Zonta Film Festival back again, this time with 12 female-made documentaries

The Zonta Film Festival is back in Waterloo region featuring 12 documentaries directed and produced by women.

The documentaries are playing at Princess Cinemas in uptown Waterloo until Nov. 9, and all proceeds will go to local organizations and charities that support women.

"All the films we chose for the film festival are all very much inspiring. They inspire advocacy. They will inspire action," said Melissa Durrell, co-chair of the Zonta Fim Festival.

The festival is entering its ninth year and has grown from a small number of documentaries in its infancy to 12 feature-length documentary films.

"When we first started, it was really tough to find feature length documentaries made by women," Durrell said.

"This year we screened probably close to 60 films and came up with a list of 12. We probably could have done 15."

The festival also brings some of the directors to Waterloo region.

Director Shannon Walsh, for example, will be available for a Q and A after the showing of her film Illusion of Control. 

People will also have a chance to meet and hear from Phyllis Elis, director of Toxic Beauty, on Thursday.

"I think it's interesting for us, after you watch the film, to be able to talk to that director and ask them why they wanted to tell that story," Durrell said.

For people interested in checking some of the featured documentaries, Durrell has a few suggestions:

The Secret Marathon

Maiden

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