London festival celebrates women filmmakers

Habibi: The winner of Best Feature at the Dubai Film Festival The annual Birds Eye View Film Festival (BEV), representing women in the film industry is underway in London. This year’s event celebrates Arab women filmmakers. The programme features seven UK premieres, ten director Q&As and a rich tapestry of guests, awards and parties.
The festival will culminate in the screening of Habibi, the first feature film to be shot in Gaza for over 15 years.
BEV founder Rachel Millward said “I’m thrilled that in 2013 Birds Eye view will celebrate the work of Arab women filmmakers.”
Sally El Housaini, winner of the 2012 London Film Festival Newcomer award, and director of My Brother the Devil, said \"At this time of change in the Arab world this is a crucial and exciting chance to listen to female Arab voices.”
Statistics show that women are massively underrepresented in film, making up less that ten percent of directors and less than 15 percent of screenwriters. BEV was founded to raise awareness of women in the film industry. It aims to inspire and encourage the next generation of female filmmakers around the world.
The BEV is the UK’s only celebration of international women filmmakers.  Since 2005, the audience has grown from 2,100 to 11,000.