The University of Westminster and the Regent Street Cinema have hosted the Reclaim, Reframe, Rejoice Weekender event to celebrate women in film. Organised alongside film charity Reclaim The Frame to mark the 20th anniversary of the Birds’ Eye View Film Festival, the series featured an inspiring programme of film screenings, panel discussions and conversations with leading filmmakers.
Birds’ Eye View Film Festival was founded in 2005 as a platform for early, emerging and established women filmmakers. Over the years, it has become a major force in supporting women’s voices in film, awarding talents such as Sarah Polley, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Kim Longinotto and Marjane Satrapi. Today, under the leadership of director Melanie Iredale, the organisation has evolved into Reclaim The Frame, a year-round, UK-wide operation offering training, consultancy and support for new releases.
The events took place at the British Film Institute (BFI) Southbank, the venue where the first Birds’ Eye View Film Festival launched in 2005, and the Regent Street Cinema, Westminster’s long-standing venue partner. Inspired by International Women’s Day’s theme of Accelerate Action, each event highlighted the festival’s legacy of championing women and marginalised gender-led filmmakers.
The weekender opened on 7 March with an industry panel discussion and networking breakfast at the Regent Street Cinema. During the event leading experts in film and gender justice explored the ongoing challenges in theatrical distribution for women filmmakers. This was followed by an evening screening at the BFI Southbank of When I Saw You and a Q&A with the director Annemarie Jacir.
On 8 March, a curated selection of new short films from UK filmmakers was screened at the BFI Southbank and the Regent Street Cinema hosted a preview of Santosh, the UK’s entry for this year’s Best International Film Feature at the Academy Awards. The screening was followed by a conversation with director Sandhya Suri.
Sandhya Suri - photo credit: Ewa Ferdynus
The weekender concluded on 9 March with the London premiere of Lollipop, directed by BAFTA Breakthrough Daisy-May Hudson. The film explores finding strength through sisterhood and the capacity for joy in difficult times. Hudson and the cast joined for a post-screening Q&A.
The Reclaim, Reframe, Rejoice Weekender was supported by the University of Westminster’s Quintin Hogg Trust Live Performance Project, which offers Westminster students the opportunity to enrich their university experience through organising and taking part in live performance events.
Jade Desumala, Head of Marketing and Communications at Regent Street Cinema, said: “Hosting the Reclaim, Reframe, Rejoice Weekender at Regent Street Cinema was an absolute privilege. The film industry still isn’t the level playing field it should be, but events like this remind us that change is coming. The energy in the room was electric; filled with passionate filmmakers and audiences ready to shake things up. We’re proud to be part of the movement pushing for a fairer, more inclusive cinema landscape.”
By celebrating and empowering women in film these events directly contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5: Gender Equality and 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about Film and Television courses at the University of Westminster.
Learn more about upcoming events at the Regent Street Cinema.
Photo credit: Ewa Ferdynus and Bells Kennedy-Compston
