Vancouver Queer Film Festival 2014: Directors to discuss women in film

by Craig Takeuchi on August 14th, 2014 at 9:03 AM

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This year's Vancouver Queer Film Festival boasts a program with over 50 percent of the films directed by women. It's a significant percentage, considering how Hollywood is still facing a severe gender imbalance when it comes to directors.

New Frontiers in Film: The Gender Equality Revolution will address gender issues in the film industry with a panel discussion of directors.

Iranian-American filmmaker Desiree Akhavan not only wrote and directed Appropriate Behaviour (which plays on August 15 and 21 at the VQFF) but she starred in it too. She's also slated to appear in the next season of HBO's Girls.

Sydney Freeland is the writer-director of Drunktown's Finest (August 17), her debut dramatic feature that follows the stories of three Navajo characters.

Carolyn Combs is the director and co-writer of Looking South, set on Commercial Drive, and is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre's Director Residency Program.

They'll be joined by Helen Hok-Sze Leung, who is an SFU associate professor of gender, sexuality, and women's studies.

The event will take place on Monday (August 18) at noon at SFU Harbour Centre (515 West Hastings). Although it's free, registration is required.