ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL:  A CELEBRATION OF WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP

Barnard College to Launch NYC’s First Women’s Leadership Film Festival

New York, NY – Barnard College’s Athena Center for Leadership Studies, along with Women and Hollywood, announce the Athena Film Festival “A Celebration of Women and Leadership,” set for February 10–13, 2011.  Films, to be announced shortly, will be shown on Barnard’s campus in Morningside Heights.  For more information, visit athenafilmfestival.com.

In its inaugural season, the Athena Film Festival will examine the values women leaders share—vision, courage, resilience—and explore leadership across race, class, and culture.

“Through feature films, documentaries, shorts and conversations, the Festival will highlight the wide diversity of women’s leadership in both real life and fiction.  We hope to illuminate the sometimes passionate, sometimes agonizing stories of women who have made a difference in their countries and communities,” said Kathryn Kolbert, co-founder of the Festival and director of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College.

“The goal is to open a robust dialogue about women and leadership— what it takes to excel, collaborate, lead, and inspire.  The Athena Film Festival is proud to highlight the bold, courageous women leaders who inspire us all,” said Melissa Silverstein, co-founder of the Festival and head of Women and Hollywood, an online leader in the conversation about women’s roles in the film industry.

The Athena Film Festival will launch on Thursday, February 10, 2011, with a celebration of women’s leadership. During the Festival weekend, we will screen approximately 20 films that feature everyday women and girls, along with high profile women, and audiences will hear from noted leaders in both formal and informal settings.

About the Athena Center
Barnard College’s Athena Center for Leadership Studies is a premier interdisciplinary center devoted to the theory and practice of women’s leadership.  Renowned civil rights attorney Kathryn Kolbert is the Athena Center director.

About Women and Hollywood
Women and Hollywood operates at the intersection of feminism and entertainment.  Since its inception in 2007 it has grown to be one of the most respected sites focused on women’s issues and popular culture, and its founder, Melissa Silverstein has become a sought-after
commentator on the subject.

About Barnard College
The idea was bold for its time. Founded in 1889, Barnard was the only college in New York City, and one of the few in the nation, where women could receive the same rigorous and challenging education available to men.  Today, Barnard is the most sought-after college for women and remains dedicated to the education of strong, independent-minded women who change the world and the way we think about it.

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