From the Senate floor to the racetrack, the skatepark to the streets of Kabul and Tehran, these films spotlight women who won't abide by detrimental societal expectations, who rewrite rules, and aim to reclaim their voice. Our Strand, Her Power, Her Path, celebrates women of courage such as Senator Wynona Lipman and Formula 1 business owner Carol Glenn, and honours the quiet revolution of girls and women who will stand tall, take full reigns of their ambitions and speak up, to dance when the world says not to. This strand is a rallying cry for freedom, visibility, and unstoppable determination.

Films Screening:

Stronger Than Steel: The Senator Wynona Lipman Story (Celeste A. Bateman)

This documentary explores the life of Sen. Wynona Lipman (1923-1999), the first African American Woman Senator in New Jersey (USA). It examines her family and remarkable achievements, highlighting legislative initiatives and career benchmarks.

Boneless 180 (Laya Hartman)

Dayna Doles, one of few black girls in a wealthy Detroit suburb, grows a deep love for skateboarding. Ostracised, she meets pro-skater Christiana Smith and begins to unlock her true potential.

Faghan Daughters of Afghanistan (Emanuela Zuccalà)

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban reconquer Afghanistan after twenty years of Western military presence, establishing a religious dictatorship. The country falls into violence, extreme poverty and human rights violations. The Taliban establish a gender apartheid that segregates women within their homes, prohibiting them from studying beyond the age of twelve, working, going to gyms, parks or beauty salons. In public, women are forbidden to show their faces, and even to make their voices heard. For Afghan women, the only choice is between social death and fleeing abroad.

Baraye (Daniella Raphaël)

In the quiet confines of her home, an Iranian woman dreams of dancing freely to Shervin Hajipour’s Grammy-winning song, Baraye. In a country where dance is forbidden, movement becomes defiance, a language of resilience. This dance film gives shape to the unspoken grief, hope, and strength of Iranian women. A testament to the universal fight for gender equality and the right to express oneself without fear.

Set Pace (Daisy Ifama.)

This film tells the story of legendary Carol Glenn, Britain's first black, female motorsports official, as she sets out on a new venture to launch her own Formula Ford single seater race team, breaking boundaries as the first black woman in the UK to do so. A true hidden gem, 67-year-old Carol has spent almost 40 years volunteering on the track and self-funding her passion travelling to race circuits across the world, from Silverstone to Le Mans to Texas. Now, Carol has turned her hand to a new project – turbocharging the industry with her own race team, the first of its kind in the UK.

Trigger Warning: Contains scenes of war and some scenes of implied abuse

Empowering through knowledge and celebration', is one of the primary tenets of Women Of The Lens Film Festival, which aims to bring heartwarming stories to film loving audiences and support the careers of black women in the film industries. Debuting in 2017, Women Of The Lens Film Festival highlights the experiences and achievements of talented filmmakers, meanwhile showcasing courageous stories from underrepresented women working in the film industry. Our 2025 programme will feature narratives that spotlights triumphs, gender representation, heritage and tradition, politics, family and relationships, healing and love and so much more. As well as all of this, our exciting programme will include panel discussions from industry professionals, where you can make your own contribution to some vibrant conversation. Not only this, we’ll be further congratulating filmmaking talent with our first, not to be missed, Awards Ceremony, to sign off what will be an inspiring festival. Grab your tickets now, we can't wait for you to join us!