Join us for the inaugural 51Fest!
We are proud to unveil the inaugural lineup for 51Fest, presented by Women in the World and IFC Center!
Celebrating the voice, vision and stories of the female majority through compelling screenings and conversations, all by or about women, the first annual 51Fest will be held July 18-21 in New York City.
51Fest will open at New York City’s SVA Theatre with Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story, a docu-comedy focused on the fallout from the comedian’s infamous photo holding a mask of Donald Trump’s likeness and her battle to reclaim her life and career. After the screening, Griffin will sit down in conversation with Tina Brown, CEO and founder of Tina Brown Live Media/Women in the World.
“The inaugural 51Fest leaves no doubt that a woman’s place is at the center of the story,” said Brown. “Griffin’s film is a cautionary tale of what happens when a thin-skinned authoritarian, aided by a media pile-on, attempts to silence an artist for exercising her First Amendment rights. We are proud to open 51Fest with Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story and I look forward to talking with Kathy after the screening”
Over the course of four days, 51Fest will offer audiences premieres of feature films, series and documentaries, followed by in-depth discussions with creators and stars. The program includes the New York debuts of After the Wedding, with producer and star Julianne Moore in person for a post-screening conversation; British thriller Official Secrets, starring Keira Knightley as an Iraq War whistleblower, followed by a discussion with HuffPost editor-in-chief Lydia Polgreen, award-winning Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman, and real-life subject Katharine Gun; Brittany Runs A Marathon, which won the Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic Feature at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins, a rousing portrait of the legendary firebrand journalist; For Sama, winner of the Oeil D’Or award for Best Documentary at this year’s Cannes Film Festival; and Untouchable, an incisive look at movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and the sexual assault allegations against him that came to light in 2017.
The festival also includes the world premiere of the first episode of Unbelievable, a new limited series drama starring Toni Collette, Merritt Wever and Kaitlyn Dever; the North American premiere of the Irish drama A Girl from Mogadishu; and a sneak preview of the comedy Otherhood, starring Angela Bassett, Patricia Arquette, and Felicity Huffman, directed by Sex and the City veteran Cindy Chupack. Additionally, the festival will feature a conversation with Cecile Richards and Ai-Jen Poo, co-founders of the new powerhouse women’s activist and organizing group Supermajority.
“From intense documentaries like For Sama and Untouchable to fun, uplifting narratives like Brittany Runs a Marathon and riveting performances in After the Wedding and Unbelievable, our inaugural 51Fest features women’s stories from a variety of viewpoints and methods of storytelling,” said 51Fest Program director Anne Hubbell.
51Fest is made possible by Signature Sponsors AMC Networks and The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment; Friends of the Festival Essentia, PTEX and Wheelhouse Creative.
You can check out the full line up for 51Fest here.