In its sophomore effort, the 2019 Boston Women’s Film Festival hits local theaters, tomorrow, with even more to offer than last year.

The festival debuts the results of a short film competition, screening winners in both narrative and documentary styles, in addition to its feature film offerings.

“The reason we exist is because women filmmakers still don’t have enough play in the field,” says festival director Jo-Ann Graziano. “It’s not really a male field, but it feels like that. Women don’t have as much opportunity.”

Last year, Boston Women’s Film Festival’s theme was “resilience.” But, 2019 goes without, and that’s intentional. Graziano says the festival wants to underscore the fact that women’s film is not a genre. Women work in all areas of film, and they make groundbreaking contributions. This is what should be celebrated.

What to See at Boston Women’s Film Festival

Courtesy Boston Women's Film Festival

At the Museum of Fine Arts, director Julia Hart’s “Fast Color” opens the second annual Boston Women’s Film Festival.

Graziano recommends “Fast Color,” the feature film that opens the festival at the MFA. (“Sister Aimee” kicks things off at the Brattle). Despite its quality, the film received a limited distribution. Its plot follows a woman of color in the Midwest as she discovers she has the power to move the Earth – but has no idea how to control it.

For the first time this year, the festival celebrates a cinematographer, selecting Katelin Arizmendi for her work on “Swallow”. The film tells the story of a young housewife whose repressed trauma causes her to compulsively swallow dangerous household objects.

“Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché” profiles one of the first female filmmakers, for a little dose of feminist history as well as spectacular film production by the female team. She was involved in the making of over 1,000 films, and yet, her story was lost to history until recently.

Here’s the full roster of films.

When & Where

Festival runs September 26–29.
Films screen at both The Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in the Fenway.
Festival pass: $125 – $200; individual tickets available per film at host box office