Production still from What If The War Ends Tomorrow, directed by Martyna Wojciechowska and Hanna Jewsiewicka. Provided photo.

On Friday, March 7, local nonprofit Through Women’s Eyes will produce the 26th edition of the Reel Equals International Film Festival. The festival, which features 30 films from 10 different countries, is designed to highlight diverse voices within the media, giving a platform for women and non-traditional filmmakers alike.

“The filmmakers all come from very different backgrounds and bring an array of perspectives to their work,” says Festival Chair E. Scott Osbourne. “The topics covered in these films are just as diverse. We have films on Zumba dancers, a boy with autism, the war in Ukraine, encounters with whales and the environment in Alabama. Our topics are very far flung, but we like to bring perspectives that aren’t typically in mainstream media to the forefront.”

This past year the festival, which received roughly 400 submissions from filmmakers across the world, put out a call for films centered around environmental issues. One of the features of this year’s festival will be The Green Room, a screening of a collection of films that explore concerns around climate change, followed by a panel discussion about local Florida water resources hosted by USF professor Dr. Heather O’Leary.

A more localized perspective can be seen through a screening of Culture War, a short film from Ringling College of Art and Design graduate Celi Mitidieri that interrogates the overhauling of New College’s core curriculum and faculty in 2024 in the wake of Senate Bill 266 going into effect in mid-2023. The film, which features New College students and faculty, will also be followed by a panel discussion.

Reel Equals also looks to feature the voices of future filmmakers. The festival works with Sarasota’s NewGate Montessori school to help rank the films and select one of the award winners.

“We typically work with NewGate’s middle and high school students. We give them select films that are student appropriate and they use it as a real world learning experience to discuss what's on screen, perhaps see countries they've never been exposed to,” says Osbourne. “They develop criteria to rank the film by and then they will come and speak at our award ceremony when they hand out their winner.”

Reel Equals Film Festival, virtual streaming and on-demand March 6 to 11. In theater showings March 7 to 9. Opening reception Friday, March 7 at 5:00 p.m. at the Ringling College of Art and Design.

Production still from What If The War Ends Tomorrow, directed by Martyna Wojciechowska and Hanna Jewsiewicka. Provided photo.

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