11th Annual Women’s Voices Now Online Film Festival.
We are proud to screen 39 films, representing 22 countries. To learn more about this year’s festival selection, click here.
Women: In All Their Shapes and Forms.
Film Viewing & Events Begin March 26, 2025
(Los Angeles, CA, March 2025) – Across time and around the globe, women and girls have assumed many roles; stretching shapes and bending forms to fit their circumstances. In many cases, to unlock their full potential women also have to defy norms and step out of societal conventions. Representing 22 countries, the films selected to the 2025 Women’s Voices Now Online Film Festival tell us of the individualization of women’s struggles, underscoring the need for collective support in overcoming systemic challenges that women and girls continue to face. As new opportunities lead to newer challenges, these films force us to ask: Are we showing up for women and girls? If we are not, what collective efforts are needed to support women and girls today?
“As women, we bend, we stretch, and we rise—no matter the circumstances. This year’s Women Voices Now Online Film Festival captures the essence of our resilience, power, and celebrates the infinite ways women shape the world. I’m so excited to be part of this incredible event—don’t miss your chance to be inspired.” – Tierra Jones, Actress/Award winning Producer
“While there is no better time in human history to be a woman or a girl than now, we are very far from reaching gender parity. With a rising sentiment that ‘women’s rights have gone far enough’, now is also the time to be clear that the opposite is true. Our festival selection counters this chilling and concerning sentiment.” – Heidi Basch-Harod, Executive Director, Women’s Voices Now
Full festival event lineup and tickets to virtually attend can be bought here. The Women’s Voices Now Online Film Festival promotes emerging filmmakers creating social-change films that advocate for girls’ and women’s rights around the world. Competing films are available for viewing from March 26 through April 30, 2025. This year cash prizes totaling $13,000 will be awarded to filmmakers in 8 categories.
Women Making Waves Award.
The Women Making Waves Award is presented during the annual Women’s Voices Now Online Film Festival Awards Ceremony. Our Awardee delivers keynote remarks to a live, global audience in a virtual setting, available to anyone with an internet connection. We believe the power of film transforms our lives and should be an accessible vehicle of change; for all. Our Film Festival is an international women’s rights documentary film festival celebrating the achievements in visual storytelling of emerging filmmakers from around the world. Meet previous awardees here.
This year’s Women Making Waves Awardee will be announced April 15, 2025.
Event Details.
March 26 – April 30 – Film Festival Run (Virtual, VOD Film Screenings for VIP ticket holders; weekly curated selection of films for General Admission ticket holders)
March 26, 12pm PST – Festival Kick Off (Virtual), via Youtube Live
April 2, 12pm PST – Keeping Violence Off the Set (Virtual via Zoom)
April 9, 12pm PST – Jury Discussion: Women: In All Their Shapes & Forms (Virtual via Zoom)
April 25, 12pm PST – 2025 Women’s Voices Now Film Festival Awards Ceremony and Women Making Waves Award Presentation and Keynote (Virtual via Zoom/ Youtube Live)
For more details and to buy tickets: https://givebutter.com/2025WVNFilmFestival
Festival Kick Off
Join special guest speaker Tierra Jones to kick-off the 2025 film festival cycle and reflect on the strides and struggles of women around the globe. Tierra Jones is a multi-talented star known for her exceptional prowess in the entertainment industry as an accomplished actress, award-winning producer, and entertainment journalist.
Industry Chat: Keeping Violence Off the Set
Creating a safe environment for everyone on sets is an act of intention. Join Women’s Voices Now and Esmé Bianco, Founder of Visionary Survivor Creative Fund, to discuss the importance of creating a safe set and the role survivors play in shaping this shifting paradigm. Esmé is a British actress best known for her roles in acclaimed series such as Game of Thrones, The Magicians, and Supergirl. Beyond her successful acting career, Esmé is a talented poet, a former lingerie model, a celebrated performer, and most importantly, a fierce advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Jury Discussion: Women in All Their Shapes and Forms
Members of the WVN Festival Jury will discuss the festival films and share their reflections on the theme as they review this years’ film selection. This is an exciting opportunity to hear film experts dive deep into a wide range of films related to women’s issues around the world. To meet the festival jury, click here.
2025 Women’s Voices Now Awards Ceremony and Women Making Waves Award Presentation
The live Awards Ceremony program, featuring this year’s Women Making Waves Awardee and the winning filmmakers of this year’s festival. This year’s Women Making Waves Awardee will be announced April 15, 2025.
How to Participate.
Anyone with access to the internet and a valid email address can acquire tickets, view the films, and participate in the public festival events.
Awarding a total of $13,000 in cash prizes, winners will be jury selected in the following categories:
- Leslie J. Sacks Grand Prize – Best Documentary Feature – $3,500
(Our grand prize winner is also invited to a live screening and Q&A of their film in Los Angeles.)
- Best Documentary Short – $2,000
- Lantos Prize for Best Human Rights Documentary – $2,000
- Best Emerging Filmmaker – Documentary Feature – $1,500
- Best Emerging Filmmaker – Documentary Short – $1,000
- Best Creative Feature Documentary – $1,500
- Best Creative Short Documentary – $1,000
- Best Student Short Documentary – $500
How to View Competing Films:
Film access will be available to ticket holders in two tiers, both fully online.
- Festival participants may purchase the All-In VIP Pass, to access the entire official selection on-demand. A link will be provided upon ticket confirmation, to a password protected film festival catalog. From there, films will be available to view on demand for the entire run of the festival.
- Participants may purchase a Weekly General Screening Pass, which will allow ticket holders access to a specific selection of festival films on a weekly basis.
About Women's Voices Now.
Women’s Voices Now (WVN), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, uses film to drive social change that advances girls’ and women’s rights globally. The Women’s Voices Now Film Festival is an international women’s rights documentary film festival promoting emerging filmmakers using social-change films to advocate for girls’ and women’s rights around the world. We envision a global culture shift in which communities and institutions believe in the value of gender equality, and adapt their behaviors and actions to support systematic advancement of women’s and girls’ rights. WVN has held special consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2017.
2025 Film Festival!
A women’s rights documentary film festival for emerging filmmakers.
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