Eastern Women is a special selection of shorts directed by East European female directors, for the second time present at ŻUBROFFKA. After decades of male dominance and despite constantly visible disparities, more and more women stand behind the camera. They present diverse styles and visions of cinema. Also in Eastern Europe women-directors leave their mark on the cinematic landscape of the region. The spectrum of genres, styles and sensibilities presented by some of the most promising young directors from Eastern Europe, is refected in the multiplicity and diversity of the flms’ heroines. They are women who often swim against the stream, facing such challenges as puberty, sexuality, motherhood, loneliness, or old age. The twins from End of Puberty, unpretentious story about adolescence, discover their sexuality and intimacy. Four mature actresses demystify the charms of menopause in a documentary comedy Melancholia. Valya (Fallen Leaves) is a 40-year- old woman seeking a cure for his loneliness. Raven Mother is an animated, folk tale about a woman who fghts forces more powerful than herself and tries to accept her fate. The heroine of Transition, Jana, does not feel comfortable in her skin and wishes to change her life. After the screening we invite you to take part in a discussion on women in cinema, which will be attended by directors, producers and cinema experts from this part of Europe.

PROGRAM

• End of Puberty / Kamaszkor vége, dir. Fanni Szilágyi, 2015, fction, 13’, Hungary I trailer On a beautiful summer day, teenage twins meet a boy who acquaints them with sexuality, jealousy, and a real anger that drives them apart. This moment marks the end of puberty.
• Melancholia / Melancholia, dir. Klara Kochańska, 2016, documentary, 22’, Poland. Four rapidly aging women are travelling and discussing political issues, menopause, cancer, their elderly parents and a difculty remembering to turn the cooker of. Where are they heading to and what they do if they stop arguing? A documentary comedy about ups and downs of aging.
• Fallen Leaves / Lystapad, dir. Masha Kondakova, 2014, fction, 20’, Ukraine I trailer. It’s autumn in the outskirts of Kyiv. One morning Valya, a lonely 40 year old caretaker, is burning fallen leaves in the forest nearby. Before long she bumps into a charming stranger who soon manages to seduce his way into her fat. Once inside, Valya subtly and gradually becomes a hostage in her own home .
• Raven Mother / Krkavčí matka, dir. Noemi Valentiny, 2015, animation, 8’, Slovakia. Raven mother is an animated ballad, inspired by stories of the times when fates of men were binded with the ones of the other beings. Man and Woman are carrying burden in a form of their marked son – baby with the raven peak and claws.
• Transition / Tranzicija, dir. Milica Tomović, 2016, fction, 21’, Serbia I trailer. Jana says goodbye to her friends and family as she’s leaving Serbia to study in the United States. Only her sister knows Jana’s secret - she is going away to have her sex change.

PANEL DISCUSSION : WOMEN IN SHORTS
Short flms are often seen as more friendly to women than the world of full-length feature flms, where more money is at stake. For many women-directors, the road leading from short flms to a feature- length debut is often more difcult than for their male colleagues. Why is this happening? Female directors and producers from Eastern Europe will talk about the presence of women in cinema and the realities of working in a mostly male environment. They will share their experiences and insights. How do they perceive the position of women in short flms? Do female directors need to fght for it and resort to extreme measures to be respected on the set? Do they feel good in the flm world or see some barriers? What is the celluloid ceiling and does it exist? Do women have to be more gifted and more determined than their male colleagues to become successful? What needs to change to have more women present in flm industry?

PANELISTS

• Klara Kochańska - Director and screenwriter, Warsaw University graduate, since 2009 studying flm directing at the Film School in Lodz. The winner of the prestigious prize awarded by the American Film Academy, the so- called Student Oscar for Tenants.
• Masha Kondakova - Ukrainian director, currently working on a documentary about women in the war-zone in Eastern Ukraine. Her debut flm Fallen Leaves premiered at the festival in Locarno.
• Marta Lewandowska - Film producer, Marta has produced over 20 short flms. Her recent feature flm The Saint (2016) is now triumphing at many prestigious international festivals.
• Fanni Szilágyi (tbc) - Hungarian flm director and cinematographer, has made a number of short flms and music videos. Her flm End of Puberty premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and is now being screened at numerous international flm festivals.
• Milica Tomović - Film director, graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade. Her flm Transition premiered at the Locarno Film Festival and won the award for best short flm at the festival in Sarajevo.