Feminista Film Festival puts women on the adventure agenda

06th September, 2019

Now in its second year, the Feminista Film Festival showcases films and documentaries about women pursuing their passions. Festival co-founder Dan Mucha said: “Stories about women and girls need a stronger voice, and documentary film is a uniquely inspiring and engaging form of storytelling.”

The 2019 festival, which opens on Friday 27 September, will show a selection of 15 documentaries and host Q&As about women pursuing their passions and overcoming adversity. The festival programme includes two films about swimming, and others on women pursuing other adventure activities including ultramarathons, skiing and climbing.

‘Ploughing through picture books since my children were born I’m extremely conscious that women learn from an early age certain types of stories are not about them – protagonists of silly, adventurous, fun, ‘just-because’ happenings in children books are predominately given a male gender, whether the protagonist is a person, sausage or sock’ says Kate Rew. ‘We should all address this as often and in as many ways as we can – the more women and girls take up the narratives for adventure, the more future generations will enjoy their bodies as vehicles to take themselves places, and like the space they physically occupy on the planet – at any age.’

Chasing The Sublime, the short film featuring OSS founder Kate Rew, forms part of the festival’s opening night. Directed by award-winning film-maker Amanda Bluglass, Chasing the Sublime follows Kate Rew and Kari Furre as they swim in Loch Hourn in 2018. Also showing is “Sarah”, the story of Syrian competitive swimmer and refugee Sarah Mardini, who with her sister saved the lives of 18 refugees by swimming a waterlogged dingy to shore.

The opening night line up includes the feature-length Home, about Sarah Outen’s 20,000 mile journey around the world by bike, kayak and rowing boat, and two other shorts about inspiring women.

‘The sub plot of making Chasing the Sublime was Kari and I turning 70 and 50 respectively,’ says Kate. ‘Traditionally ages where women feel they are becoming increasing invisible, and people stop looking and listening to them. It gave us some pleasure (and pain) to put our old lady faces up there on the big screen and try to say something worth listening to. Full thanks to our director Amanda Bluglass for her help on that journey!’.

  • Feminista Film Festival takes place at The Soho Hotel on 27 and 28 September. Full details are available on the website www.feminista.co.uk