Femme Film Series: March 2026
For me, movies and meaning are inseparable; I process my daily life through this art form. The cinema is not just entertainment—it’s a vital lens through which I understand the world, a constant source of introspection, and a mirror reflecting the complexities of the human experience. Every frame, every performance, every narrative beat contributes to […]
The Women Behind “Hekla”: Crafting Chaos, Color, and the Courage to Be Seen
In conversation with Elizabeth Stam, Wendy Robie, Brookelyn Hebert, Mary Tilden, and Heather Kuhlmann. Some films move like a straight line. “Hekla doesn’t. It rushes, swerves, collides—then bursts into color at the exact moments when performance becomes oxygen. Built around one chaotic day in the life of an actor, the film captures a familiar contradiction: […]
Sundance 2026: Finding Barbara Hammer—A Late Awakening to Queer Experimentation
Barbara Hammer once said, “If we’re experimenting with our lives and the way we’re going to live, our film and our art should also be experimental. It breaks tradition, and makes you think in a broader way. It’s the way I experience the world.” I’ve been carrying that quote with me lately, especially as I […]
Cinema Femme Short Film Festival Returns to the Music Box Theatre, July 17–21, 2025
🎬 Cinema Femme Short Film Festival Returns to the Music Box Theatre, July 17–21, 2025 Opening Night Reception, Dynamic Panels, Celebrated Shorts, and Awards Presentation Among the Highlights CHICAGO, IL — June 20, 2025 — Cinema Femme is proud to announce the full lineup for the 2025 Cinema Femme Short Film Festival, returning July 17–21 […]
Uniquely Euphoric: Bridget Frances Harris and Virginia Alonso-Luis on “Places of Worship”
Every once in a while, I come across a film that feels as if it has been made especially for me. That happened most recently at this year’s joyous in-person installment of my wife Rebecca Martin Fagerholm’s Cinema Femme Short Film Festival held at Chicago’s historic Music Box Theatre. As soon as Bridget Frances Harris’ […]
Introducing ‘The Call Sheet,’ a new magazine devoted to elevating emerging voices in film
Working closely with Chicago’s creatives, The Call Sheet magazine takes you behind the scenes on the filmmakers of today. Through this unique partnership between two of the city’s femme-led film organizations Cinema Femme and Camera Ambassador, our magazine will spotlight some of the raw and powerful talent emerging from the current filmmaking landscape! Chicago femme-led […]
Introducing “Rough River Lake”, a film by Mary Tilden
For Pride month Cinema Femme is excited to elevate Mary Tilden’s short film “Rough River Lake”. Read more about the film below, and please donate to support! Details below are shared from the filmmaker, Mary Tilden (“Cool for Five Seconds”). For more info, and to donate, visit https://www.fullspectrumfeatures.com/rough-river-lake Rough River Lake A film by Mary […]
Short Film “Cool for Five Seconds” now on Omeleto!
Inaugural 2020 Cinema Femme Short Film Fest selected “Cool for Five Seconds”- Short Film is officially released online! Link below! “Directed by Dani Wieder from a script by Calamity West, this two-hander is equal parts bitingly funny, emotionally raw and deeply empathetic, with an ear and eye for the complexities of relationships between sisters, and […]