Athena Film Festival 2026: Women Leaders Tell Their Story

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Thursday, 05 March 2026 10:27

Written by Brad Balfour

Telling stories of women in leadership, the Athena Film Festival returns to Barnard College March 6 to 8. The festival is an annual showcase of narrative films, documentaries, and short films, alongside powerful and thought-provoking conversations with women from around the world.

Films include:

Opening Night Film
State of Firsts
Director: Chase Joynt
This film explores Sarah McBride’s historic run to become the first trans Member of Congress, the intense backlash that followed, and how the fight for change can be impacted by growing political extremism.

Centerpiece Film
Cutting Through Rocks
Directors: Mohammadreza Eyni, Sara Khaki
As the first elected councilwoman of her remote Iranian village, Sara Shahverdi fearlessly breaks patriarchal traditions by training teenage girls to ride motorcycles and stopping child marriages. When accusations arise questioning Sara’s intentions to empower the girls, her identity is put in turmoil.

Closing Night Film
Ask E. Jean
Director: Ivy Meeropol
A documentary that chronicles the life and career of advice columnist and gonzo journalist E. Jean Carroll, and her two successful legal battles with President Trump.

To learn more, go to: https://athenafilmfestival.com/

Athena Film Festival
March 6 - 8, 2026

Barnard College, Athena Center
3009 Broadway
New York, NY 10027

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