October 22–25 festival to honor Mena Suvari and Rachel Feldman; opening-night screening sponsored by SAG-AFTRA
Running October 22–25, this year’s festival will showcase 110 films, including narrative features, documentary features and shorts, music videos, and an animated shorts competition sponsored by TMS Entertainment. Screenings and events will take place at Regal Cinemas at the Sherman Oaks Galleria, with the festival concluding Sunday, October 25, at an awards ceremony at Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood.
RACHEL FELDMAN – DGA Director, WGA Writer will receive the Visionary Award for her body of work and longstanding commitment to expanding opportunities for women in Hollywood.
Rachel Feldman is a DGA director and WGA writer. She wrote and directed the award-winning 2025 feature LILLY, starring Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson, streaming on Netflix, and will next direct her psychological thriller “The Beasts & The Children,” starring Thomas Sadoski, in summer 2027. Her television credits include “Blue Bloods,” “The Rookie,” “Criminal Minds” and the first season of “The Baxters,” plus early work on “Picket Fences” and “Doogie Howser.” In development are the rom-com “The Real Me” and the limited series “Relative Truth.” A former chair of the DGA Women’s Steering Committee, she holds an MFA from NYU Tisch.
Mena Suvari will receive the Humanitarian Award in recognition of her advocacy for global health, environmental conservation and animal welfare, including her work as an ambassador for the African Medical and Research Foundation (Amref).
Ms. Suvari is a SAG Award winner and Emmy nominee who broke out in 1999 with American Pie and Sam Mendes’ five-time Oscar winner American Beauty, which earned her a BAFTA nomination and a SAG ensemble award. Her films include Spun, Domino and Grace and Grit, which won her a Best Actor award. She earned a SAG nomination for HBO’s “Six Feet Under” and a 2024 Emmy nomination for the sci-fi series “RZR.” She returns as Elizabeth Short in “American Horror Story 13” on Hulu, opposite Jessica Lange and Evan Peters. She also wrote the 2021 memoir “The Great Peace.”
Six panels will explore key issues shaping the film and television industries, from diversity, equity and inclusion to vertical filmmaking, launching a career through short films, pitching projects, getting writers’ work onto the screen, and film financing and distribution in the age of AI.
Additional festival highlights include a special screening of Here’s Yianni! on Saturday, October 24, at 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A. Written and directed by Christina Eliopoulos, the film stars Julia Ormond, Joe Cortese, Kevin Pollak, Rosanna Arquette, and Sofia Vassilieva. Producers include Valerie McCaffrey, Colleen Camp, Nick Vallelonga and Cortese.
On Sunday, October 25, at noon, the festival will present a special fundraiser screening of We Are Animals. Produced by Lady Freethinker founder and president Nina Jackel and directed by Kirk Murray and Nicholas Tana, the documentary examines the history of animal cruelty, the industries that perpetuate it and emerging efforts to break the cycle of abuse. Interviews with scientists, celebrities and leading animal advocates—including Moby, Nikki Glaser, Allison Pill, Peter Egan, Elaine Hendrix, Peter Singer and Milo Runkle—explore how everyday choices can help create a more compassionate world.
LA Femme Intl. Film Festival launched our sister festival last year, LA Femme International Film Festival Europe, which unites a greater community of women content creators worldwide. Our European focused fest, is currently accepting submissions for our second annual festival May 4-7, 2027 in Budapest, Hungary. https://filmfreeway.com/
Festival Sponsors include SAG-AFTRA, TMS Entertainment, the Hollywood Times, Animation World News, LA Media Consultants, Pineapple Hill Saloon, and Fleurs de France.
ABOUT JESUS LAND
Based on Julia Scheeres’ acclaimed New York Times bestselling memoir, Jesus Land follows a young girl and her adopted brother as they confront religious extremism, racism and abuse in 1980s rural Indiana and at a brutal reform school in the Dominican Republic. Amid isolation and trauma, their bond becomes a lifeline as they struggle to hold onto hope.
Alongside Lewis and Anderson, the film stars Kristian Bruun (Orphan Black, The Recruit), Kelly Sullivan (The Young & the Restless, General Hospital), Xavier Jones (Chicago P.D., Extraction), Bryce Johnson (Pretty Little Liars, Popular) and Nikki Roumel (Ginny & Georgia).
ABOUT LA FEMME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Now in its 22nd year, LA Femme International Film Festival celebrates, supports and advances the work of women producers, writers and directors from around the world. The festival has helped advance the careers of more than 3,000 artists and continues to offer educational seminars, screenings and networking opportunities in a welcoming independent film community.
Film Festival Tickets and Website Here
Watch the Trailer: Jesus Land Trailer
Press Materials: Jesus Land Press Materials
All photos and clips courtesy of Wavefront Pictures.
Official Website: www.jesuslandmovie.com
