For Her Excellence as a Playwright and Author of Films, Books and Television THERESA REBECK Theresa Rebeck is an award-winning and widely-produced playwright, and a successful author of books, films and television. Her play Seminar, starring Alan Rickman, is currently on Broadway. She made her Broadway debut in 2007 with Mauritius, which won Boston’s prestigious IRNE and the Elliot Norton Award. Her recent plays include Poor Behavior, which ran in Los Angeles and was named by the Huffington Post as One of the Best Productions of 2011, What We’re Up Against which ran in San Francisco and will be produced in Houston in 2012, and the currently running Bad Accounts which was commissioned by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Our House, Bad Dates, Omnium Gatherum (a Pulitzer Prize finalist), The Scene, and The Understudy are among her other works. On the television side, Rebeck’s fans are eager to see Smash, which she is executive producing with Steven Spielberg. The hour-long series which centers on the creation of a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe was created and the pilot written by Rebeck. The show, which stars Debra Messing, Katherine McPhee, Anjelica Huston, Megan Hilty and Christian Borle, premiered February 6, 2012 on NBC. Rebeck also has been a writer/producer for a host of television shows including Law and Order: Criminal Intent and NYPD Blue, for which she won a Peabody Award and writer for such shows as L.A. Law and Third Watch. If this weren’t enough, Rebeck has written a number of films including Harriet the Spy, Gossip, Sunday on the Rocks and Seducing Charlie Barker, which is an adaptation of her play, The Scene and two novels: Three Girls and Their Brother (Random House/Shaye Areheart 2008) and Twelve Rooms With A View (Random House/Shaye Areheart 2010).

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WORKSHOPS FOR FILMMAKERS Sponsored by the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms

Friday, February 10, 2012 1:30 PM | The James Room, 418 Barnard Hall From Script to Screen: Producing Films in Tough Times In these difficult times, filmmakers and writers are struggling to find the financial resources to make their films. Creating films by and about women, particularly women in leadership roles, is even more difficult. This workshop will bring producers, writers, and financiers together to provide insights and expertise on a variety of topics related to film production: how to find the right person to read your script, how to find financing, ways to secure a director, and many other tips to ensure that your idea moves from the page to the big screen.

3:15 PM | The James Room, 418 Barnard Hall Building an Audience in the Digital Age The film business is changing rapidly. No longer are distribution deals with major studios the only way to ensure an audience. There are many distribution methods: from video-on-demand to online streaming to the traditional brick and mortar theatre. But how do you decide what is right for your film? And once you have chosen an avenue (or several) of distribution, how can you make sure that people know about your film? Learn from distribution, marketing and outreach experts about the ever-changing landscape and how to figure out what will work best for you. 5:00 PM | Sulzberger Parlor, 316 Barnard Hall Reception for Filmmakers

The Workshops for Filmmakers are sponsored by JustFilms, a Ford Foundation initiative. Building on 75 years of support for the arts, JustFilms supports works that educate, motivate and create positive change in people’s lives by conveying stories that have the power to transform how we think and act.

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FILMS AND PANELS

Friday, February 10 6 PM

Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway at 116th St.

THE WHISTLEBLOWER Director Larysa Kondracki Producers Celine Rattray, Amy Kaufman, Christina Piovesan Cast Rachel Weisz, Monica Bellucci and Vanessa Redgrave Feature 2010 [Canada] English, 112 minutes Photo: Sophie Giraud/Samuel Goldwyn Films

A Harrowing Tale of One Woman’s Search for Justice This gripping exposé of human trafficking tells the story of Kathryn Bolkovac, an American police officer who takes a job as a UN peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia. After initial success in prosecuting a case of domestic violence, Kathryn is offered a job in the United Nations Gender Affairs Office, working with the police to investigate rape and domestic abuse. But her expectations of helping to rebuild a devastated country and protect women from violence are routed when she uncovers a ring of UN officials and private contractors smuggling young Ukrainian women to service a back-woods brothel. Against a sordid and corrupt backdrop, Rachael Weisz and Vanessa Redgrave give tension-filled, dramatic performances in the directorial debut of Canadian filmmaker Larysa Kondracki. Q & A SESSION Producer Celine Rattray, Tanya Domi, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Harriman Institute Affiliate, and Annette Insdorf, Professor at Columbia’s School of the Arts, will discuss the film following the screening.

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Friday, February 10 6 PM

Diana Event Oval, LL100 Diana Center

Sneak preview

ANN RICHARDS’ TEXAS Directors Keith Patterson and Jack Lofton Cast Interviews with Tom Brokaw, Nancy Pelosi, Paul Begala, Michael Dukakis, Lily Tomlin, Jack Abramoff, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson Feature 2012 [USA] English, 45 minutes

A Compelling Look at Former Texas Governor Ann Richards Ann Richards’ Texas is a new feature length documentary about the late Texas Governor Ann Richards (1933-2006), one of the most beloved Democratic politicians of her day. Richards, who served from 1991-1995, was the last Democrat elected statewide in the land of George W. Bush and Rick Perry. Richards was known as a no-nonsense politician who fought against special interests and was never afraid to speak her mind. In 1994, she lost her re-election bid to George W. Bush. Q & A SESSION Directors Keith Patterson and Jack Lofton along with Marie Wilson, founder of The White House Project, will join the audience for a Q & A session following the screening.

