F-Rated

The F-Rating

Diversity statistics across the industry are extremely poor: 17% of the top-grossing films in 2022 had a female screenwriter attached, and only 11% employed a female director.

Despite recent publicity suggesting equality in cinema is on the rise, statistics show very little growth or improvement, both in the UK & overseas. The F-Rating is a response to this, designed to support and promote women in film, both on and off-screen.

The F-Rating will be applied to all films in our programme which are directed by women and/or written by women and/or have significant women on screen:

F-Rated: Either directed by a woman and/or written by a woman and/or starring significant women
Triple F-Rated: Directed by a woman AND written by a woman AND starring significant women

About The F-Rating

Developed by Bath Film Festival and now expanding across the UK, the F-Rating is a new film rating which highlight films made by and featuring women.

Any film that answers yes to one of these questions is awarded the F-Rating stamp of approval.

Does it have a female director?
Is it written by a woman?
Are there significant female characters on screen in their own right?

The aims of the F-Rating are:

To champion women in film and highlight the fantastic work they are doing.
To encourage conversation around who tells the stories we see on screen – and whether that matters.
To act like a Fairtrade stamp, giving the audience an opportunity to #VoteWithYourSeat, and support women in film.

Find out more at f-rated.org, on Facebook or @F_Rating on Twitter

F-Rated Films

The Happy Man Tree + Discussion 12A: English; When Hackney locals discover that a property developer has been granted permission to fell a much-loved 150-year-old tree, they rally to save it from the clutches of the chainsaw. With artistic intervention and discussion.

Maria 12A: English and Greek with English subtitles; The tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest female opera singer, Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie) relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris.

Nocturnes + Intro U: English; In the dense forests of the Eastern Himalayas, moths are whispering something to us. In the dark of night, two curious observers shine a light on a secret universe. In partnership with Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, with intro from Ben Keywood.

DocNights: The Flats 18: English; From their central Belfast tower-block, resident Joe and his neighbours confront the lingering ghosts of the Troubles, reliving the memories that have shaped their lives.

Young Programmers Festival 2025: But I’m a Cheerleader 15: English; Cheerleader Megan’s parents send her to conversion therapy camp. Megan denies that she’s gay until she meets cynical and rebellious Graham. Screening as part of Girls Who Strike Back: A Galentines Day Film Festival.

Early Doors - Thursday: The Brutalist 18: English; A modern masterpiece from Vox Lux director Brady Corbet, starring Adrien Brody as an architect forced to flee Europe during World War II, who must rebuild his life in Pennsylvania.

Showroom Community: Best of Iris Prize 2024 15: We are delighted to be taking part in the Iris on the Move tour, a showcase of the standout films from Iris 2024, featuring award-winning stories that explore love, identity, and the human experience.

Hard Truths 12A: English; Legendary filmmaker Mike Leigh returns to the contemporary world with a fierce, compassionate, and often darkly humorous study of family and the thorny ties that bind us. Starring Oscar-nominated Marianne Jean-Baptiste.

Baby Kino: Hard Truths 12A: English; This Baby Kino screening is exclusively for parents or guardians accompanying babies aged under one year old.

Preview: The Last Showgirl + Pre-Recorded Q&A with Pamela Anderson CTBA: English; In this poignant film of resilience, rhinestones and feathers, Pamela Anderson has received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance. She stars as Shelly, a Las Vegas dancer left adrift when her show abruptly closes.

Relaxed Screening: The Colors Within U: Japanese with English subtitles; The visually stunning and deeply moving coming-of-age tale from acclaimed director Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice) follows a band formed and led by a young woman with synaesthesia.

Japan Foundation: Ghost Cat Anzu CTBA: Japanese with English subtitles; Wishing to see her dead mother again, a young girl sets out on a fantastical adventure accompanied by her grandfather’s goofy magical talking cat.

The Colors Within U: Japanese with English subtitles; The visually stunning and deeply moving coming-of-age tale from acclaimed director Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice) follows a band formed and led by a young woman with synaesthesia.

The Peoples Joker 15: This revolutionary DIY parody film and hilarious autobiographical coming-of-age story follows an unconfident, closeted trans girl as she moves to Gotham City to become a comedian in a world where comedy has been outlawed.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy CTBA: English; Bridget Jones returns, alone once again and a single mother of two. The imperfect modern heroine tackles dating apps, judgemental school mums, and more awkward encounters in the fourth instalment of the classic series.

LGBTQ+ History Month: Saving Face (20th Anniversary) 15: English and Chinese with English Subtitles; A Chinese-American lesbian and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations in this joyful cult rom-com by Alice Wu (The Half of It).

Film Studies: Bye Bye Tiberias PG: French, Arabic with English Subtitles; Thirty years after leaving to become an actress, Hiam Abbass and her filmmaker daughter Lina return home, to journey through the vanished places among the scattered memories of four generations of daring Palestinian women.

The Brutalist 18: English; A modern masterpiece from Vox Lux director Brady Corbet, starring Adrien Brody as an architect forced to flee Europe during World War II, who must rebuild his life in Pennsylvania.

Young Programmers Festival 2025: Bend it Like Beckham 12A: English; This ahead of its time comedy follows aspiring footballers Jess and Jules in their attempts to defy stereotypes, win the league and go professional. Screening as part of Girls Who Strike Back: A Galentines Day Film Festival.

Early Doors - Monday: Vermiglio 15: Italian with English subtitles; Winner of the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, Maura Delpero’s Vermiglio is a stunning period drama set in the Italian Alps at the culmination of WWII.

Film Studies: Habibi 18: Arabic with English subtitles; Habibi, a story of forbidden love, is a fiction feature set in Gaza. Two students in the West Bank are forced to return home to Gaza, where their love defies tradition.

Babygirl 18: English; A modern take on the erotic thriller follows a high-powered CEO (Nicole Kidman) who puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern (Harris Dickinson).

Early Doors - Thursday: Hard Truths 12A: English; Legendary filmmaker Mike Leigh returns to the contemporary world with a fierce, compassionate, and often darkly humorous study of family and the thorny ties that bind us. Starring Oscar-nominated Marianne Jean-Baptiste.

Vermiglio 15: Italian with English subtitles; Winner of the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, Maura Delpero’s Vermiglio is a stunning period drama set in the Italian Alps at the culmination of WWII.