While unsolicited submissions are welcome, most films are pre-selected by Lampke and White. Thus, the festival promotes the works themselves in a non-competitive atmosphere, with the ultimately nurturing goal of bringing an audience to these films. Timing the festival shortly after the Sundance Film Festival allows the curators to use the highlights of that heavily scrutinized event as a launching pad for seeking out films for the Boston festival. This year, two films which attracted attention at Sundance fill the opening and closing night spots. The Paramount Classics film stars Kathleen Turner, James Woods and Kirsten Dunst.
Many award winners fill out the roster.
It was a winner of the Freedom of Expression Award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and the Jury Award at the Chicago Underground Film Festival. The Boston Festival of Women's Cinema comes close on the heels of the Academy Awards, a time when the press often comments on the apparent continuing absence of good film projects for women. She says many films made by women are independent by definition, by virtue of women's struggle to succeed in the Hollywood system. I have no doubt that the gay and lesbian movement of 'New Queer Cinema' in the '90s will go down in history. The film festival remains the major venue for disseminating works of unique spirit and integrity, independent of the studio system.