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Friday, February 10 9 PM

Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway at 116th Street

WHO TOOK THE BOMP? LE TIGRE ON TOUR Director Kerthy Fix Producers Le Tigre Cast Johanna Fateman, Kathleen Hanna, JD Samson Feature 2011 [USA] English, 72 minutes

Up Close with Kathleen Hanna and Feminist Band Le Tigre Who Took the Bomp? Le Tigre on Tour follows iconic feminist electronic band Le Tigre on their 2004-2005 international tour across four continents and through ten countries. Supported by a community of devoted fans and led by outspoken Riot Grrrl pioneer Kathleen Hanna, Le Tigre confronts sexism and homophobia in the music industry while tearing up the stage. This edgy and entertaining documentary features never before seen live performances, archival interviews, and revealing backstage footage with these trail-blazing artists. Q & A SESSION Director Kerthy Fix and Sara Marcus, author of Girls to the Front: The True Story of The Riot Grrrl Revolution will participate in a Q & A session following the film.

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Friday, February 10 9 PM

Diana Event Oval, LL100 Diana Center

BLACK BUTTERFLIES Director Paula Van Der Oest Producers Frans van Gestel, Richard Claus, Michael Auret, Arry Voorsmit Cast Carice van Houten, Liam Cunningham, Rutger Hauer Documentary 2009 [USA] English, 111 minutes

Courage, Perseverance, and a Search for Love During a Time of Hate Poetry, politics, madness, and desire come together in the true story of Ingrid Jonker, the woman hailed as South Africa’s Sylvia Plath. In his first speech to the South African Parliament, Nelson Mandela read Jonker’s poem The Dead Child of Nyanga. Set in Cape Town in the 1960s where Apartheid had eliminated free expression for both blacks and whites, the movie highlights Jonker’s search for her voice and illuminates events that alter her life forever. Q & A SESSION Following the film, director of Black Butterflies, Paula Van Der Oest and Hollywood producer Susan Cartsonis will join the audience for a Q & A session.

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Saturday, February 11 12 PM

Diana Event Oval, LL100 Diana Center

In Partnership with Snag Films

THE NAKED OPTION Nigerian Women Use their ‘Naked Power’ to Fight Environmental Ruin Fueled by their hopes for a better future, grassroots women in Nigeria’s Niger Delta use the threat of stripping naked in public, a serious cultural taboo, to make their voices heard and hold multinational oil companies accountable to the communities in which they operate. Through the leadership of the inexhaustible Emem J. Okon, these women take over where men have failed, peacefully transforming their ‘naked power’ into 21st century political action. Q & A SESSION Director Candace Schermerhorn will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film. Naked Option will be available for viewing at snagfilms.com. The Q & A session will stream live at athenafilmfestival.com/live.

Director/Writer/Producer Candace Schermerhorn Co-Producer Sam S. Olukoya Cast Emem J. Okon, Annkio Briggs, Oronto Douglas, Stella Fyneface, Annie Porbeni, Dr. Owens Wiwa Documentary 2011 [Nigeria/USA] English/Creole/Pidgin, 75 minutes

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Saturday, February 11 12 PM

Julius Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall

APACHE 8 Producer/Director Sande Zeig Executive Producers Heather Rae, Andrew Rosenthal Producers Susan Lazarus, Dolly Hall, Victoria Westover Cast Cheryl Bones, Katy Aday, Ericka Hinton, Nita Quintero Documentary 2011 [USA] English, 57 minutes

Remarkable Women Put Their Lives on the Line to Fight Wild-Fires Apache 8 tells the story of an all-women firefighter crew from the White Mountain Apache Tribe who have been fighting wildfires in Arizona and throughout the U.S. for over 30 years. Four extraordinary women from different generations of the Apache 8 crew share their personal stories with humor and tenderness. They speak of hardship and loss, family and community, and the pride they share in being a firefighter from Fort Apache. Q & A SESSION Producer Susan Lazarus will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.

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Saturday, February 11 12 PM

Lehman Auditorium, 202 Altschul Hall

A MARINE STORY Director Ned Farr Producers Dreya Weber, Ned Farr, J.P. DiSalvatore Cast Dreya Weber, Paris P. Pickard, Anthony Michael Jones Feature 2010 [USA] English, 95 minutes

The Most Perilous Fight—The Battle for What You Believe In A decorated Marine from a military family, Alex is discharged from duty when authorities discover she is a lesbian. Upon returning home, she struggles to readjust to civilian life. Alex agrees to mentor Saffron, a troubled teen who is enlisting and Alex is the no-nonsense role model and authority figure Saffron needs. But as Saffron finally hits her stride, Alex must find the courage to face her own demons as she takes on the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy.

