Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF) is a festival founded in Brighton, UK, in 2015, to address age and gender imbalances faced by older women in the film industry. The festival screens films that have a woman over 50 in a key creative role (writer, producer, director), or are about a woman over 50.
History Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF) is a Community Interest Company, established in 2015. The goal behind the organization is to readdress not only the gender imbalance present in the film industry, but the even greater gap experienced by older women. The organization cites industry research indicating that out of 2000 films analyzed, women between the ages of 42 and 69 spoke only 20% of the dialog, while men of the same age range spoke about 40% – twice as much. This, in addition to the general gap indicated by the Directors UK organization, which reported that of over 2,500 films made from 2005 to 2014, only 13% were directed exclusively by women.
The festival aims are to: Showcase the work of older women on screen and behind the camera Create a film community centered around older women Help combat isolation and loneliness in older women
WOFFF declares itself inclusive and intersectional, and has grown steadily since its inception. In 2015, the prototype event was held, entitled "Short Hot Flush Film Festival". At this event, 27 international short films were screened, a panel event was conducted, and four prizes were awarded. By 2019, over 50 films were screened, including two features, and the number of attendees and accompanying events grew accordingly, to include workshops, panels, lectures and master classes. In 2020, due to restrictions put in place during COVID-19, WOFFF become a 5-day online festival, screening 58 short films, hosting 8 virtual filmmaker Q&A sessions and a lecture by Dr. Francesca Sobande of Cardiff University.
Since 2021 WOFFF has offered a hybrid festival experience - an in-person festival, held at Depot cinema in Lewes, UK, and a virtual festival hosted online on the Eventive platform.
The WOFFF lecture WOFFF hosts an annual lecture concentrating on older women in film and TV. Academics invited to deliver lectures from English, Welsh and US universities and their lecture topics have included: +YearLecture delivered byFromLecture Title WOFFF17Dr Patricia McManusUniversity of BrightonWomen over 50 in Dystopian Fictions The Handmaid's Tale Gender and RaceWOFFF18Dr. Deborah Jermyn University of Roehampton“Your Age is One of My Favorite Things About You”: The Ageing Romcom Heroine in the Films of Nancy MeyersWOFFF19Dr. Brenda WeberIndiana University BloomingtonI am (Older) Woman: Hear Me Roar!: Rethinking the Incredible Invisible Older WomanWOFFF20Dr. Francesca SobandeCardiff UniversityBlack women over 50 on screen: from intersectional oppression in the industry to defying ageist agendasWOFFF21Professor Kate Taylor-JonesSheffield UniversityThe First Lady of Korean Cinema, Youn Yuh-jungWOFFF23Dr. Deborah JermynUniversity of RoehamptonMenopause and the Media in the UK - 'The Menopausal Turn'WOFFF24Dr Vicky BallDe Montfort UniversityOlder Women and Television DramaWOFFF25Sara PesceUniversity of BolognaIsabella Rossellini – Performing Age, Embodying Difference
Awards Awards are granted in the following categories: Audience Choice Award Best Animation Best Documentary Best Drama Best Experimental Best Short Script Best Student Film The award-winning films are eligible to participate in WOFFF's Moving Pictures project - screening WOFFF short films in community spaces, cinemas and elder-care residential homes in the UK.
