NFMLA Presents InFocus: Women in Film

      A high school robbery, a fascination with meat, and an unexpected wedding night were some of the topics explored in the films shown during NewFilmmakers Los Angeles’ InFocus: Female Cinema, which also included the Los Angeles premiere of The Day Iceland Stood Still.

      The Day Iceland Stood Still, directed by Emmy and Peabody award-winning filmmaker and journalist Pamela J. Hogan, presents a vibrant account of Iceland's 1975 nationwide women's strike, which marked the beginning of the country's rise to the top of the global gender parity index. “We hope this untold story will encourage generations to reimagine what’s possible,” states Hogan.

      Two blocks of short films featured narratives about governmental suppression, hidden pleasures, healing after trauma, interpersonal friendships, and more. These included projects produced through Girls’ Voices Now and Women’s Voices Now’s youth development initiative, which empowers young individuals from underserved communities to discover, nurture, and utilize their voices for social change through filmmaking.

      Throughout the year, NFMLA showcases works from filmmakers of diverse backgrounds in both its general and InFocus programming. All filmmakers are invited and encouraged to submit their projects for consideration in upcoming NFMLA Festivals, independent of the InFocus schedule, which highlights various filmmaker communities as part of the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival. This initiative is supported in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

      Below are more insights about the films and their creators, provided by NFMLA.

      **The Day Iceland Stood Still** directed by Pamela Hogan

      **About Pamela:** Throughout her career, Pamela Hogan has focused on remarkable stories of ordinary women. She co-created PBS’s Women, War & Peace series, served as executive producer for PBS’s Wide Angle, and developed the Emmy-winning Ladies First, highlighting women’s leadership in Rwanda. The New York Times recognized her film “Looks Like Laury, Sounds Like Laury” as one of the 10 Best TV Shows of 2015. She has received a Making a Difference for Women award from the National Council for Research on Women, and her work has been acknowledged by the Overseas Press Club, the Television Academy Honor, and the ABA’s Silver Gavel.

      **About The Day Iceland Stood Still:** In 1975, when 90% of Icelandic women walked away from their jobs and homes one autumn morning, they paused the nation, leading Iceland to be recognized as “the best place in the world to be a woman.” Portrayed for the first time through the voices of the women themselves, this story, enriched with playful animations and music by Björk, is both subversive and unexpectedly humorous.

      **“Skrrrt!”** directed by Gabriela Garcia Medina

      **About Gabriela:** Gabriela Garcia Medina’s short “Little Con Lili” (2019) won best of festival at the HBO Women in Comedy Festival, was distributed through HBOMax, and optioned by Netflix. The 90 Day Plan (2020) won at the HBO Women in Comedy Festival and was distributed via HBOMax. Her latest work, Bertie the Brilliant (2023), produced with WarnerMedia and LPB, aired on PBS. “Skrrrt!” (2025) was developed by Dirty Films with funding from Netflix. “Cuqui” has been selected for the 2025 TriBeCa/Chanel: Through Her Lens. Her feature, For Your Own Good, ranked among the Top 5 for TriBeCa and AT&T’s Untold Stories and is currently in development with Gina Rodriguez’s I Can and I Will Productions and Unapologetic Projects. She is a fellow and grant recipient from various organizations, including TriBeCa and the Academy’s Film Accelerator.

      **About “Skrrrt!”:** A group of high school rivals scheming a significant car theft must persuade a pretentious salesman at a supercar dealership to allow one of the girls to test-drive a supercar.

      **“Bobo In Bliss”** directed by Vivian Ip

      **About Vivian:** Vivian Ip is a Chinese writer-director and lawyer originally from Singapore, now residing in Los Angeles. Her work reveals the human experience and amplifies underrepresented voices, often influenced by personal memories and themes of identity and displacement. Her short films include “An Island Drifts,” “At the Water’s Edge,” and “The Smart Diver.” She has received accolades such as Best Director at USC’s First Look Awards and has seen her work supported by ARRI and the University of Southern California. Her semi-autobiographical short “Bobo in Bliss” recently premiered at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. In addition to filmmaking, Vivian has directed commercial and branded content for brands like TikTok Shop and Red Bull. She is a member of BAFTA Connect and is licensed to practice law in both Singapore and California, although she feels most