Is Moondance One of the World’s Most Important Festivals?
For Elizabeth English, the Moondance International Film Festival is about more than just film screenings and an opportunity for up-and-coming moviemakers to network-it’s a chance to right the historical wrongs of an industry that has long demeaned the role of women and promoted destructive behavior. She founded the Boulder, Colorado-based event in 1999 because of her frustration with the “boy’s club attitude in Hollywood-as well as the perception that you must live in LA to be considered a serious screenwriter.” She also bristled at the fact that women writers over the age of 40 have “virtually no chance of getting produced.” Originally open only to women, the competition has evolved to include work from either gender, provided the work shows “women in strong, positive roles, and, if possible, lead roles for women actors over 40.” Here, as she enters her fourth year of producing the event, English talks with MM about her festival’s ambitious mission statement, the quick success she’s f
