Still of Alison Cooper and Abbi Rolfe from ‘Pebbles’ by Lisa Harmer – photographer Mariel Brown.

Treats in store at Hastings Women’s Film Festival 2022

Hastings Women’s Film Festival is back at Kino Teatr screening more movies made by women. Amy Walker, Director of Media Parents and Festival Sponsor tells us why we should be sitting in the cinema to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Female talent from across the South East will be showcasing their work at Kino Teatr on Sunday 6 March. The event gives female filmmakers a platform to celebrate their creativity, with special guest Jane Featherstone, Executive Producer of the BBC’s This is Going to Hurt, and SKY’s Chernobyl, Landscapers and more.

Since the first festival in 2020, many of the featured filmmakers have produced impressive new work including a Netflix box set series and a third feature for director Bindu de Stoppani. St Leonard’s Cheryl White has another feature in production locally this spring, and Sara Jordan and Lisa Harmer have made more short films which will be screened as part of the festival programme. 2020 speaker BBC England Commissioner Aisling O’Connor commissioned a short film out of Hastings about the Skate Park, available on i-player now. Personally, I was part of the great resignation in lockdown and am now the Talent Executive for production company Sister.

The local film scene in Hastings is busy, and it’s important that we recognise diverse voices across our community, so it’s great to be showing so many local films from local talent. The Possible is a brilliant film by local writer and director Ellie Brent looking at male anxiety and mental health issues in an uplifting way. We also feature Janet Hodgson’s community film It takes a town to make an Opera hearing so many local voices involved in the Hastings lockdown opera project. Director / Actor Clare Holman from Rye’s award-winning short Only the lonely looks at racism within a community.  Writer/ Actor Lisa Harmer’s Pebbles, is a mystical drama which explores the Hastings hole in a stone legend in a different way, directed by local resident Leigh Shine, and shot by Bob Mazzer (Bob Mazzer is a photographer who currently has an exhibition at Hastings Museum).

“Only the lonely” directed by Clare Holman

Founded by local writer / performer Lisa Harmer, with sponsorship from Media Parents, the partnership continues as we jointly organise the event in association with Olga Mamonova at Kino Teatr.

It is a fabulous, fun afternoon which offers film lovers a chance to see new work, network and fuel their passion for independent film making whilst supporting female talent.

Hastings Women’s Festival is on Sunday 6 March 2022 commencing at 2pm at Kino Teatr, Norman Road, St Leonard-on-Sea.

Tickets are £15 and £12 concs and are selling fast – it is recommended that you reserve your tickets now from the Kino Teatr box office.

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