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‘Reel’ women of Citizen Jane bust the boys’ club

The Citizen Jane Film Festival showcases women behind the camera.

By Angie Andera

Published Oct. 15, 2010

The third annual Citizen Jane Film Festival gets its reels rolling Friday, Oct. 15, through Sunday, Oct. 17. Hosted by Stephens College, Citizen Jane promises to deliver films that challenge the status quo of women in the film industry.

Featuring women both behind and in front of the camera, the Columbia festival includes films created by women worldwide as well as panel discussions and workshops. Co-directors Paula Elias and Kerri Yost strive to create an inspiring event that strikes a fine balance between showcasing talented filmmakers and giving audiences a small dose of reality.

"It's really important for women's voices to be heard," Elias said. "But only 7 percent of the top 250 highest-grossing films were made by women this year. That means that 93 percent of what we see out there is made by men."

Despite this harsh reality, Citizen Jane confronts the striking gender disparity head on through the festival's theme, "Reconstructing Reality."

"Reality isn't what we want yet, so let's reconstruct it for a weekend where women are first and foremost," Elias said. "Half of the population is made up of women, and surely our stories should be heard too."

Ky Dickens, the filmmaker behind "Fish Out of Water," addressed the issue further.

"The primary purpose of this festival is twofold," Dickens said. "It's to give a platform for the creative voices of film -- that happen to be women — to be told and celebrated, and the second is to show how the stories of women are integral to the human experience."

Questioning the status quo, Citizen Jane seeks answers to why women are so underrepresented in the film industry. One answer, according to Elias, is production companies are unwilling to fund female projects because they view the projects and directors as risky investments.

"I think really it comes down to economics," Elias said. "Films are expensive, and it's comfortable to go with (male filmmakers)."

Along with struggles to secure adequate funding, female filmmakers also face hardships of sexism.

"The film world is a boy's club in a lot of ways, and it's hard as a director to be supported, heard and respected," Dickens said. "Even though we don't like to talk about sexism, I think it's prevalent. And it's only by acknowledgment that we can change it."

To combat these hardships, Citizen Jane offers a unique support system.

"The festival is really small and intimate," Elias said. "It's a wonderful opportunity to get a lot of support and exposure."

"Festivals make female filmmakers more visible to producers and production companies," filmmaker Deborah Stratman said.

As a filmmaker who will be screening her film "O'er the Land" at Citizen Jane, Stratman stressed the importance of women's voices being translated through film.

"The variety of women's voices (heard at the festival) can be really inspiring," Stratman said.

Dickens said a woman's perspective is unique.

"No one can tell a woman's story the way women can," Dickens said. "Having women at the helm of the creative process can help tell women's stories better."

But the women emphasize female filmmakers should not be restricted to telling only stereotypical women's stories.

"It's really important to stress that women don't just make films about babies and love and families," Elias said.

Epitomizing this point, Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman to win Best Director at the Academy Awards with her 2008 film "The Hurt Locker." "(She) shows that women can tell a story even if it's an epic war movie," Dickens said.

Both Dickens' and Stratman's films being screened at this year's festival depart from stereotypical female stories. Dickens' "Fish Out of Water" employs insight from theologians to deconstruct the seven Bible passages traditionally used to condemn homosexuality.

"The overwhelming issue of the film is to get people to think for themselves," Dickens said. "We often grow up in a family that has a set of beliefs, and that's OK, but it's important to question yourself."

Regardless of topic, every film at the festival promises to improve the future of female filmmakers.

"You can run a marathon to make a difference, go door to door selling candy bars to make a difference or go to Citizen Jane to make a difference," Elias said. "It's that simple."

For the event schedule and ticket information, visit the festival's website.