City of Angels Women's Film Festival

City of Angels Women’s Film Festival has grown into the premiere women's film festival in the country, with an Oscar style awards gala, important prizes, celebrity guests and competitive submission fees! COAWFF empowers and connects women and those identifying as female in the film industry, and showcases extraordinary films made by women around the world. Our goal is to improve gender equality in film and celebrate diverse women's stories.

City of Angels Women's Film Festival is an IMDB qualifying festival and is focused on honoring films that have been either directed, produced, edited, or include a cast driven by women. (For example: We will accept a film directed by a man if the film was either written or produced by a woman or includes a female driven cast or female protagonist. ) The screenplay category is open to both men and women. (Scripts written by men must include a female protagonist.) We also welcome LGBTQ+ themed films and scripts. We encourage student filmmakers to submit their work and also accept experimental films both feature and short length.

City of Angels Women's Film Festival chose its name (which many know is the nickname for Los Angeles) because we are proud to be located in LA and part of the Hollywood community. We are also proud to showcase films from around the US and the world!

City of Angels Women's Film Festival is an excellent festival to exchange ideas about the art and business of filmmaking. With that in mind, we provide outstanding panels and Q&A's with established industry leaders. Mark your calendar for Nov 9th, 2023 because this year we will be hosting another international virtual panel with top UK filmmakers. Announcements for our live guest panelists are yet to be made. All updates and festival news can be found on the website or follow us on our socials.

Last year's festival's virtual panel was an exclusive hour and a half interactive Zoom with iconic actress Dee Wallace. Dee shared her career insights, acting strategies and personal stories about working for decades with some of the biggest directors including Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson and many others.

Our live panels included the acquisitions team from Shout! Studios, an international filmmaking panel with French and UK producers and directors and a diversity panel which included Oscar winning director Charles Burnett.

Notable live panelists participating in our previous festivals include : Alison Eastwood (Battlecreek, The Mule) Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir ( Shang-Chi, John Wick, Atomic Blonde) , Mary Vernieu (Knives Out, Silver Linings Playbook), Jim Uhls (Fight Club, Semper Fi), Lisa London (Hannah Montana, Old Henry), Mark Teschner (General Hospital) and many others.

CITY OF ANGELS WOMEN'S FILM FESTIVAL WAS FEATURED TWICE IN VARIETY! COAWFF continues to generate positive press and reviews! Enjoy some of our recent reviews and feedback from industry insiders:

"I love the mission and the vision of this festival."
Guillermo Del Toro. Oscar winning Director.

"The festival's programming is incredible! My shorts block was as good as any I'd seen at Sundance or SXSW. I would highly recommend this festival."
Jon Matthews. Director

"What a wonderful festival! Great communication. Beautiful red carpet gala. The Q A was engaging and informative. Loved it!"
Julia Bergeron. Director/Writer

"I've been to a lot of film festivals. CITY OF ANGELS WOMEN'S FILM FESTIVAL is definitely one of the best. It was both fun and a great networking experience! Panelists included: Jim Uhls ("Fight Club") , Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir ("Kate", "Shang-Chi" "John Wick") and Casting Directors Lisa London and Mark Teschner. And...The Awards Night Party was unparalleled. I literally thought I was at a Cannes Film Festival party. My film premiered at this festival. I'm so glad we chose this prestigious event to showcase our work."
Nunzio Fazio. DGA Director.

"CITY OF ANGELS WOMEN'S FILM FESTIVAL couldn't be more perfect. Every aspect of the festival was thoughtfully curated-from the diverse showcase of films, the panelists and venues. It lives on in my heart."
Aina Dumlao. Director.

"This is an awesome festival focusing on female filmmakers. The panelists were all accomplished industry pros that were all approachable and I made several great industry connections. The gala award show was top notch with lots of press. Highly recommend!"
Natalie Denise Sperl. Actress/Writer/Director

"CITY OF ANGELS WOMEN'S FILM FESTIVAL is amazing! Great audiences and events, and as a filmmaker, I appreciated the support for quality projects by underrepresented groups. Can't wait to see what's next for them."
Mitch Del Monico. Director.

"CITY OF ANGELS WOMEN'S FILM FESTIVAL has given two of my projects with female writer/directors an amazing opportunity to connect and empower themselves with the Hollywood Film Industry through participating in this festival. We were excited to win "Best Foreign" with our UK entry. I highly recommend submitting to this amazing festival!"
Paul Dubois. Producer/Director/Actor.

"CITY OF ANGELS WOMEN'S FILM FESTIVAL is a hidden gem that isn't going to stay hidden after its recent success. Everything about the event was fantastic! The venue, the hospitality, and the personal care. This is a filmmaker-focused festival and you feel it right away. What's so amazing is the quality of filmmakers you meet and the planning put into enhancing conversations and connections. I loved everything about CITY OF ANGELS WOMEN'S FILM FESTIVAL and can't wait to return."
Michelle Muldoon. Director.

City of Angels Women's Film Festival will adhere to all local and state regulations regarding Covid 19 in order to ensure the safety of our participants. We ask that our guests also comply with those regulations. The festival reserves the rights to change dates and times accordingly.