The Cinema Femme Short Film Festival is set to return for its eighth edition this fall, with organizers announcing that submissions for the 2026 festival open April 10.
The festival will once again host in-person screenings October 11 through 13 at the Music Box Theatre, followed by a virtual presentation running October 14 through 18 on the Eventive platform.
Alongside the festival dates, Cinema Femme also announced a leadership transition. Emily Broderick, who guided the organization through its inaugural year as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is stepping away as festival director to focus on launching a new event production business.
Taking over the role for 2026 is Taryn Stickrath-Hutt, a filmmaker and writer whose animated short The Finger Wife screened at the festival in 2025. Her background includes work with Walt Disney Imagineering, where she contributed to the development of the award-winning Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction.
Cinema Femme’s “Breaking Down Walls” mentorship program will also return as a central part of the festival. The initiative pairs four selected filmmakers with established industry professionals for one-on-one mentorship. Previous mentors have included Tchaiko Omawale, David Bruckner, Lisa France and Valerie Weiss, with the 2026 mentor lineup expected to be announced in the coming months.
Now in its eighth year, the festival continues its focus on supporting women and gender-expansive filmmakers through both its exhibition platform and mentorship efforts.
Submissions for the 2026 Cinema Femme Short Film Festival are open via FilmFreeway.
Submissions open April 10, 2026, via: filmfreeway.com/cinemafemme
Festival page: cinemafemme.com/film-festival/
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