(FVR Team L-R): Maria Akay (Producer), Catherine Delaloye (Founder/Executive Director), Kira Leinonen (Producer)
Female Voices Rock Film Festival has wrapped theirhighest attended festival to date this past weekend with their 4th annual event celebrating the best new films by female, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ filmmakers. Female Voices Rock’s mission is to incite and inspire change that builds a foundation of equality and diversity within the film industry. The festival, created in 2019 when women comprised only 20% of all directors, writers, producers, editors, and cinematographers working on the top 250 US domestic grossing films, works to ensure every underrepresented storyteller’s diverse voice is heard and championed. With over 700 attendees and 32 exciting short films over the weekend, this one-of-a-kind film festival kicked off on Friday, May 5th with its Opening Night Party at La Diaspora Bar in New York City, and continued throughout the weekend at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn. Guests and fans traveled across the country to attend the festival with international filmmakers flying in to represent countries like New Zealand and China.
Broadway Star Krystal Joy Brown at the Opening Night Party
The festival spanned for three days, featuring various sold out screening blocks, networking opportunities and informational panels aimed at educating and supporting short film filmmakers. Produced by accomplished filmmaker Kira Leinonen, the panels explored topics such as developing your first feature and career advancement with a short film, including Using Your Short As A Stepping Stone Panel, featuring panelists Caryn Coleman, Lin Que Ayoung, Misha Calvert & Liz Sargent, and Producing Your First Feature Film Panel, featuring panelists Alexa Ginsburg, Kate Barry and Gabriella Moses. Attendees were able to mix and mingle between attending the screening blocks, spanning dramas, comedies, coming of age films and much more, including: A Family Affair, What Happens After Dark, Choice And Motherhood, Love Is…, & Embracing My Voice. The festival wrapped on Sunday, May 7th with its Awards Ceremony at the Wythe Hotel and Closing Party at Isla & Co. in Brooklyn.
About the Author New York Trend is a weekly news publication that focuses on issues and lifestyles of the African & Caribbean American communities throughout the New York metropolitan area and Nassau and Suffolk Counties of Long Island. It is a respected and well recognized news publication that has been in existence since 1989. Owner, Publisher and Executive Director, Dr. Teresa Taylor Williams has been at the helm of this award-winning publication since its inception. New York Trend continues to be the only black woman-owned, metropolitan newspaper in New York and Long island. New York Trend is the largest black-owned newspaper throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.
