Bechdel FIlm Fest

A winner of the Akron Knight Arts Challenge, Bechdel Film Fest plans to highlight films that pass the “Bechdel Test,” which brings attention to gender inequality in film and fiction, at a festival that features works made by female directors, producers and actors.

MAY 29 – JUNE 2, 2019
Bechdel Film Fest, in partnership with the Nightlight Cinema and Akron Summit County Public Library, will feature high quality curated films that pass the “Bechdel Test,” which brings attention to gender inequality in film and fiction.

THE BECHDEL TEST: AT LEAST TWO FEMALE CHARACTERS, WHO ARE GIVEN NAMES, TALK TO EACH OTHER ABOUT SOMETHING OTHER THAN A MAN OR BOY.

Just half of films produced meet these simple requirements, and media aimed towards children and teens is even bleaker in terms of on-screen females with their own narrative arc. Exposing young Akronites to great art featuring women front and center can directly impact gender equality in future generations.

The downtown festival will be an opportunity to showcase talented female screenwriters, directors, actors and highlight compelling stories of women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community which are often overlooked on screen, and will highlight Akron as the inclusive community that Akronites already know it to be.