#women-filmmakers

#women-filmmakers

With considerable chutzpah and elan, and in her capacity as producer and UNHCR Goodwill ambassador, Cate Blanchett has achieved a geopolitical film-making coup. In concert with festival authorities in Rotterdam, she has secured cash and commissioned short films on the subject of displacement from five directors including Mohammad Rasoulof, now in exile from his native Iran due to his pro-democracy activism, in effect making his first public statement since the recent massacres and apparently expressing his fears that he may never go home again.

This year’s festival will showcase 28 feature competition films, including 9 world premieres, emphasizing inclusion with 66% from female or gender non-conforming creators.

"Dea Kulumbegashvili's films capture the essence of her Georgian homeland while navigating complex emotional landscapes, a reflection of her experiences during the civil war."