How a Chicago-based publication and short film festival is providing a space for female and non-binary voices to find a place in the spotlight.

Chicago is home to some of the entertainment industry’s brightest and most creative filmmakers. From housing Cinespace Studios to the Chicago International Film Festival and the historic Music Box Theatre, the film lovers’ community has incredible industry integration and appreciation opportunities. 

However, there’s no doubt that a majority of filmmakers struggle to get their work out to wider audiences. 

A Chicago-based publication founded by Rebecca Martin Fagerholm aims to combat that. 

Founded in 2018, Cinema Femme is a platform that uplifts emerging underrepresented filmmakers, particularly women and non-binary people. 

Cinema Femme quickly grew a strong network of support from emerging filmmakers who found Fagerholm’s passion for film interviews and equal representation in the film industry inspiring. 

In 2020, Fagerholm took on an additional title at the publication as festival director with the inaugural Cinema Femme Short Film Festival. 

This year, the sixth edition of the Cinema Femme Short Film Festival took place from April 25 to May 2.

What started as a completely online festival has now turned into a four-program, in-person festival at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre at 3733 N. Southport Ave.

The festival showed 20 short films, including shorts by DePaul faculty member Lori Felker and DePaul Directing MFA graduate Jewells Santos. 

The festival is most notable for its Breaking Down Walls mentorship program and retreat, where four of the festival’s winning filmmakers are awarded a three-month mentorship with a seasoned industry member as well as a weekend retreat to work with their mentor in person. 

This year’s Cinema Femme Short Film Festival, in addition to its four programs full of unique and artistic short films, held a Q&A with Lori Felker about her short film Spontaneous, a pitch-writing workshop, a post-production panel and the Chicago premiere of the 2023 feature film Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, directed by Anna Hints. 

While the 2024 Cinema Femme Short Film Festival is now finished, the publication continues to thrive among film lovers far beyond the limits of the city of Chicago.

Header by Kiernan Sullivan