The fifth annual Athena Film Festival will return to Barnard’s campus in Morningside Heights, New York City, from February 5 – 8, 2015. The festival highlights films that showcase women’s leadership in real life and the fictional world. 

This year, the festival will will honor Sheila Nevins, President of HBO Documentary Films, Gina Prince-Bythewood, director, writer and producer behind films such as Love & Basketball, TheSecret Life of Bees and Beyond the Lights, and Cathy Schulman, Academy Award-winning producer, President of Mandalay Pictures, and President of Women in Film, known for films including Crash, The Illusionist, Darfur Now and Bernie,with the Athena Film Festival Awards, which honor actors, directors, producers and other members of the film industry for their leadership and creative accomplishments.

Returning to this year’s Festival is the Athena List, which has been called the “gender conscious cousin” of The Black List, and highlights 3-5 completed screenplays with strong leading female characters that have yet to be made into films. The festival will also illuminate the story and process behind some of the featured films with Q&A panels including cast members and filmmakers. Ticket holders will have the opportunity to learn from a range of industry leaders, both behind and in front of the camera, with a curated program of master classes. Full information on these programs will be released January 2015.