F-Rated
Our programme of films featuring the work of female directors has coincided with the development of the F-rating, a new system designed to flag up the significant involvement of women in film, on either side of the camera.
The F-Rating Manifesto
The stories we see on screen influence our lives. We want to hear stories from everyone, not just from one section of society.
We want diversity in filmmaking, both on and off screen.
The F-rating was founded by Holly Tarquini at Bath Film Festival 2014 where we wanted to highlight films which feature prominent women both behind the camera and in front of it.
Every film which ticks yes to the one of the following questions receives the F-rating of approval:
- Does it have a female director?
- Is it written by a woman?
- Is/are there complex female characters on screen who exist in their own right (not simply there to support to the male lead)?
The F stands for feminist.
Feminism is: "The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities." We believe that feminism benefits everyone.
Featuring
Starring Jodie Foster in her first French speaking lead role, this immensely entertaining murder mystery has elements of black comedy, with Foster at her charismatic best among an all-star cast.
Paris-based psychiatrist Lilian Steiner enjoys a comfortable ex-pat existence and is stunned at the news that a client, Paula, has killed herself. Encounters with the grieving husband and daughter lead Lilian to suspect foul play, and her obsessive nature kicks in.
"Along with hilariously witty touches, there are fascinating currents of impulsiveness, avoidance and repression that run right through this story. This creates vividly flawed characters who are easy to identify with. To understand what happened to Paula, Lilian needs to look honestly at herself, which gives the film a deeper resonance than we expect. And it's ultimately both chilling and charming." Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
After Raw at the 2017 Festival and Titane in 2022, Julia Ducournau's latest film will be a talking point for 2026. It features another returnee with Golshifteh Farahani playing Alpha's mother, a role far from her laid-back appearance in Paterson.
Alpha (Tahar Rahim), a rebellious 13-year-old, lives with her single mom, a doctor with an at-home practice amid the context of a new blood-borne disease. When Alpha returns from a party, drunk, her mother discovers a new, amateur tattoo on her daughter’s arm. Worried she might have been infected by the same disease, their world is suddenly turned upside down, as fear invades their family unit, triggering a chain reaction that unleashes repressed trauma, memory and dread.
"Alpha turns a coming-of-age drama into a haunting allegory of the AIDS crisis. Ducournau's poetic horror finds empathy in decay, and Tahar Rahim delivers a shattering, soulful performance that freezes and burns at once." Algo Más Que Cine
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Revisit 2011 Festival
12th Keswick Film Festival
In 2011 we were joined by Kay Mellor and Jack Gold, celebrated Film4 and Agnès Varda and had a sing along to Frankenstein.
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