High Falls Film Festival
The High Falls Film Festival, founded in 2001, is a film festival that focuses on celebrating women in film. The festival is inspired by Rochester, New York's legacy in nitrate film and the women’s rights movement.
High Falls Film Festival presents multiple features, documentaries, and shorts, including a children's program and student-filmmaker program. The festival includes emerging and established female talent, with past guests including actresses Kerry Washington, Christine Lahti, Angela Bassett, Jane Alexander, Candice Bergen, Joan Allen, Famke Janssen, and CCH Pounder, and voice-over actress Nancy Cartwright. The festival is held in Rochester's East End entertainment district.
The festival aligned with the Rochester International Film Festival in 2007 and with George Eastman House in 2009 under the name George Eastman House 360 | 365 Film Festival. The festival took a hiatus in 2012 and returned in 2013. In 2021, the organization changed format from an annual event to a monthly series at Rochester's Little Theatre.
== Awards ==
The Susan B. Anthony Failure is Impossible Award Honors a woman in the film industry who has persevered in her career and triumphed over difficulties. 2001: Pam Grier, actress
2002: Lainie Kazan, actress
2003: Candice Bergen, actress
2004: Sally Kellerman, actress
2005: Angela Bassett, actress
2006: Agnieszka Holland, director
2008: Rita Moreno, actress
2009: Lynn Redgrave and C.C.H. Pounder, actresses
2010: Thelma Schoonmaker, editor
2011: Julie Taymor, filmmaker
2017: Nancy Schreiber, cinematographer
The Golden Lens Award for CinematographyHonors a person who has made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of cinematography. 2011: Buddy Squires
The Rochester Film Legacy AwardHonors a filmmaker or film supporter based in the Rochester area whose passion and dedication embodies Rochester’s proud film legacy.2011: Brock Yates
2015: Marilyn O'Connor
2016: June Foster
The Faith Hubley Web of Life AwardNamed after its first recipient, honors a woman who understands the power of art in connecting with an audience and in making the world a better place. 2001: Faith Hubley, animator
2002: Nancy Cartwright, voice actor
2003: Jeannie Epper, stuntwoman
2004: Mira Nair, filmmaker
2005: Jane Alexander, actor
The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Thorn in the Side AwardHonors women who exemplify the collaborative nature of film and video. The award is named in honor of Stanton, who said: If there is one part of my life which gives me more intense satisfaction than another, it is my friendship with Susan B. Anthony... we have indeed been thorns in the side of each other...2006: Stella Pence, (retired) Co-Director, Telluride Film Festival
2008: Estela Bravo, director
2009: Debra Zimmerman
Audience Choice AwardeesFestival audiences chose Best Feature, Best Documentary and Best Short. Past Audience Award winners include:2001
Best Feature: No Man's Land
Runner-Up: Fast Runner
Best Documentary: Southern Comfort
Runner-Up: Endurance
2002
Best Feature: Nowhere In Africa
Runner-Up: Frida
Best Documentary: Blue Vinyl
Runner-Up: Sister Helen
2003
Best Feature: In America
Best Documentary: My Architect
2004
Best Feature: Dear Frankie
Best Documentary: Born Into Brothels
2005
Best Feature: The World's Fastest Indian
Best Documentary: Christa Mcauliffe: Reach For The Stars
Best Short: A Life To Live
2006
Best Feature: The Lives Of Others
Best Documentary: American Blackout
Best Short: Sintonia
2008
Best Feature: Phoebe in Wonderland
Best Documentary: Autism: The Musical
2009
Best Feature: Skin
Best Documentary: Signs Of The Time
Best Short: Julie, Julie
2010
Best Feature: Welcome
Best Documentary: Waiting For Superman
2011
Best Feature: The First Grader
2016
Best Feature: Sugar!
Best Documentary: My Love Affair With The Brain: The Life and Science of Dr. Marian Diamond 2015
Best Feature: The Lennon Report
Best Documentary: Yemeniettes 2011
Best Documentary: Bill Cunningham New York
Best Short: Shoegazer
List of women's film festivals

== External links ==
Official site
Former official site at archive.org