Scottsdale is set to shine a spotlight on women in film with the 8th annual Worldwide Women’s Film Festival, running March 6-8 at the Harkins Shea 14 Theatres. Day and weekend passes are now available for film lovers eager to experience a festival dedicated to showcasing creativity, connection, and storytelling.
This year’s festival welcomes new sponsors, including the AZ Commission of the Arts, Scottsdale Arts, and the City of Scottsdale, alongside returning supporters Harkins and Panavision. Panavision is returning to award a $60,000 camera rental package to the winner of the “Best Cinematography” award, giving filmmakers the opportunity to elevate their craft with top-tier tools.
One of the festival’s highlights is the short documentary “They Call Me the Tattoo Witch,” directed and produced by UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television graduate Lindsay Nyman. The film follows a tattoo artist who creates tattoos around her clients’ scars and has earned prizes at festivals worldwide, including Best Documentary Short at the City of Angels Film Festival and Best Short Documentary at the Carmarthen Bay Film Festival in the UK.
“I put together an all-female crew in Hanoi, something nearly unheard of there,” Nyman says, emphasizing the film’s groundbreaking production. According to Deadline.com, the documentary is also reportedly being considered for an Oscar.
Beyond the screenings, the festival is giving free screen time to the Glow-Frame Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals from underserved communities through real-world training in film and audiovisual industries.
The festival also offers valuable educational programs for filmmakers. On March 7, WWFF board member and social media director Melissa Farley will present a session on managing and creating social media for films. The Filmmaker’s Breakfast on March 8 features Melissa Erickson with The Funding Studio, who will discuss how filmmakers can raise funds using a fiscal sponsor, starting at 9:30 a.m.
The festival is run by a dedicated 501(c)(3) board including Huenecke; Keenan Murray, vice president; Rosalie Fisher, secretary; Toy Taylor Goodgame, judging director; Elaine “E.E.” Moe, board member at large; Jennifer Younghans, volunteer director; and Melissa Farley, social media, digital marketing, and events director. For more information and updates, go to the festival’s website at wwfilmfestival.org.