Past winners Year Award Work Winner Audience Choice AwardHome MovieCaroline Pick2015 Best Animation Mend and Make Do Bexie Bush Best Documentary Home Movie Caroline Pick Best Drama Sewing Solutions Marc Beidul2016Audience Choice AwardOne Last DanceLuke Losey Best AnimationMy Friend Marjorie Louise Wilde Best DocumentaryBelle and EmmaRebecca JohansonBest DramaThe Other Place Mareike EngelhardtBest ExperimentalThe WakeOonagh Kearney2017Audience Choice AwardDays of AweRehanna Rose Best Animation Espressivo: A Love Song to Coffee Deb Ethier Best Experimental Cherry Colour ButtonholesBrenda Miller Best Documentary Rebel Menopause Adele Tulli Best Drama The Hide Gaynor Macfarlane2018Audience Choice AwardEdekMalcolm GreenBest AnimationToughJennifer ZhengBest DocumentaryI’m Fine Lucretia KnappBest DramaThe MatchmakerLeonora PittsBest ExperimentalEdekMalcolm GreenBest Student FilmGrandmother Heather Dirckze, Charanpreet Khaira, Melina Campos2019Audience Choice AwardWe Were ThamesmeadLucia TambiniBest AnimationIn the House of Paper FlowersAnita GeorgeBest DocumentaryWe Were ThamesmeadLucia TambiniBest DramaThe Last MermaidFi KellyBest ExperimentalHouse of Our OwnDagmar ScheibertBest Short ScriptLove IsDylanne CorcoranBest Student FilmForget-Me-NotSarah Smith2020Audience Choice AwardWingsJamie WestonBest AnimationThe Witch & the BabyEvgenia GolubevaBest DocumentaryThe Passionate Pursuits of Angela Bowen Jennifer AbodBest DramaWine LakePlaton TheodorisBest ExperimentalHaud Close Tae MeEve McConnachieBest Short Script3 DownDenise DeeganBest Student FilmDeltaJules St-Jean 2021Audience Choice AwardThe Birth Of Valerie VenusSarah CliftBest AnimationNanakorobi (Seven Falls)Glenna Burmer & Gaby BreiterBest DocumentaryJoy UncensoredNatasha HawthornthwaiteBest DramaThe Exit PlanAngus WilkinsonBest ExperimentalLay Me LowMarlene MillarBest Short Script'Weightless' Louise MonaghanBest Student FilmEl Habbasa (Fishing Net)Dania ElmorTENA Ageless AwardStay with HerYang Chen2022Audience Choice AwardThree WomenAnnika LewandowskiBest AnimationTreasureSamantha MooreBest DocumentaryCuban American GothicMaria Teresa RodriguezBest DramaHousemaid #2Roxanne StamBest ExperimentalBlind as a BeatJessi Gutch & Liz JacksonBest Short ScriptMOTHERMaureen HanschBest Student FilmThree WomenAnnika Lewandowski2023Audience Choice AwardLindaJoe LycettBest AnimationTwenty Objects from a Sixties ChildhoodCally TrenchBest DocumentaryThis is What the World Looks Like When You're GoneSteen StarrBest DramaThe CallRiffy AhmedBest ExperimentalScored by TimeNicola HawkinsBest Short ScriptMüggelseeMilly JamesBest Student FilmMy Sisters In The Stars: The Story of Lee Yong-sooIan Kim2024Audience Choice AwardTo Be Announced - Oct 2024To Be Announced - Oct 2024Best AnimationTwo One TwoShira Avni Best DocumentaryOutside In, Life Of A Figure ModelEtti InbalBest DramaDoll WomanTokio OoharaBest ExperimentalAM NOT OKGabrielle LansnerBest Short ScriptCat LadyAlison WilsonBest Student FilmDead AirRonja Ehlers, Inês Filipa Palma Martins, Melissa Fabienne Klein, Lucía Artiles De Urioste2025Audience Choice AwardPegs & BaconSarah MasonBest AnimationThe Illustrated Woman Isabel HerguraBest DocumentaryRisaKate Weare, Jack Flame SorokinBest DramaThe Pearl Comb Ali CookBest ExperimentalSomber Tides Chantal CaronBest Short ScriptRafta,Rafta (Slowly,Slowly)Misha HassanBest Student FilmChai-Coffi Sanjoli Malani2026Audience Choice AwardAnnounced November 2026Best AnimationLinaMargarida MadeiraBest DocumentaryIntermittent & ContinuousOlivia HirdBest DramaReliefsJuan Manuel GonzálezBest ExperimentalHag-Stone Kate ClaytonBest Short ScriptPrincess Ros Borland Best Student FilmBirgitteMaria Zaikina
WOFFF in the community Through WOFFF's Best of the Fest touring programme, WOFFF brings award-winning films to independent cinemas across the UK, introducing new audiences to short films and the filmmakers behind them.
The WOFFF community programme, Moving Pictures, extends this work further. Designed for care homes, community groups and charities, it combines a special curated collection of WOFFF films with creative resources that encourage conversation, reminiscence and artistic expression, helping people connect through film wherever they are.
In 2024, WOFFF began a partnership with Virgin Atlantic, launching the world's first collection of dementia-friendly short films for an airline's inflight entertainment. The programme has been viewed more than 60,000 times by passengers around the world
See also List of women's film festivals
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