This summer, Brittany Charek, the 2017 Akron Knight Arts Challenge winner, partnered with Joanna Wilson, plans to bring a feminist film festival to Akron.

The five-day festival will take place in various downtown locations such as the Nightlight Cinema, starting on May 29. Only films that pass the “Bechdel Test” will be shown.

Coming from a part of Alison Bechdel’s comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For (1985), the test is used to determine that a film or any other piece of fiction has proper representation of women

The three rules to determine proper representation are: two women must be featured, they must be named and talk to each other about something other than a man.

“Today, just half of films produced meet these simple requirements,” the Bechdel Film Fest website said.

This film fest aims to celebrate women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, which are often overlooked on screen, as well as highlighting Akron as an inclusive community.

Short and feature-length films created by female directors, producers, and actors will be shown during the film fest.

“The Bechdel Film Fest is not associated with Alison Bechdel but is based on the Bechdel-Wallace Test which has brought international attention to gender inequality in film and fiction,” the website said.

There are many ways to get involved with this festival. Not only can you help to make a film, but there are also volunteer and sponsor opportunities.

Tickets will also be available for purchase soon.