Women's Voices Now
Women's Voices Now (WVN) is an American non-profit organization that "uses film to drive positive social change that advances girls' and women's rights globally". It organizes online short film festivals and other activities in its mission to "amplif[y] the voices of all women by promoting the free expression of women's struggles for civil, economic, political, and gender rights worldwide". In addition to its festivals, WVN expanded to include an archive of films, a publication, educational programs, screenings, workshops and training, as well as providing scholarships. The organization was founded in 2010 by lawyer Catinca Tabacaru and philanthropist Leslie Sacks. Festival history The organization was founded in 2010, and its first film festival was held in 2011. Every festival has a theme; the first festival's theme was Women's Voices from the Muslim World: A Short Film Festival. The festival had over 200 films submitted from over 40 countries showcasing what life is like for women in the Muslim world. The 2014 festival's theme was Women Bought and Sold: Voices United Against Violence. The third, fourth and fifth festivals were held in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively, with both the fifth and sixth occurring in 2019. Each film festival had winners for