Athena Film Festival

At the annual Athena Film Festival at Barnard College, audiences find original, thought-provoking, and diverse stories of women leading change in underexplored ways — stories that are breaking down gender stereotypes that hold us all back.

The festival welcomes thousands of guests from across the country to screenings of 25+ feature films and 2-3 short film programs — all featuring women or nonbinary protagonists at the center of the story. Screenings are followed by a Q&A or panel conversation with filmmakers, activists, academics and more, and attendees are invited to join special events as well as community partner activations.

The Athena Creative Development Program supports writers working on women-centric projects with funding, skill-building opportunities, and a strong, supportive network. We prioritize supporting writers from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds in film and provide them with the resources, skills, and network they need to succeed in a challenging industry. 

These programs represent an unparalleled pipeline of talent that is literally changing the face of the industry. To date, Athena has supported hundreds of writers and dozens of projects, including several narrative and documentary films that have been successfully produced.

In partnership with Barnard's Film Program and the Sloate Media Center, Athena runs the Artemis Rising Foundation Filmmaker Fellows program to bring experienced filmmakers to campus to teach and mentor students. Read more about the Artemis Rising program and current Artemis Rising Fellows here. 

Whether you are a high-school or college student, there are a variety of ways to get involved with the annual film festival. This includes joining our network of nearly 100 volunteers, applying for one of a dozen student crew jobs, registering to attend the annual Teen Immersive weekend experience, and more. 

For recent college graduates interested in filmmaking and curation, you can apply for the annual Athena Programming Fellowship. 

Click above to learn more about these various opportunities. 

Athena partners with a network of dozens of nonprofit and industry organizations that share our commitment to advancing women’s leadership. These partners receive free and discounted access to the festival and are invited to host events for their membership during the festival itself.

To learn more about joining our network of organizational partners, click here.

Athena relies on a network of individuals and institutional supporters whose contributions provide the critical funds necessary to sustain and grow our annual festival and year round creative development programs. This network of donors, friends, and supporters include Patron Passholders, Host Committee Members, Event Sponsors and more. 

If you are interested in making a contribution to our festival to advance our work fighting for a feminist future, click here for more information.