An international conference at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, examined female film culture and representation, where a video message from Iranian filmmaker Rakhshan Banietemad opened the program on September 2.
According to the university website, 'Women, Film Culture and Globalization' was a three-day event, the third in a series of international conferences initiated at Roma Tre University by Professor Veronica Pravadelli in 2013.
The conference presented data about women's contribution to film production, distribution and reception, looking at questions of gender balance, agency and politics of representation.
Researcher and journalist Somayeh Ghazizadeh was the only Iranian figure at the event. She presented her article 'Interpreter of Pains: A Look at Rakhshan Banietemad's Documentaries'. She also made a speech at the roundtable 'Auteur Women in Cinema'.
Ghazizadeh had participated in the previous editions in Rome, London and New York presenting articles about the role of women filmmakers in Iran.
This year’s program featured an impressive line-up of women filmmakers and renowned international scholars who gathered to develop new research within film studies, transnational feminist studies, festival film studies and new media.
The conference also included roundtable discussions and film screenings, designed to attract a broader, non-academic audience.
The program is an effort to create an opportunity to illustrate and celebrate women’s active presence in film and the visual arts.
The conference ended on September 4.
