“We have to get rid of the old ideas of leadership and followership and use our imaginations to create the new.”

Grace Lee Boggs
Barnard College, Class of 1935

Founded in 2011 and based at Barnard College, the Athena Film Festival advances new narratives about leadership through original, thought-provoking, compelling, and diverse women-centered stories — stories of trailblazers and stories of everyday leadership, stories of unsung heroes, of women whose leadership has been questioned, dismissed or erased, women who have risen up, spoken truth to power, women who empower their communities, inspire and educate. 

Our approach is two-pronged. We:

• Host an annual film festival. At the Athena Film Festival, audiences experience stories that complicate the dominant understanding of who can lead and how, in our annual showcase that features a powerful slate of narrative, short, and documentary films alongside panels and conversations that investigate the intersections of gender, power, culture and society. To date, Athena has screened 550+ films, with more than 70% women or nonbinary directors and 50% with directors of color.
• Develop the stories and the storytellers our world needs. The Athena Creative Development Program, an extension of the Athena Film Festival, is a set of strategic interventions that increase the likelihood that women-centered stories will succeed, including The Athena List, the Athena Documentary Pitch Program, our writers’ labs, and grants. To date, Athena has supported hundreds of writers and dozens of projects, including several narrative and documentary films that have been successfully produced, and provided $345,000 in direct grants to filmmakers. 

The Athena Film Festival is a collaboration between the Athena Center for Leadership at Barnard College and Women and Hollywood, an initiative that educates, advocates, and agitates for gender parity and inclusion in Hollywood and the global film industry. Our founding sponsor is the Artemis Rising Foundation and its CEO, Regina K. Scully.

We’re excited to announce that the 16th annual Athena Film Festival will take place at Barnard College from March 6-8, 2026. We can’t wait to welcome thousands of friends, supporters, and film lovers to a weekend filled with the inspiring screenings, conversations, and connections that you’ve come to expect from Athena. 

We look forward to another powerful lineup of films that will make you laugh, cry, reframe, reconsider, and—most importantly—call you to action. 

Join us at the preeminent women’s college in the country, surrounded by a supportive, energetic, and empowered community of allies and friends who are all committed to advancing a more inclusive culture and society. See you at Athena!