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Saturday, February 11 3 PM

Diana Event Oval, LL100 Diana Center

In Partnership with ITVS Television

DAISY BATES: FIRST LADY OF LITTLE ROCK Director Sharon La Cruise Producers Sharon La Cruise, W. Noland Walker Cast Angela Bassett as the voice of Daisy Bates, Summer Modica as young Daisy Bates Documentary 2011 [USA] English, 60 minutes

Her Courage Forever Changed American Education Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock tells the story of a forgotten civil rights activist, Daisy Bates. Bates became a household name in 1957 when she mentored the nine black students who fought for the right to attend the allwhite Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her courage culminated in a constitutional crisis, pitting a President against a Governor and a community against itself. Unconventional, revolutionary, and egotistical, Bates refused to accept her assigned place in society and opened doors that had been sealed for generations. As this movie documents, Daisy Bates reaped the rewards of instant fame, but paid dearly for it. Q & A SESSION Producer/Director Sharon La Cruise will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film. The session will stream live at athenafilmfestival.com/live.

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Saturday, February 11 3 PM

Julius Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall

WOMEN, WAR & PEACE: WAR REDEFINED Executive Producers of the Series Abigail Disney, Pamela Hogan and Gini Reticker War Redefined Producer and Writer Peter Bull War Redefined Co-Producer Nina Chaudry Cast Interviews with Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine Albright; Nobel Peace Prize activist Leymah Gbowee. Geena Davis (narrator). Documentary 2011 [USA] English, 53 minutes

A Complex Look at Women in Conflict Zones Women, War & Peace is a new five-part PBS television series challenging the conventional wisdom that war and peace are the exclusive domain of men. It spotlights the stories of women in conflict zones from Bosnia to Afghanistan, Colombia to Liberia, placing women at the center of an urgent dialogue about conflict and security. The capstone of the series, War Redefined, includes incisive interviews with leading thinkers, U.S. Secretaries of State, and seasoned survivors of war and peace-making. Their experiences reveal how the post-Cold War proliferation of small arms has changed the landscape of war, with women becoming primary targets and suffering unprecedented casualties. Simultaneously, they describe how women are emerging as necessary partners in brokering lasting peace. Q & A SESSION Series Executive Producer Pamela Hogan, and War Redefined Producer and Writer Peter Bull and Co-Producer Nina Chaudry will join the audience for a Q and A session following the film.

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Saturday, February 11 3 PM

Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theatre, LL200 Diana Center

The Director Director Destri Martino Animated Short 2011 [USA] English, 1 min Equality, I am Woman Director Al Sutton Documentary Short 2010 [USA] English, 10 minutes Lady Razorbacks Director Laura Green Documentary Short 2011 [USA] English, 4 minutes Northeast Front Director Angela Torres Camarena Feature Short 2010 [USA] Spanish, 11 minutes Slaying the Dragon Reloaded Director Elaine Kim Documentary Short 2010 [USA] English, 30 minutes Tasnim Director Elite Zexer Feature Short 2010 [Israel] Arabic, 12 minutes Umoja: No Men Allowed Director Elizabeth Tadic Documentary Short 2011 [USA] English, 32 minutes

SHORTS COLLECTION I The Director In this animated short, a film director makes a statement by wearing a dress on the set. In a sweet, tongue-in-cheek way, the film highlights the contradictory messages often sent to women and girls—that they should take on stereotypical feminine attributes until they want a job in a “man’s world.” Equality, I am Woman This inspirational film of the 1970 Women’s Strike for Equality features the music of Helen Reddy, narration by Gloria Steinem and Jacqui Ceballos, President of Veteran Feminists of America, and includes excerpts from Betty Friedan’s speech in Bryant Park. Lady Razorbacks When a group of Pacific Islander women start a rugby team in East Palo Alto, California, all they have in mind is getting in shape. But this diverse group of women, teenagers, church-going college students, and mothers, find an unexpected sanctuary on the field and new ways to support one another. Northeast Front A mother’s love knows no bounds but, in Northeast Front, one mother is put in grave danger when she is forced to save her son from his unintended collaboration with Mexico’s dangerous cartels. Slaying the Dragon Reloaded This documentary revisits Slaying the Dragon (1986), the pioneering film on the media’s representation of Asian women, to determine what has and has not changed in Hollywood and beyond. Tasnim Excited by her father’s surprise arrival and determined to see him, 10-yearold Tasnim summons up the nerve to disregard the conservative norms of her Bedouin village. Umoja: No Men Allowed A heartwarming story of women from the Samburu tribe in Kenya who turn ageold patriarchy on its head when they set up a women’s only village. When the exiled women, who had been abused by their husbands, start their own business, their success incurs the wrath of the men resulting in an unlikely gender war. Q & A SESSION Filmmakers Destri Martino (The Director), Elaine Kim (Slaying the Dragon Reloaded) and Al Sutton (Equality, I am Woman) will participate in a Q & A session following the screening.

