There were naysayers for her idea, but Delaloye is a producer and was driven by the idea that she wanted to do what she could for others that she wished for her own films. Debuting the first Female Voices Rock Film Festival at the Cinema Village East in New York City in 2019, her festival was sold out and had filmmakers fly in worldwide. “There was a need,” she said. “Coming from a position of helping others made a big difference in how people responded to my emails and requests. It’s how I was able to have the caliber of panelists and others involved.”
For 2020, the Festival’s jury consisted of respected women leaders, creators, and storytellers in the entertainment industry, including Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and producer Eva Lipman (Jim: The James Foley Story, Devil at the Crossroads, and Becoming Warren Buffet). Also, Founder and CEO of Tandem Pictures, Julie Christeas, was in attendance (Black Bear, The Surrogate, and The Eyes of My Mother) and MXN Entertainment manager and producer Tracy Koplusky (The Broken Hearts Gallery, Queen & Slim, and Tully).
The Festival provided access to an assortment of online events along with its program of industry mavericks and accomplished producers, and new platforms and ideas connected to the business. The Festival’s guests, judges, and filmmakers were kind, thoughtful, and motivating. Female Voices Rock created a virtual happy land of women with sass, beauty, and brainpower. “We set out to create an event for an escape, much like going to camp, that is a real-life experience even though it was virtual,” says Delaloye. “The filmmakers said they felt like they were there for a week, which was the intention.”
Catherine Delaloye
Delaloye and her team’s selection process for the 2020 virtual experience was a noticeable one because every film represented quality work from around the world and, not to mention, powerful and important voices. “I’m honoring female filmmakers,” she says. “There’s a need for this. When I reached out to from a place of growth and involvement, I ended up with a very dynamic list of panelists and judges.”
The vetting process and creating the program is a very serious effort for Female Voices Rock Film. For 2020, the Festival’s team of screeners and programmers poured through 1,100 submissions, and every film was seen at least twice. “Every film we chose had a message that we were passionate about and thought that people needed to see,” says Delaloye. “We are screening with a purpose.”
Indeed, every film, storyline, actor, edit, and overall production value was top quality. “The 2020 films were incredible, and they were not screening in bigger festivals,” she says. “I only knew two of the filmmakers who submitted. I was astounded that these films were not in circulation.”
Perhaps the most telling success to the Festival was its closing day awards ceremony, where a majority of the event’s filmmakers and guests were on-screen and live, representing a variety of time zones from around the globe, revealing the importance of the Female Voices Rock Film Festival. “I had never seen that before,” says Delaloye. “I could not believe everyone showed up.”
With a dedicated festival team who are creating a diverse and welcoming environment for female filmmakers, Female Voices Rock is more than just a film festival. It is a total experience. For 2021, expect a hybrid version of the festival with a virtual and live experience. “Moving forward, I think all festivals should keep some type of virtual element,” says Delaloye. “We would like to have a year-round presence with engaging events and continue growing this vital community.”
Female Voices Rock Film Festival 2021 is open for submissions. To learn more, visit femalevoicesrock.com.
