Imagine This Women’s Film Festival Celebrates 10 Years with Fearless Films & Launch of NextWave: Film + Media Summit

ITWIFF25 Official Selection Betty Bird Goes to War (NY Premiere) - Starring Jackie Cruz

97+ films, 63 screenplays, global premieres, dynamic panels, and the launch of NextWave: a bold step into film’s future — Sept 11–14, 2025 in NYC.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival (ITWIFF) proudly announces its 10th annual edition, taking place September 11–14, 2025, at LOOK Dine-In Cinemas W57 in New York City. This milestone year highlights a decade of amplifying women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ creatives and introduces a compelling slate of 97 films and 63 semifinalist screenplays spanning more than 20 countries, including 48 premieres.

Founded in 2016, ITWIFF has grown into a vital platform for underrepresented storytellers, showcasing groundbreaking works across narrative, documentary, and experimental genres. The 2025 theme, New Words. New Stories. Same Fearless Mission., reflects the festival’s enduring commitment to cinematic innovation and inclusion.

“Reaching ten years is an incredible achievement,” said Patrice Francois, Co-Founder and Festival Director. “What began as a grassroots effort has evolved into a global platform for bold storytelling. This year, we’re honoring that legacy by celebrating films that push creative and cultural boundaries.”

To further expand its mission, ITWIFF launches its inaugural NextWave: Film + Media Summit, rebranding the former Girl Power Film + Media Summit into a new industry series focused on equipping emerging creatives with tools, connections, and insight into today’s evolving media landscape.

NextWave: Film + Media Summit Highlights:

Saturday, September 13 at 12:00 p.m. ET
Bringing Your Vision to Life On Screen: Creative Forces Behind Film & Television
A behind-the-scenes look at how cinematic worlds are built, featuring trailblazing women in editing, design, and production.

Panelists:
-Cora Atkinson, Award-winning Producer (Summer of Soul, 30 for 30)
-Erica Freed, ACE, Emmy-nominated Editor (Severance, Billions, Fosse/Verdon)
-Toni Barton, Production Designer (Fight Night, The Met’s Afrofuturist Period Room)
-Michelle J. Li, Costume Designer (Shiva Baby, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens)

Saturday, September 13 at 1:30 p.m. ET
Power Behind the Picture: Women Producers on Building Stories
A candid conversation on development, funding, team-building, and championing bold, socially relevant stories.

Panelists:
-Gretchen McGowan, Award-winning Producer and Head of Production, Goldcrest Films (The Fire That Took Her, Carol, Cat Person, Restrepo)
-Sarah Wainio, Producer (Teen Mom: Young + Pregnant)

2025 Official Selections Include:

The (M) Factor – A revealing doc on menopause and systemic silence. (Dir. Samantha Nisenboim, Prod. Tamsen Fadal| Audra McDonald, Stacy London)

Hold – A mother and daughter reconnect through memory. (Dir. Josiah Junqueira Spencer | Debra Monk)

Cutting Season - Exposes FGM/C through survivor voices and grassroots action (Dir. Gil Marsden | Constance Wu)

C.O.M.A. (NY Premiere) – A meditation on grief and healing. (Dir. Elizabeth Rohrbaugh | Natalie Gold, Jon Glaser)

August & Ebony – A queer couple navigates love, identity, and motherhood. (Dir. Rejena Taylor | Ayesha Harris, John Clarence Stewart)

Bench Seats – A woman confronts memory and generational trauma. (Dir. Courtney DeStefano | Sarah Jane Steele, Dan Lauria)

The Soul Trader (NY Premiere) – A soul-stealing assassin battles to protect her son. (Dir. Susan Dynner | Shane West, Donna Mills)

Dandelion – A teen and a social worker connect in 1970s Los Angeles. (Dir. Fiona Obertinca | Vic Michaelis)

Before You (NY Premiere) – A couple processes grief and reproductive choice. (Dir. Rachel McDonald | Tala Ashe, Adam Rodriguez)

Betty Bird Goes to War (NY Premiere) – An artist confronts a lifetime of pain through surreal reflection. (Dir. Stephanie Chloe Hepner | Luna Lauren Vélez, Jackie Cruz)

I Want to Go to Moscow – An actor wrestles with aging and legacy. (Dir. Sarah Baskin | Prod. Andrew Carlberg | Arielle Goldman)

Hermanos – Two brothers are separated at the U.S. border. (Dir. Lauren Melinda | Jorge A. Jimenez, Joseph T. Campos)

The Errand – A woman faces a final emotional reckoning. (Dir. Hayley Marie Norman | Malcolm Barrett)

Bark (NY Premiere) – A woman spirals into obsession after a breakup. (Dir. Searit Kahsay Huluf | Monica Potter)

Something Blue – A modern love story full of surprises. (Dir. Samantha Nisenboim | D’Arcy Carden, Chris Witaske)

About ITWIFF
Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival is a New York-based platform dedicated to supporting independent women and non-binary filmmakers through screenings, panels, workshops, and artist development. Films featured at ITWIFF have gone on to receive recognition from the Academy Awards, BAFTA, NAACP, and Independent Spirit Awards.

For Full Film Guide, Tickets, & Passes
Tickets and VIP Passes are on sale now at:
www.imaginethiswomensfilmfestival.org

Nichole Pierre
Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival
+1 845-477-5441
press@imaginethiswomensfilmfestival.org
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OFFICIAL TRAILER: 10th Annual Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival | #ITWIFF25

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