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Saturday, February 11 3 PM

James Room, 418 Barnard Hall

A Hollywood Conversation

WINNIE HOLZMAN AND HER DAUGHTER SAVANNAH DOOLEY Winnie and Savannah Talk about their Creative Collaborations with Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker TV Writer Winnie Holzman is a playwright, screenwriter and poet. She created the ABC television series My So-Called Life, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination for writing in 1995. She also wrote for thirtysomething and Once and Again. Holzman made her Broadway debut in 2003 when she wrote the book for the Stephen Schwartz musical Wicked, based on the novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire. She won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. The musical continues its run on Broadway and is in production across the globe. Savannah Dooley, Holzman’s 26-year-old daughter, is also a writer with whom Winnie has collaborated on various short films. They wrote the TV pilot for Huge, based on the Sasha Paley novel, and then collaborated on the series which premiered in 2010 on ABC Family and ran for one season. They are the first mother-daughter team to create a TV show.

Saturday, February 11 4:30PM Sulzberger Parlor, 316 Barnard Hall

BARNARD ALUMNAE RECEPTION Barnard Alumnae are invited to a special reception Saturday afternoon. In between films, we hope you will come mingle with friends and network with other alumnae. Enjoy a glass of wine and refreshments, and discuss the films you have seen.

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Saturday, February 11 6 PM

Diana Event Oval, LL100 Diana Center

Screening made possible by the generosity of Whitewater Films

GLORIA: IN HER OWN WORDS Gloria Steinem’s Inspiring Transformation from Reporter to Feminist Icon Gloria: In Her Own Words blends interviews, press clippings, photographs and archival footage to chronicle Gloria Steinem’s emergence as a driving force in the modern women’s liberation movement. In its portrayal of Steinem’s rocky road from a journalist to one of the most visible symbols of the women’s movement today, the documentary features footage of prominent activists from Betty Friedan to Bella Abzug and covers some of the most crucial issues facing women in recent decades as seen through the eyes of one of its most courageous leaders. Q & A SESSION Gloria Steinem along with writer and activist Amy Richards ’92 will join the audience for a Q & A session following the screening.

Courtesy of HBO

Director Peter Kunhardt Executive Producer Dyllan McGee Producers Peter Kunhardt, Sheila Nevins ’60 Cast Interviews with Bella Abzug, Helen Gurley Brown, Phil Donohue, Betty Friedan, Larry King, Gloria Steinem, Barbara Walters Documentary 2011 [USA] English, 62 minutes

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Saturday, February 11 6 PM

Julius Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall

TOMBOY An Incisive Drama of a Young Girl’s Burgeoning Sexuality When Laure arrives at her new neighborhood in the outskirts of Paris, she ventures outside to meet the local kids. Mistaken for a boy by a potential new friend Lisa, she decides, on the spur of the moment, to give her name as Mikaël. As they become closer, Lisa does not know that her new best friend is a girl. Director Celine Sciamma’s debut film, Water Lilies, put her on the map. She has made her mark again with this intimate drama.

Director Celine Sciamma Producer Bénédicte Couvreur Cast Jeanne Disson, Malonn Levana, Mathieu Demy, Sophie Cattani, Zoe Heran Feature 2011 [USA] French, 84 minutes

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Saturday, February 11 6 PM

Lehman Auditorium, 202 Altschul Hall

THE LEGEND OF PANCHO BARNES AND THE HAPPY BOTTOM RIDING CLUB The Gripping Story of a Forceful Woman at the Center of Aviation History

Director Amanda Pope Producer Nick T. Spark Cast Kathy Bates (narrator) Tom Skerritt (narrator) Buzz Aldrin, Charles ‘Chuck’ Yeager Documentary 2009 [USA] English, 64 minutes

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The Legend of Pancho Barnes chronicles the thrilling life of aviation pioneer, Florence Lowe “Pancho” Barnes, one of the most colorful and accomplished female pilots of the early 20th century. A tough and fearless woman, and Amelia Earhart’s rival, Barnes made a name for herself as Hollywood’s first female stunt pilot. Just before WWII she opened the “Happy Bottom Riding Club,” a ranch near Edwards Air Force Base that became the epicenter of the aviation world during the early jet age. Chuck Yeager celebrated breaking the sound barrier there in 1947, and both Howard Hughes and Jimmy Doolittle caroused in the bar. The Club’s destruction by fire in 1953 is seen by many to mark the end of a golden era in post-WWII aviation. Q & A SESSION Director Amanda Pope will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.


Saturday, February 11 9 PM

Diana Event Oval, LL100 Diana Center

WISH ME AWAY A Country Music Star Risks Her Career and Family to Be True to Herself This documentary is a personal and intimate look at Chely Wright, who after a lifetime of hiding, became the first commercially successful country music singer to come out as a lesbian. Given unprecedented access over a two-year period, including access to Wright’s private video diaries, the filmmakers chronicle her rise to fame as she steps into the media glare and shatters the cultural and religious stereotypes of Nashville. Wish Me Away shows both the devastation caused by Wright’s internalized homophobia and the transformational power of living an authentic life. Directors/Producers Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf Cast Chely Wright, Howard Bragman, Christopher Wright, Charlene Daniels, Jennifer Archer, Stan Wright

Q & A SESSION Directors/Producers Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.

