Women Over 50 Film Festival

Overview

🎦 WHAT IS THE WOMEN OVER 50 FILM FESTIVAL? We call ourselves WOFFF for short! And we're an inclusive short film festival celebrating older women in all their diversity. Since 2015, we’ve been showcasing fun, fearless and real films made by and about older women. In Autumn 2026, we will hold our 12th edition! Since 2021, we’ve been a hybrid festival, taking place online and in person at our home cinema, Depot, in Lewes, East Sussex. Each year we showcase a full and diverse programme of short films online, in 2026 WOFFF Online will take place for 4 weeks from Friday 4 September to Monday 5 October on Eventive. And, on Saturday 5 September 2026, we will gather together in person at Depot to watch and discuss a small, curated selection of films from our full online programme. 🎦 WHAT FILMS ARE WOFFF LOOKING FOR? Each film we screen at WOFFF must follow one simple rule: It must have a woman over 50 at its centre on-screen, or a woman over 50 in the core creative team, as a writer, producer, or director. We accept submissions from: ✅ all ages ✅ all genders ✅ all experiences ✅ filmmakers from all around the world. We want to see filmmakers over 50 driving the stories as filmmakers, creatives, and performers. We also want to see work by younger filmmakers that centres on older women. 🎦 WHY HAVE A FILM FESTIVAL FOCUSSING ON OLDER WOMEN? The Geena Davis Institute analysed the most popular films and television shows from 2010 to 2020 and found that “on-screen ageism persists and is particularly evident among on-screen women over 50. Just 1 in 4 characters who are over 50 are women.” Moreover, the report found that “women over 50 who are on-screen are commonly cast in supporting and minor roles and are less likely to be developed as characters in interesting ways.” WOFFF is doing something positive to address this imbalance by screening work that celebrates older women in film. 🎦 HOW MANY FILMS ARE USUALLY IN THE WOFFF PROGRAMME? The WOFFF Online programme usually features 50 - 60 short films, by or about women over 50. The WOFFF at Depot programme usually features a curated selection of around 20 films, taken from the Online programme. All short films selected for screening at WOFFF are eligible for our competition. The films are judged by professionals from each category, Animation, Documentary, Drama (including comedy) and Experimental. Our festival audience also votes for their favourite film in the Audience Choice Award. In 2025 we were delighted to welcome WOFFF Matron Felicity Montagu to our in-peron festival at Depot cinema where she joined Rebecca Kesby in conversation and presented the Best Drama prizes at the WOFFF25 Awards Ceremony. 🎦 WHO WILL SEE MY FILM AT WOFFF? We have an international audience watching online with 5,000+ streams per Festival. Our audience are diverse in age, gender and interests. When we gather at the cinema for our one day festival we regularly sell out, and welcome around 100-120 people each year.

Last updated Sep 4, 2026

Legitimacy Analysis

Trust Signals

Festival Details

FilmFreeway communityGold festival

• Filmmaker

  This festival supporting women filmmakers and connecting them is well worth investing in. The support and communication continues beyond the festival and every effort is made to promote the films and the screenings. Thank you for recognising Holding On with commended in Best Documentary category.

• Filmmaker

  A really wonderful, welcoming festival. We were honoured to be selected among some amazing films. The aftercare with Nuala has been fantastic too, with lots more opportunities for networking and expanding our film's festival journey. Bella Tomlinson - Producer Steff Lee - Director 'Of All The Things'

• Filmmaker

  A festival on this topic is truly necessary. Please keep working on generating this exquisite content for the audience. @films.to.festivals

• Filmmaker

  "Once a WOFFF-er always a WOFFF-er!" I absolutely loved this festival and for any woman over 50 or a story centered around women over 50, it's a must to submit to! So well organized, thoughtful, and lovely networking opportunities even as someone remote and in the online portion. Most importantly - such important films and such important stories! Grateful that Symptoms was included this year.

• Filmmaker

  Great festival with a great team of aspirational film maker and film curators.

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