Launching on Thursday, October 16, the 21st La Femme International Film Festival will feature 110 films and 20 screenplays and pilot scripts, along with a screening dedicated to the memory of the late Jane Goodall.
The Opening Night film is Love the Skin You’re In, an intimate independent film that shines the light on Black women’s mental health and about family, forgiveness and generational healing. Directed by Kenn Michael and produced by Kimberly Ogletree, the film stars Sauda Johnson-McNeal (who also wrote and produced the movie) and features veteran actors Marla Gibbs (The Jeffersons, 227), Obba Babatunde (Broadway’s Dreamgirls, Madame Secretary) and Wendy Raquel Robinson (The Chi). .
The festival will hold a special Screening of the documentary “Walking Thunder: Ode to the African Elephant” directed by Oscar nominee Cyril Christo (A Stitch for Time) and Marie Wilkinson, along with the doc short It’s Our Ball directed by David Morrison, written by Judy Marcelline, and produced by Marcelline and Penny Edmiston. Both films are being presented by Kat Kramer, and her Kat Kramer’s Films That Change the World. The Walking Thunder screening is dedicated to the memory of the late Jane Goodall, who was a strong advocate for the film.
Other weekend highlights include a Special Screening of One Stupid Thing directed by Linda Yellen (Playing for Time, Fluidity), written by Michael Leeds and Yellen, starring Corey Fogelmanis (Girl Meets World, My Life With the Walter Boys) and Siobhan Fallon Hogan (Men in Black).
There will also be a Special Screening of Fractured directed by Madchen Amick (Sleepwalkers), starring Julia Ormond (My Week with Marilyn, Legends of the Fall), Bruce Dern (Nebraska, The Hateful Eight), and Anne Dudek (Mad Men, House), produced by Penny Edmiston, Iris Torres and Chelsey Neders.
Featured among the scheduled films are actors Billy Zane (Titanic), Peter Facinelli (Twilight Saga), Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Blood and Sand, 24), Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians), Kathy Najimy (Hocus Pocus), Jaina Lee Ortiz (Rosewood, Station 19), Grace Caroline Currey (Fall), Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf), Emily Rios (Breaking Bad), Louis Ferreira (Bad Blood), and Scottie Thompson (12 Monkeys).
The festival concludes on Sunday, Oct 19 with the Closing Night Gala Awards ceremony hosted by Sandra Valls, who has been the awards show MC for 18 years, is back after her Broadway run of “Real Women Have Curves.” At the ceremony actress Donna Pescow will be honored with a Special Award for her body work from her critically acclaimed role as Annette in “Saturday Night Fever” to her successful family comedies “Angie”, “Out of This World” and “Even Stevens”.
The 21st La Femme International Film Festival will take place over four nights from October 16-19, 2025.
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