Still image from "To See If I'm Smiling"

UNC Asheville will hold the ninth annual "F-Word Film Festival: A Celebration of Images By and About Women (But for All Audiences)" at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, and Thursday, April 2, at UNC Asheville's Humanities Lecture Hall. Three feminist documentaries will be shown, including a special screening and discussion by noted filmmaker Amy Sewall. Panel discussions with UNC Asheville faculty and students will follow the screenings both nights. All events are free and open to the public.

"To See If I'm Smiling" and "War Zone" will be shown on April 1.

"To See If I'm Smiling" is a 59-minute, award-winning film by Tamar Yarom. This Israeli film with English subtitles presents the frank testimonials of six female Israeli soldiers stationed in Gaza and the West Bank. Their stories, which describe atrocities they witnessed and participated in, break down stereotypes of gender differences in the military.

What does it feel like to be a women on the street in a society that does nothing to discourage men from heckling, following, touching or disparaging women in public? Filmmaker Maggie Hadleigh-West explores this question in her 35-minute film "War Zone." She argues that the streets are a "war zone" for women. Armed with a video camera, she documents women's experiences and their confrontations with the men who objectify them on the street.

"What's Your Point, Honey?" will be screened at Thursday, April 2. Filmmaker Amy Sewall will speak and answer audience questions after the screening. The 87-minute documentary puts a new face on political leadership by profiling seven young women as they participate in the Project 2024 Internship Program, a joint effort of the White House Project and Cosmogirl magazine aimed at encouraging women to run for political office. Two other age groups, teens and tweens, present the next generation's take on the topic and provide surprising responses.

For more information, call Lori Horvitz, UNC Asheville associate professor of literature and language, at 828/251-6590.