Documentary 2011 [USA] English, 64 minutes

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Saturday, February 11 9 PM

Julius Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall

ORANGES AND SUNSHINE Director Jim Loach Producers Suzanne Alizart, Camilla Bray, Iain Canning, Joan Schneider, Emile Sherman Cast Emily Watson, David Wenham and Hugo Weaving Feature 2011 [UK] English, 100 minutes

A British Social-Worker Brings World-Wide Attention to an Extraordinary Miscarriage of Justice Oranges and Sunshine is the story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham, England who uncovers one of the most significant scandals in recent times: the organized deportation of nearly 130,000 British children who were removed from orphanages and group homes. Sent to western Australia and other locations, many of the children were forced into hard labor and endured physical cruelty and sexual abuse. Emily Watson portrays Margaret Humphreys, who almost single-handedly reunited thousands of families and brought worldwide attention to this travesty.

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Sunday, February 12 1 PM

Diana Event Oval, LL100 Diana Center

THE RESCUERS Producer/Director Michael King Cast Martin Gilbert, Gustav Goldberger, Inge Samson, Sylvia Smollar, Michael Kaufman, Sebastian Mendes, Stephanie Nyombayire, Peter Vagi, Berl Shor, Agnes Hirschi, Leo Goldberger Documentary 2011 [USA] English, 94 minutes

Learning to Tackle Today’s Unspeakable Tragedies from Unsung Heroes of the Past The Rescuers follows Stephanie Nyombayire, a young Rwandan anti-genocide activist who lost 100 members of her family in the Rwandan Genocide, as she teams with Sir Martin Gilbert, the renowned Holocaust historian. Together they travel across 15 countries and three continents interviewing survivors and descendants of 13 diplomats who saved tens of thousands of Jews during World War II. Their quest uncovers the largely unknown stories of these WWII heroes and helps Nyombayire better understand what needs to be done to stop the ongoing genocide in Darfur and elsewhere. Q & A SESSION Co-producer Yvonne Russo will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.

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Sunday, February 12 1 PM

Julius Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall

ALL SHE CAN The Weight of Her Future is on Her Shoulders In Benavides, Texas, petite girls can deadlift 280 pounds, military recruiters roam high school halls, and a patriotic Mexican-American community that pre-dates Texas statehood struggles with a collapsing economy. Luz Garcia, a high school senior in this forgotten town, wants something different than the options awaiting her after graduation. She’s earned a ticket out with admission to the University of Texas at Austin, but she can’t afford to go. Her one shot is a scholarship for winning the State Powerlifting Championship Director Amy Wendel Executive Producers Hal Wendel, Todd Barnes Producers Daniel A. Meisel, Susan Kirr Cast Corina Calderon, Jeremy Ray Valdez and Joseph Julian Soria, Juilio Cedillo, Julia Vera Feature 2011 [USA] English/Spanish, 91 minutes

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Q & A SESSION Director Amy Wendel will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.


Sunday, February 12 1 PM

Lehman Auditorium, 202 Altschul Hall

BORGEN A Dramatic Glimpse at the Costs of Political Power This political drama, the latest Danish television sensation, follows the complicated life of 40-year-old political leader Birgitte Nyborg, who becomes the first female Prime Minister of Denmark. Like its American cousin The West Wing, Borgen uncovers a world of political gamesmanship – the intricate public and private lives of politicians, media spinners, and the reporters who traffic in their triumphs and failures. Creator Adam Price Producer Camilla Hammerich Cast Sidse Babett Knudsen, Brigitte Hjort Sorensen, Johan Philip Asbaek TV Series 2011 [Denmark] Danish, 110 minutes

Season 1, Episode 1: Dyden i midten (Virtue in the Middle) Three days before an election, party leader Birgitte Nyborg shakes up her campaign by denouncing her closest ally; sensitive information about the current prime minister’s shopping expenses lands in the wrong hands; and the rising star of the evening news is shaken by an unexpected death. Season 1, Episode 2: Tæl til 90 (Count to 90) After a successful election, Birgitte Nyborg looks set to become Denmark’s first female prime minister, but allies and opponents do their best to block her way.

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Sunday, February 12 1 PM

Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theater, LL 200 Diana Center

Abuelas Director Afarin Eghbal Documentary Short 2011 [UK] English/Spanish, 9 minutes Harriet Returns Director Marquis Smalls Feature Short 2011 [USA] English, 10 minutes I am a Girl! Director Susan Koenen Documentary Short 2011 [Netherlands] Dutch, 15 minutes Junko’s Shamisen Director Sol Friedman Animated Short 2010 [Canada] Japanese, 11 minutes Nurses for Africa Directors Benjamin and Robert Clyde Documentary Short 2010 [USA] English, 26 minutes T’Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness: Queer Blues Divas of the 1920s Director Robert Phillpson Documentary Short 2011 [USA] English, 29 minutes Unchastened Director Brynmore Williams Documentary Short 2010 [USA] 4 minutes

