Did you know…

…that more women worked in the film industry in its first two decades than at any time since?

…that women created some of the first narrative films ever made?

…that in 1916, the highest-paid director in Hollywood was a woman?

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(Image courtesy of Flicker Alley)
Today I’m excited to be one of several bloggers co-hosting a giveaway of Flicker Alley’s exciting new Blu-ray/DVD set, Early Women Filmmakers: An International Anthology. Early Women Filmmakers coverWomen have played important roles in the film industry since its inception, but their contributions have often been forgotten or undervalued. Flicker Alley is giving viewers a chance to explore the work of 14 female directors who worked in the industry’s early years, both in Hollywood and around the world!

This set preserves their legacies and makes their work more readily available to a wider audience, which makes it a highly anticipated release for me, both as a viewer and as an advocate of preserving film history.

Read on for your chance to win a copy of Early Women Filmmakers: An International Anthology! But first, here are some further details, from Flicker Alley:

Despite their incredible achievements, many early women filmmakers have been largely written out of film history, their contributions undervalued. On May 9th, Flicker Alley presents Early Women Filmmakers: An International Anthology on Dual Format Edition Blu-ray/DVD, showcasing the work of 14 of early cinema’s most innovative and influential women directors, re-writing and celebrating their rightful place in film history.

International in scope, this groundbreaking collection features over 10 hours of material, comprised of 25 films spanning 1902 – 1943, including many rare titles not widely available until now, from shorts to feature films, live-action to animation, commercial narratives to experimental works. Directors include Alice Guy Blache, Lois Weber, Mabel Norman, Madeline Brandeis, Germaine Dulac, Olga Preobrazhenskaia, Marie-Louise Iribe, Lotte Reiniger, Claire Parker, Mrs. Wallace Reid (Dorothy Davenport), Leni Riefenstahl, Mary Ellen Bute, Dorothy Arzner, and Maya Deren.

These women were technically and stylistically innovative, pushing the boundaries of narrative, aesthetics, and genre. Going back to the beginning of cinema, this collection makes visible the tremendous directorial contributions women made all around the world. Beautifully resorted in high definition, Early Women Filmmakers features new scores by Sergei Dreznin, Frederick Hodges, Tamar Muskal, Judith Rosenberg, and Rodney Sauer and the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.

Bonus materials include:

  • Booklet essay by film scholar and Women Film Pioneers Project manager Kate Saccone
  • Audio commentary for Lois Weber’s The Blot by author, professor, and expert on women and early film culture Shelley Stamp, courtesy of Milestone Film and Video

For a complete list of films included in the set, please visit Flicker Alley.

Release date: May 9, 2017
List Price: $69.95 Order now on sale for $49.95 through May 16th!

Here’s a trailer for the set:

And now, for the giveaway details!

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ONE lucky winner will receive a copy of Early Women Filmmakers: An International Anthology on Dual-Format Edition Blu-Ray/DVD from Flicker Alley! This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada, and ends on May 22, 2017.

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(Image courtesy of Flicker Alley)
For a chance to win:

  • Enter your information into Flicker Alley’s giveaway form (opening 9:00 am PST on May 8).
  • Leave a comment here with your favorite film directed by a woman, or the name of your favorite woman filmmaker.
  • Form and comment must be submitted by 9:00 am PST on May 22nd!

The giveaway winner will be selected at random by Flicker Alley on May 22nd. If you’re the lucky winner, you’ll be contacted by Flicker Alley, and they’ll get your prize in the mail! Best of luck to all who are entering!