Were you aware there is an upcoming film festival dedicated to celebration of gender equality in film? According to the Bechdel Film Fest website, the “Bechdel Film Fest, in partnership with the Nightlight Cinema and Akron Summit County Public Library, will feature high quality curated films that pass the ‘Bechdel Test,’ which brings attention to gender inequality in film and fiction.”
The event will be taking place at The Nightlight Cinema in downtown Akron from May 29 to June 2, 2019.
Image credit: About Magazine
But what is the Bechdel Test?
Most self-respecting feminists are already aware of the Bechdel Test, or “Bechdel Rule,” which was created to draw attention to inequitable gender representation in film. It is a simple test consisting of only three rules:
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The film needs feature at least two women (who are given names).
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The women must talk to each other.
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Their conversation must be about something other than a man.
It grew to mainstream attention when it became evident that a great number of films don’t pass the simple evaluation. As of present, just half of produced films pass the test. Recent films that fail the Bechdel Test include Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Sorry to Bother You, and A Quiet Place. Obviously, the test isn’t intended to isolate films that are “anti-women.” For example, A Quiet Place fails the test because the film has virtually no dialogue and most war films that take place on the frontier are accurately absent of women. Nevertheless, the Bechdel Test remains an important tool for checking the patriarchal influence.
The Bechdel Film Fest is being labeled “an opportunity to showcase talented female screenwriters, directors, actors and highlight compelling stories of women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community which are often overlooked on screen, and will highlight Akron as the inclusive community that Akronites already know it to be.”
For details on how you can contribute to the event, click here.