In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, Women and Girls Lead is launching #SheDocs, an online film festival that gives people everywhere the opportunity to watch gripping, women-centric documentaries from their computers.
Ten acclaimed independent documentaries will be available online free during the month of March. One of the most prominent films will be PBS’s sweeping portrait of the last 50 years of the women’s movement, MAKERS: Women Who Make America.
“We want to provide inspiring content about girls and women who are rising into leadership and defying odds. We’re hoping the people watching these films will see these amazing women reflected in themselves,” said Locsi Ferra, campaign manager for Women and Girls Lead.
The 10 films featured in the festival showcase women and girls in the United States and globally who pushed through adversity to become the heroes of their own stories. From the experience of an Algerian student who explores why life is slow to change for women in her country to the tale of Patsy Mink, the first Asian American and first woman of color in Congress, #SheDocs paints an impressive portrait of those who set out to change their communities.
“By harnessing the power of film and storytelling, we can share the stories of women and girls who are on the front lines of changing the world,” said Ferra. “Also because the festival is online, we can leverage the power of social media to spread the word and expand our reach to new audiences.”
Along with the films that can be streamed on their website, #SheDocs is encouraging viewers to attend social screenings via the multimedia platform OVEE. The next one will be I Was Worth 50 Sheep, which tells the story of young girls married off in Afghanistan. Supporters also have the opportunity to host screenings of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity For Women Worldwide in their homes by requesting a DVD toolkit.
“We want people to share these films, talk about them and see how they themselves can contribute to society and take on these leadership capacities,” said Ferra.
Screenshot from #SheDocs trailer
