Reclaim, Reframe, Rejoice Weekender

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Birds’ Eye View Film Festival over International Women’s Day weekend  Dates: 07-09 March 2025 Inspired by International Women’s Day’s theme of ‘accelerate action’ and to mark the 20th anniversary of the inaugural Birds’ Eye View Film Festival, from which Reclaim The Frame evolved, we’re planning a special Weekender of events to celebrate!  08 March 2005 marked the first annual Birds’ Eye View Film Festival: a platform for early, emerging and established women filmmakers. Twenty years later our award-winning Charity continues to build audiences for marginalised gender-led work, with a mission to reach gender equity in all film spaces. Now year-round, UK-wide (and beyond), and under the auspices of ‘Reclaim The Frame’. Events will take place at BFI Southbank - the launchpad of the first ever Birds’ Eye View Women’s Film Festival back in 2005 - and Regent Street Cinema – our newest venue partner for Reclaim The Frame. A selection of previous Birds’ Eye View Film Festival titles will be available online on BFI Player.  As a film festival, Birds’ Eye View ran from 2005-2014, founded by Rachel Millward and Pinny Grylls. Serving as Directors, leading the organisation from then to now was Rachel Millward, Kate Gerova, Mia Bays and now Melanie Iredale. Programmers over the years have included Gali Gold, Elhum Shakerifer, Kelly Robinson, Kathryn Ferguson, Isra Al Kassi and currently Aashna Thakkar. Patrons included Gurinder Chadha, and recipients of Birds’ Eye View Awards included Sarah Polley (Best Newcomer!), Sam Taylor-Johnson, Kim Longinotto and Marjane Satrapi.  In recent years, Birds’ Eye View, now known as Reclaim The Frame, has transformed into a year-round and UK-wide operation offering training, consultancy services and supporting new releases, which have recently included campaigns for RYE LANE by Raine Allan Miller, ORIGIN by Ava DuVernay, HOW TO HAVE SEX by Molly Manning Walker, FRIDA by Carla Gutierrez  and THE OUTRUN by Nora Fingscheidt.  Through marking this occasion, and the women who were part of it – on screen and behind the scenes – we will reflect on films and filmmakers profiled by the festival in its earlier years, and to the future, showcasing new shorts and features.  Reclaim; Reframe; Rejoice is supported by University of Westminster QHT Live Performance Project and by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery.  In addition, the Shorts Showcase is presented with support from the British Council, and the Industry Panel sponsored by the Film Distributors’ Association.  Thanks also go to BFI Audience Fund who support our audience building work year-round. FRIDAY 7 MARCH Closing the Distribution Gap Friday 7 March 2025, 10AM - 12PM @ Regent Street Cinema Join us for an industry panel discussion and breakfast networking event bringing together leaders in the field of gender justice and film distribution, to address the theatrical distribution gap for women filmmakers.  Special Screening: WHEN I SAW YOU + conversation with Annemarie Jacir Friday 7 March, 8:15PM @ BFI Southbank Having premiered at, and opened, Birds’ Eye View Film Festival’s 2013 edition, we welcome back Palestine’s first female feature filmmaker, Annemarie Jacir, to re-present her powerful work of resistance, WHEN I SAW YOU.  SATURDAY 8 MARCH Reframe and Rejoice International Women’s Day Shorts Showcase + conversation with Filmmakers Saturday 8 March, 5:40PM @ BFI Southbank International Women’s Day marks the launch of a curated selection of new short films from filmmakers across the UK, presented in partnership with British Council. Preview: SANTOSH + conversation with director Sandhya Suri Saturday 8 March, 8:15PM @ Regent Street Cinema Selected as the UK’s entry for this year’s Academy Awards, we’re excited to present this special screening of Sandhya Suri’s  thrilling police procedural. SUNDAY 9 MARCH London Premiere: LOLLIPOP + conversation with writer-director Daisy-May Hudson and cast members. Sunday 9 March, 5:00PM @ Regent Street Cinema From BAFTA Breakthrough Daisy-May Hudson a film about our capacity for joy even in life’s hardest moments, and about finding strength through sisterhood - join us for the London premiere, together with the team behind this powerful British drama.