Explore the Brussels International Women’s Film Festival from 1 to 6 October

The Brussels International Women’s Film Festival (BIWFF), formerly known as Elles Tournent, is a rare opportunity to discover films from around the world that are directed by women.

Opening the festival on 1 October at 19.00 is the Italian film Gloria! (Italy 2024) by Margherita Vicario (pictured above). The directorial debut by the actress and singer depicts the ebullient, music-fuelled story of a maid at a Venetian orphanage. Her hidden talent helps inspire an uprising in this baroque historical fiction given a pop-music makeover.

The programme also includes Indivision (Morocco/France, 2023) by Leïla Kilani on 3 October at 18.30. Set in Tangier, it follows a mute teenager, ultra-connected to social media, who watches her family tear itself apart over the sale of the family property. As fire breaks out from the surrounding hills, a revolution begins.

Screening a total of 13 feature films, including five documentaries, the festival also has an extensive series of shorts. Among them is the ‘Iran Session’ composed of 10 films, while some 20 international shorts are divided into three themes: ‘Long live feminism’, ‘Above all, live’ and ‘A world for all’. They take spectators on a colourful journey around countries such as Brazil, Egypt, Morocco, Mexico, Turkey, Italy, Nepal, Colombia, and Croatia.

Meanwhile, the ‘Graines de Cinéastes’ section showcases aspiring female filmmakers, with an evening dedicated to first and second films by young Belgian female directors. One such home-grown talent is Fien Troch, who has won several awards and nominations for her titles, including the 2016 film Home. As patron of the BIWFF this year, she shares her valuable experience in a masterclass.

The upcoming BIWFF programme is intended to be “fun, moving, inspiring, empowering,” says Anny Tubbs, a Brussels-based documentary filmmaker who is part of the festival’s volunteer team.

“In Europe only 25% of feature films are directed by women. Elsewhere, women often face many obstacles to making their film,” she reiterates, adding that “their stories need to be told for a better understanding of the world we live in”.

Brussels International Women’s Film Festival (BIWFF)
1 to 6 October
Aventure, Cinematek, Cinema Galeries, Palace Cinema
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