SHORTS COLLECTION II Abuelas Using real-life testimonials from members of ‘the Grandmothers of May Square’, this documentary tells the story of a mother whose her daughter is among the 30,000 people who “disappeared” between 1976-83 under an oppressive Argentinean military dictatorship. It is a tribute to the tenacity of the Abuelas who continue fighting for the truth about their missing relatives. Harriet Returns Harriet Tubman comes back to life, concerned with the repeated use of the N-word and the way that young black men sag their pants. While attempting to ‘save’ them, Tubman meets her match with two young NYC rappers, Master E and Raz and discovers that these young men may not need saving after all. I am a Girl! Every 13-year-old girl dreams of that nice-but-hard-to-get boy, and Joppe is no different. She consults her friend on how to ask Brian out, but how can she tell him that she was born a boy? I Am a Girl! shows audiences a courageous young person unafraid to be who she truly believes she was meant to be. Junko’s Shamisen With the help of a mystical fox at her side, a young girl avenges her grandfather’s death in this mixed-media tale of innocence, evil and bloodshed. Nurses for Africa A group of nurses from the mid-west are sent to provide free medical treatment to a small village in Zambia, Africa. They quickly learn that their initial expectations were all wrong and that the experience of serving others would make the biggest difference in their own lives. T’Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness: Queer Blues Divas of the 1920s This film celebrates the pioneers of blues through interviews with cultural historians, vintage photos, footage, and recordings. Narrated by Jewelle Gomez. Unchastened A story of one woman’s journey to reclaim her beauty and grace in the wake of a breast cancer diagnosis. Q & A SESSION Producer and Actress Tamu Favorite and Director Marquis Smalls (Harriet Returns) and Actress Catherine Musinsky and Director Brynmore Williams (Unchastened) will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.

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Sunday, February 12 2:30 PM

James Room, 418 Barnard Hall

Sneak Peek and Discussion

HALF THE SKY

An Early Look at the New FourPart PBS Documentary Series Director Maro Chermayeff Executive Producers Jamie Gordon, Mikaela Beardsley Documentary 2012 [USA] English,15 minutes

In 2009, with their acclaimed bestselling book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn encouraged readers all over the world to join a burgeoning movement to improve the lives of women and girls. This documentary, inspired by Kristof and WuDunn’s work, introduces women and girls who are living under some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable and fighting bravely to change them. Their dramatic and immediate stories offer a blueprint to unlock women’s power and potential, and transform them into agents of change. CONVERSATION A 15 minute look at the documentary will be followed by a conversation with Director Maro Chermayeff and Executive Producer Jamie Gordon.

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Sunday, February 12 4 PM

Julius Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall

THE EDUCATION OF DEE DEE RICKS One Woman’s Mission to Defeat Cancer and Help Others Do the Same Director Perri Peltz Executive Producers Sheila Nevins ’60, Jane Rosenthal, Jeca Taudte Supervising Producer Sara Bernstein Producer Lisa R. Cohen Documentary 2011 [USA] English, 71 minutes

Photo: Richard DeWitt/Courtesy of HBO

Dee Dee Ricks was living her dream—she had a successful business, two beautiful kids, and a whirlwind social life. But after being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing a double mastectomy, Ricks trades her hedge-fund career for philanthropy, raising money for a Harlem clinic that treats uninsured and underserved patients. Director, Perri Peltz, candidly tracks the emotional rebirth of a survivor, following Ricks for three years as she battles her disease, struggles to raise money for the clinic, and reevaluates her purpose in life. Q & A SESSION Dee Dee Ricks and Director Perri Peltz will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.

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Sunday, February 12 4 PM

Lehman Auditorium, 202 Altschul Hall

CIRCUMSTANCE A Groundbreaking Look at the Love Affair of Two Iranian Teens Director Maryam Keshavarz Cast Sarah Kazemy, Nikohl Boosheri and Reza Sixo Safai Feature 2011 [USA/France/Iran] Farsi, 105 minutes

This visually stunning film, set in contemporary Tehran, is the first feature film made by writer-director Maryam Keshavarz. Denounced by the Iranian government before they even saw it, Circumstance is the story of the love affair of two 16-year-old Iranian girls who dare to challenge the fundamentalist morality imposed by the Iranian regime. When in public, the two girls wear headscarves and drab clothes, blending in with other schoolgirls. At night, they and their friends head for Tehran’s many secret underground clubs to enter the city’s hidden world of illicit parties, sex, and drugs. Ironically, the greatest threat comes from one of the girl’s brother who has recently returned home from drug rehab and fallen under the spell of a member of the morality police. Lost, bitter, and estranged from his disappointed father, he becomes an informer, setting up an arrest that will forever alter all of their lives. Q & A SESSION Director/Writer Maryam Keshavarz will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.

Athena Film Festival 39


Sunday, February 12 4 PM

Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theater, LL 200 Diana Center

OFF THE REZ A Native American Family Leaves the Reservation in Pursuit of the American Dream Shoni Schimmel, a high-school junior living on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon, was one of the best high school basketball players in the country. When Shoni’s mother, Ceci, takes a job coaching a high school team in Portland, she defies her family and brings Shoni and her seven other children with her. Shoni’s senior year has now become the most important year of their lives as mother and daughter fight to preserve their traditions in the unforgiving world of big-time American sports and prove that Native American women can become champions both on and off the rez.

