NYWIFT Blog

Desperately Seeking Susan, 1985. USA. Directed by Susan Seidelman. Photo courtesy MoMA

We are never more excited here at NYWIFT then when the spotlight shines on the many accomplishments of women in the film industry. For two weeks in February that is exactly what is happening. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of NYWIFT’s Women’s Film Preservation Fund (WFPF), The Museum of Modern Art’s film department will present the film series: Carte Blanche: Women’s Film Preservation Fund—Women Writing the Language of Cinema.

Opening on February 2 at MoMA, the series will run through February 13, 2015 and feature films such as Susan Seidelman’s Desperately Seeking Susan, Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides, Sarah Driver’s When Pigs Fly and Bette Gordon’s Variety, while short films include Matrimony’s Speed Limit, by Alice Guy-Blaché (the first woman director), Illusions, directed by Julie Dash, and Meditations on Violence, by Maya Deren.

Admission is free for the first 20 NYWIFT members who arrive at the theater with their membership card for all screenings. To print out your membership card, please log into your member profile and select Print Member Card.

The series will present over 50 short and feature-length films, sourced mostly from MoMA’s vast film collection and jointly curated by Anne Morra, Associate Curator, Department of Film, MoMA, and NYWIFT’s Women’s Film Preservation Fund Committee. All films have been carefully chosen for their significance to women’s film history and the language of cinema itself.

“This series and the extraordinary breath of work it represents comes at a significant time when women filmmakers are still struggling for acknowledgement and equal footing in an industry dominated by men,” says Terry Lawler, Executive Director of New York Women in Film & Television. “We are proud to continue our commitment to preserve the accomplishments of women filmmakers and hope the Carte Blanche series will move this mission forward and engage women, the film community and general audiences as well.”

Since its inception, the WFPF has provided cash grants, as well as in-kind post-production services generously provided by Cineric, Inc., to preserve or restore films in which women have played a significant creative role. The WFPF programming committee members are Ina Archer, Kirsten Larvick, Susan Lazarus, Raquel Salazar-Foster and Kim Tomadjoglu. To date the WFPF has preserved a remarkable spectrum of more than 100 American films, including works by early feminists, women of color, social activists and artists. The film represent a unique and irreplaceable part of our nation’s cultural legacy. Films already preserved range from Barbara Koppel’s Harlan County USA (1976) and Cinda Firestone’s Attica (1974), to productions by pioneering early film directors Lois Weber and Alice Guy- Blaché.

Highlights Include:
Opening Night: Monday, February 2
Matrimony Speed Limit by Alice Guy Blaché; Desperately Seeking Susan by Susan (Seidelman (Seidelman will be present.)

Closing Night:
4:00: Sage-femme de première classe (1902) by Alice Guy Blaché; Harlan County, USA (1976) by Barbara Kopple
7:00: Mister E. (1959) by Margaret Connelly; Dogfight (1991)by Nancy Savoka

Friday, February 6
Tributes to Mary Lea Bandy ModernMonday, February 9
An Evening with Barbara Moss, founder, WFPF

Thursday, February 12:
Premiere of the newly preserved print of Student Nurses (1970) by Stephanie Rothman

Screenings take place at:
The Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters
The Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53 Street

To purchase tickets or view the full schedule of films screening please visit MoMa.org