Women Over 50 Film Festival is an inclusive festival which celebrates older women in all their diversity. WOFFF showcases films that are fun, fearless and real and made by older women on either side of the camera. We want to see women over 50 driving stories – as filmmakers and performers. And we want to see work by younger filmmakers which centre on older women.

WOFFF is a British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) qualifying festival.

Each film we screen at WOFFF has to follow this one simple rule – it must have a woman over 50 at its centre or a woman over 50 in the core creative team (writer, producer or director).

We welcome submissions from filmmakers of all ages and genders.

We will welcome short scripts when script submissions open around March/April 2024. We accept only 50 scripts so the script submissions window is shorter than our film submissions window.

Why have a film festival concentrating on older women in film? A recent report “Women Over 50: The Right to be Seen on Screen” from the Geena Davis Institute analysed the most popular films and television shows from 2010 to 2020 and found that “on-screen ageism persists and is particularly evident among on-screen women over 50. Just 1 in 4 characters who are over 50 are women.” What’s more, the report found that “women over 50 who are on-screen are commonly cast in supporting and minor roles and are less likely to be developed as characters in interesting ways.”

WOFFF is doing something positive to address this imbalance by screening work which celebrates older women in film.

WOFFF, now in its 10th year, is a hybrid festival. WOFFF20 was an entirely online festival. WOFFF21, WOFFF22 and WOFFF23 were hybrid ones - taking place in our usual cinema home, Depot in Lewes, East Sussex for one day, as well as online on Eventive from one week in WOFFF21 up to four weeks in WOFFF23..

WOFFF24 is going to be hybrid again - with one day in person in our cinema home, Depot, and four weeks online. WOFFF24 dates are:
Depot, Lewes Saturday 21 Sept 2024
Online 7 Sept – 7 Oct 2024

All short films selected for screening at WOFFF are eligible for our competition. Films are judged by professionals from each category field - animation, experimental, drama, and documentary. Our festival audience also votes for its favourite film too.

Here's what one filmmaker said about WOFFF23:
“What an amazing festival! WOFFF's hybrid designed festival meant that those of us not in the UK could watch the festival program, network and be supported and encouraged.” Milly James

You can read more filmmaker comments at the bottom of this page.

PRIZES FOR WOFFF24 FILMS
Prizes for Best Drama, Best Documentary, Best animation, Best experimental, Best Student Film, Best short script and Audience Choice award include:
- £75 cash
- a winner's certificate
And for the top UK-based winner in each category:
- a bottle of Mother's Ruin Gin (student filmmakers must be over 18 for this prize)
- Kit from RØDE Microphones
- One year's free membership of Picturehouse Cinemas

Prizes for winning films (films awarded 1st, 2nd, 3rd place or commended prizes) include:
- a winner's certificate
- having you film screened as part of the WOFFF Best of the Fest UK 2025 Tour. Previous tours have included an in-person screenings as well as virtual screenings with:
East London Out Project, London, England
Switchboard – the LGBTQ+ Helpline
HOME Manchester
Elder care residential homes and older people’s community groups in London and Glasgow

1) Your film has to have a woman over 50 at its centre or a woman over 50 in the core creative team (writer, producer or director).

2) The maximum length for films are:
animation – 12 minutes
experimental – 12 minutes
drama (including comedy) - 20 minutes
documentary – 25 minutes

3) Your film has to be in English or have English subtitles.

4) You must pay a fee to submit your film if you are a non-student filmmaker (Earlybird, Regular and Late submissions have different fees).

5) You may send more than one film, but a submission fee must be paid for each entry and a separate application must be made for each film.

6) Submission to WOFFF constitutes agreement to all rules, regulations and conditions here and your consent that your film be considered for any awards that may be given at WOFFF.

7) Submission also certifies that all film and music rights, licenses and clearances have been obtained in accordance with UK copyright laws. WOFFF will not be responsible for any copyright infringement.

8) By submitting, you agree not to withdraw your film from WOFFF after it has been accepted by the WOFFF selection team.

9) By submitting, you give us permission to use publicity stills provided and up to 30 seconds of footage for use in WOFFF marketing and publicity.

10) WOFFF is committed to making screenings and events accessible to all, including people who are D/deaf and Hard of Hearing. If your film is selected, you give WOFFF permission to add inclusive features, like subtitles or captions to your film if it doesn’t already have them.

11) By submitting, you are agreeing, if your film is selected, to WOFFF screening your film at WOFFF24 an in-person festival (in a physical venue) or as part of WOFFF24 a virtual, online festival.

12) If your film is selected, you give us permission to screen your film at the WOFFF Best of the Fest tour and other WOFFF events following WOFFF 2024 until December 2025.

13) A “Student Film” is one directed by a student currently in full or part-time adult education, or who has graduated in the last academic year (i.e., for WOFFF 2024 submissions, students who graduated in 2023) which complies with all the rules about film submissions. WOFFF will require proof of student status. Please see Custom Form for further information about student submissions and attachments you must send WOFFF.

14) If submitted to the Student category, you must inform WOFFF of your official school, college or university email address and postal address, as well as informing WOFFF of the course and the qualification you are studying for. See the Custom Form for further details.

15) WOFFF is committed to screening a diversity of older women’s voices worldwide. A limited bursary fund is available to assist filmmakers with their submissions fees to enable them to submit work to WOFFF. Since 2017 WOFFF has offered bursaries to filmmakers with work from Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the USA and the UK. To apply for a submission bursary, please request further information by sending an email to (info[@]wofff.co.uk).

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Emma Lazenby

    A lovely friendly festival with a very high standard of films. All films were shown on one screen in the cinema in Lewes, which gave all attendees a joined experience - much nicer than all going off in different directions!

    The festivals organiser, Nuala, is such a genius and very generous in sharing ideas and further networks for film makers. If you are a woman over 50 or have a film about or for women over 50, or if you just love watching good films and meeting likeminded people, this festival shouldn't be missed!

    November 2023
  • Kate Schultz

    The range and quality of short films made me feel honored to be among the other writers. It's eye-opening to see what filmmakers create within the women-over-fifty arena.

    November 2023
  • Alison Ramsey

    I loved everything about Women Over 50 Film Festival! Nuala and her team were warm and welcoming, their communications were clear and the whole event was very well organised. It was packed with enthusiastic members of the public and screened a wide range of wonderful films. I particularly liked having the chance to meet and chat with other filmmakers at The Depot. I was delighted that my film Menopause: The Movie won the runner up spot for best student film and I now feel privileged to call myself a member of the WOFF filmmaking community.

    October 2023
  • Marina-Evelina Cracana

    We had a great experience participating in the festival! The communication was fantastic, the screenings very well organised and the jury composed of respected names in the film industry. I also find admirable the outreach work that the team is doing after the festival with the winning films (community screenings, cinema tours and other events with specific target groups). I totally recommend it!

    October 2023
  • nicola hawkins

    This festival exudes warmth and inclusivity. Communication is excellent. Unfortunately I was unable to attend in person however they offer virtual programming. I highly reccomend.

    October 2023