Q & A SESSION Editors Keiko Deguchi and Nancy Novack and Producer Jim Podhoretz will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.

Director/Producer Jonathan Hock Producer Jim Podhoretz Cast Ceci Moses, Delores Moses, Lilian Moses, Rick Schimmel, Shoni Schimmel Documentary 2011 [USA] English, 90 minutes

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Sunday, February 12 6 PM

Diana Event Oval, LL100 Diana Center

Athena Film Festival Closing Film

THE LADY Director Luc Besson Producers Luc Besson, Andy Harries, Virginie Silla, Jean Todt Cast Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis and Jonathan Raggett Feature 2011 [UK] English, 145 minutes

The Compelling Story of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese Activist and Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize The Lady is based on the true story of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese prodemocracy leader and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize who was under house arrest for 17 years. The movie details how Suu Kyi, her husband Michael Aris, and their family sacrificed their happiness in order to lead the struggle for human rights in her homeland. Despite distance, long separations, and a dangerously hostile regime, their love endured. Since her release from house arrest in 2010, Suu Kyi’s courageous struggle for political freedom has shown progress. She is planning to run for Parliament in upcoming elections and has expressed confidence that democracy eventually will come to her country.

Athena Film Festival 41


DIRECTIONS AND CAMPUS MAP

Barnard College is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan between 116th and 120th Streets along the west side of Broadway. Entrance to the campus is at 117th St. and Broadway, ½ block north of the 116th Subway stop on the 1 train. Note, if coming from downtown, change to the local 1 train from the 2 or 3 Express at 96th Street.

VENUES Information and Tickets The Diana Center 1st Floor Screenings, Panels & Receptions Diana Event Oval LL100 Diana Center Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theatre LL200 Diana Center

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James Room 418 Barnard Hall Julius Held Auditorium 304 Barnard Hall

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Lehman Auditorium 202 Altschul Hall

BARNARD STORE 1st Floor, Diana Center

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BLACK BOX LOUNGE Lower Level 2, Diana Center

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Sulzberger Parlor 316 Barnard Hall

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MAIN GATE

Food Liz’s Place (Coffee and snacks) Friday, 8 AM–8 PM Saturday, 11:30 AM–8 PM Sunday, 11:30 AM–8 PM 1st Floor Diana Center

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LEHMAN LAWN

Miller Theatre 2960 Broadway at 116th Street

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Festival T-Shirts Barnard Store Thursday, 10 AM–7 PM Friday, 10 AM–7 PM Saturday 11 AM–4 PM Sunday 11 AM– 4 PM 1st Floor Diana Center

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MILLER THEATRE 12

ALTSCHUL ATRUIM 1st Floor, Altschul Hall

DIANA CAFETERIA 2nd Floor, Diana Center DIANA EVENT OVAL Lower Level 100, Diana Center GLICKER-MILSTEIN BLACKBOX THEATER Lower Level 200, Diana Center JULIUS HELD AUDITORIUM Barnard Hall 304 JAMES ROOM Barnard Hall 418 LEFRAK GYMNASIUM 1st Floor, Barnard Hall LEHMAN AUDITORIUM Altschul Hall 202 LIZ’S PLACE 1st Floor, Diana Center MILLER THEATRE Columbia Campus West 116th Street & Broadway CAMPUS ENTRANCE BUILDING MAIN ENTRANCE WHEELCHAIR ENTRANCE SECURITY / INFORMATION SUBWAY

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FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL

Organizational Partners Arts and Business Council of New York Barnard Business and Professional Women Barnard Constellations Barnard Organization of Soul Sisters Bust Magazine Columbia Queer Alliance Columbia Undergraduate Film Production Columbia University National Undergraduate Film Festival 85 Broads at Columbia University Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee Feministing Ferris Reel Film Society Fork Films The Intercultural Resource Center, Columbia Office of Multicultural Affairs ITVS

Leadership Development, Student Life, Barnard College McIntosh Activities Council at Barnard Morningside Alliance The New Agenda New York Women in Film and Television NOW New York Paradigm Shift Student Government Association, Barnard College Well-Women Health Promotion Program at Barnard College The White House Project Women in Film Women Make Movies Women’s enews Women’s Media Center Women’s Sports Foundation

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ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS Co-Founders Kathryn Kolbert, Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College Melissa Silverstein, Women and Hollywood Administrative Coordinator Maria Perez-Martinez Technical Director Michael Comstock, Indre Studios Development Stephanie Berger, Stewart Berger, Hailee Greene, Berger Hirschberg Strategies Public Relations Veronica Bufalini, Clare Anne Darragh, Kerry McLeer, Lina Plath, Frank PR Sun Min, Barnard Communications Logistics Coordinators Sara Leger, Tiffany Dugan Volunteer Coordinator Celeste Jennings

Outreach Coordinator Erin Vilardi Hospitality Elizabeth Harper Web Design theCoup.org Tickets Rudy Scala, CUArts Interns Mica Spicka Zoe LePage Volunteers Daphne Grayson Printing, Design & Production David Hopson, Lisa Buonaiuto, Barnard Communications Barnard Staff Abigail Lewis, Dorothy Weaver, Bret Silver, Abigail Feder-Kane, Karen Raven, Patricia Keim, Beth Saidel, Julio Vazquez

