Archives

In Focus: Awards, actors and activists at Athena Film Festival

By Aliya Schneider / Senior Staff Photographer

By Aliya Schneider, Cherrie Zheng, Kirill Buskirk, Lula O'Donnell, and Rya Inman • March 5, 2019 at 5:29 AM

Share

Photo by Cherrie zheng / fullwidth

Kathryn Kolbert, co-founder of the Athena Film Festival, introduces “Fast Color,” one of the films that made its New York premiere during the festival. (Cherrie Zheng / Staff Photographer)

Photo by Cherrie zheng / fullwidth

Critic Rebecca Theodore-Vachon, director Julia Hart, CC ’04, and actress Lorraine Toussaint (left to right), held a panel following the film’s screening. (Cherrie Zheng / Staff Photographer)

Photo by Cherrie zheng / first image

Melissa Silverstein, co-founder of the festival, proudly wears a Time’s Up pin. (Cherrie Zheng / Staff Photographer)

Photo by Cherrie zheng / second image

Silverstein, left, and Kolbert, right, started the film festival nine years ago. (Cherrie Zheng / Staff Photographer)

Photo by Cherrie zheng / fullwidth

Desiree Akhavan, recipient of the Breakthrough Award, co-wrote and directed “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” which played at the festival on Saturday. (Cherrie Zheng / Staff Photographer)

Photo by Cherrie zheng / first image

Silverstein places a Time’s Up pin on Nina Shaw, BC ’76, Law ’79, a Time’s Up founding organizer. (Cherrie Zheng / Staff Photographer)

Photo by Cherrie zheng / second image

Shaw was the recipient of the Athena Award for the 2019 Athena Film Festival. (Cherrie Zheng / Staff Photographer)

Photo by Cherrie zheng / fullwidth

Cameron Bailey, a former film critic from Canada and co-head of the Toronto International Film Festival, received the Leading Man award. (Cherrie Zheng / Staff Photographer)

Photo by Rya Inman / first image

“On the Basis of Sex,” a film about the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Law ’59, was followed by a panel that discussed the inspiration for the screenplay of film and the importance of this case. (Rya Inman / Senior Staff Photographer)

Photo by Rya Inman / second image

Photo by Aliya Schneider / fullwidth

Panelists spoke about their experience as women in the film industry during the “Time’s Up X2” panel. From left to right, panelists include moderator Chloe Melas with Amber Tamblyn, Alysia Reiner, Nithya Raman, and Nina Shaw. (Aliya Schneider / Senior Staff Photographer)

Photo by Aliya Schneider / fullwidth

People of all ages attended the Time’s Up X2 panel. (Aliya Schneider / Senior Staff Photographer)

Photo by Kirill Buskirk / fullwidth

When not watching films and documentaries on the big screen, festival-goers were able to experience a virtual reality event sponsored by Google throughout the weekend. (Kirill Buskirk / Staff Photographer)

Photo by Lula O'Donnell / fullwidth

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a guest appearance at the “Knock Down the House” showing Sunday night. The documentary discussed her grassroots political campaign. (Lula O'Donnell / Columbia Daily Spectator)