Submissions are open June 2 - August 15, 2025.

The Athena Film Festival at Barnard College celebrates extraordinary films from across the globe that tell the stories of fierce and fearless women leaders.

At Athena, leadership takes no singular form. Our films tell the stories of women whose leadership has been questioned, dismissed or erased. Women who have risen up and spoken truth to power. Women who empower their communities. Women who inspire and educate. These are the stories we want to see. These are Athena stories. The 16th annual festival will take place March 5 - March 8, 2026.

The curated program includes Academy Award nominated films, award winning features and documentaries, NY premieres, shorts, and so much more. We continue important conversations offscreen by pairing our films with Q&A’s, panels and talk-backs, workshops, receptions, and events put on for our community.

The festival is a project of the Athena Center for Leadership at Barnard College and Women and Hollywood. The Artemis Rising Foundation and its CEO, Regina K. Scully, are the festival's founding sponsors.

Rules & Terms

Eligibility Criteria

Films must have a woman (girl) or women in leadership role(s) or position(s). Projects from all genres are accepted, and stories about women from all racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural groups are encouraged;

Only short films can be submitted (30 minutes or less in length);

Non-English films must be subtitled;

Premiere status is not required;

Films that don’t focus on women’s leadership WILL NOT be considered;

Films that have been previously submitted WILL NOT be considered.

The Athena Film Festival encourages applications from people of all races, religions, national origins, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and ages, as well as veterans and individuals with disabilities. We strongly encourage you to apply if you are from a marginalized or underrepresented group, particularly in the film industry.

No film will ever be turned away due to a lack of funds. If you cannot pay the submission fee for any reason, email athenafilmfestival@gmail.com to request a fee waiver.
11 Reviews
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  • Lindsay Nyman

    I highly recommend submitting to the Athena Film Festival! My short documentary was featured in over 50 festivals, and I always include Athena in my top 5 recommendations to other filmmakers. Not only is this festival thoughtfully curated and well-run, but it opened doors for me! My film They Call Me The Tattoo Witch was part of a collection of short films that is currently screening on AMC+ and Sundance Now as part of “Athena Film Festival: The Future of Film.” This was an incredible opportunity that would not have happened without my participation in the Athena Film Festival. This is a wonderful festival full of opportunities that I will continue submitting projects to for years to come. Thank you, Athena Film Festival!

    May 2026
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  • Caitlyn Johnson

    Great communication, wonderful staff, and fantastic programmers. Can't wait to come back!

    March 2026
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  • Oluwaseun Babalola

    I'm grateful to have been included in such an impactful festival for female filmmakers!

    March 2026
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  • John Owens

    A wonderful festival, with great support, turnout and agenda. Couldn't recommend highly enough!

    March 2026
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  • Beta Rangel

    Great festival. Loved being part of it.

    March 2025
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