Athena Center for Leadership Studies Faculty Advisory Board Flora S. Davidson Alan Dye Debra Minkoff David Weiman Board of Advisors Kim K. Azzarelli Nancy Barry Dr. Jacqueline K. Barton Stephanie Bell-Rose Stephanie Berger The Honorable Margot Botsford ‘69 Wendy Myers Cambor Jolyne Caruso-FitzGerald ‘81 Ronnie Eldridge ‘52 Anne Sutherland Fuchs Ellen Futter ‘71 Dr. Helene Gayle ‘76 44

Betsy Gotbaum ‘60 Phyllis Grann ‘58 Rosabeth Moss Kanter Helene Kaplan ‘53 The Honorable Judith Kaye ‘58 Shelly Lazarus Linda Fayne Levinson ‘62 Liz Neumark ‘77 Indra Nooyi Anna Quindlen ‘74 Susan Stamberg ‘59 Merryl Tisch ‘77 Faye Wattleton Sheila Wellington Constance Hess Williams ‘66 Anne Weisberg Marie Wilson Melinda Wolfe


Leadership Council and Donors The Athena Center for Leadership Studies is deeply indebted to the extraordinary donors whose gifts have enabled us to launch and grow this ambitious program. For the endowment of the Constance Hess Williams Directorship of the Athena Center Constance Hess Williams ’66 The Founding Donors of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies Francene Sussner Rodgers ’67 Constance Hess Williams ’66 Lucille Zanghi and James Dow P ’10 The Founding Donors of the Financial Fluency Program Laird Grant Groody ’67 Patricia Harrigan Nadosy ’68 Mollie Rosenthal Memorial Fund Susan Weber ’77 Athena Leadership Council Patricia Harrigan Nadosy ’68 (Co-Chair) Azita Raji ’83 (Co-Chair) April Benson ’73 Margarita (Ari) Brose ’84 Dina DeLuca Chartouni ’82 Jennifer Christman ’84 Glori Cohen P’14 Bea Drechsler ’84 Leah Dunaief ’62 Mary Beth Forshaw ’84 Vivian Fried ’82 Marjorie Gittelman ’82 Nieca Goldberg, M.D. ’79 Rena Sterman Hoffman ’84 Anne Josephson ’91 Amy Levenson ’85 Marina Lewin ’80 Marley Blue Lewis ’05 Anna Longobardo ’49 Sultana Mangalji P’12 Nancy McGregor Manne ’80 P’14 Jyoti Menon ’01 Nazee Moinian P’13 Claire Newman Terry Newman ’79 Lida Orzeck ’68 Daphne Fodor Philipson ’69

Philippa Portnoy ’86 Susan Scheman Ratner ’86 Francene Sussner Rodgers ’67 Maria Emanuel Ryan, M.D. ’85 Rochelle Cooper Schneider ’84 P’12 Andra Shapiro ’80 P’14 Carol Silberstein ’69 Eleanor Wagner ’71 Carla Walworth P’12 Margaret Withgott, M.D. ’76 Lisa Wolfe ’82 Paula Throckmorton Zakaria ’89 Lucille R. Zanghi P’10 Anonymous The Athena Center appreciates the individuals and organizations who contributed funds for programs throughout the 2010-2011 year Helen Armbrust ’77 Ina and Howard Drew P’13 Exxon Mobil Foundation Ford Motor Company Goldman Sachs Gives IBM, Inc. Despina Keegan and Brian Keegan Marina Weitzner Lewin ’80 and Andrew Lewin, The Andrew and Marina Lewin Family Foundation Kit Miller and Jon Christensen P ’13 Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, LLP Richard Rosenzweig, Andrea J. Will Memorial Foundation Carol Krongold Silberstein ’69 and Alan M. Silberstein Ruth Steinberg ’72

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INDEX Films, Conversations and Workshops for Filmmakers

Abuelas

36

All She Can 34 Ann Richards’ Texas Apache 8

22

Black Butterflies Borgen

18

20

35

Building an Audience in the Digital Age Circumstance

16

39

Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock The Director

24

26

The Education of Dee Dee Ricks Equality, I am Woman

38

26

From Script to Screen: Producing Films in Tough Times Gloria: In Her Own Words

16

28

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide Harriet Returns

36

A Hollywood Conversation: Winnie Holtzman and Savannah Dooley I Am a Girl!

36

Junko’s Shamisen The Lady

36

41

Lady Razorbacks

26

The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club A Marine Story

23

The Naked Option Northeast Front

21 26

Nurses for Africa Off the Rez

36

40

Oranges and Sunshine The Rescuers

32

33

Slaying the Dragon Reloaded

26

T’Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness: Queer Blues Divas of the 1920s Tasnim Tomboy

26 29

Umoja: No Men Allowed Unchastened

26

36

The Whistleblower

17

Who Took the Bomp: Le Tigre on Tour Wish Me Away

19

31

Women, War & Peace: War Redefined

46

27

25

36

30

37


NOTES

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NOTES

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