Women in Film: Leadership, Creativity, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives
HYBRID ACADEMIC CONFERENCE
UNATC „I.L. Caragiale” Bucharest, Str. Tudor Arghezi 3-b and online, via Zoom
December 10-11, 2025
Creatrix Fama, in partnership with the National University of Theatre and Film “I.L. Caragiale” (UNATC) announces the hybrid international academic conference Women in Film: Leadership, Creativity, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives, part of the third edition of the Her Story, Her Future mentorship program, presented this year under the name Academia.
This edition focuses on group meetings, academic presentations, and inspirational talks by women professionals from the film industry, providing a space for dialogue between researchers, artists, psychologists, and professionals from the national and international film industry. The event highlights the contributions of women to cultural, educational, and professional development, promoting mentorship, exchange of best practices, and reflection on careers in film and related creative industries.
Conference and Volume Theme: Women in Film: Leadership, Creativity, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives
PROGRAM
WEDNESDAY, 10 DEC 2025
11:00-11:10
Welcome Address
Liviu LUCACI, PhD, Rector of the ”I.L. Caragiale” National University of Theatre and Film (UNATC)
Mirona RADU, PhDc, Research Assistant, UNATC; Founder of Her Story, Her Future – mentorship programme for women in the film industry
11:10-11:30
Inspirational Talk
Ada SOLOMON, acclaimed Romanian Film Producer and Founder of HiFilm Productions (Romania)
11:30-12:10
Keynote
From Exploitation to Care: How Women’s Perspectives Redefine Ethics and Sustainability in Creative Practice
Anna ADAMUS-MATUSZYŃSKA, PhD – Sociologist and Public Relations Specialist, Professor at the University of Economics in Katowice (Poland)
12:10-12:30
On Women of the Danube Delta as Strong and Skillful Managers of the Fishing Households. Only in Real Life, not on the Silver Screen
Oana IVAN, PhD – Assistant Professor, Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania)
12:30-12:50
Collaborative Filmmaking: Actress as a Document Representing the Aftermath of a War
Goda JANUSKEVICIUTE, Yelyzaveta HRYTSENKO – Filmmakers (Lithuania & Ukraine)
12:50-13:10
My Place in Cinema – Film Education Project for Empowering Young Women
Evi KARAGEORGU, PhDc – Artistic Director of Meetings of Young European Cinema (Bulgaria)
13:10-13:30
The Film Camera as a Tool for Unlocking Adolescents’ Creativity. Case Study: Maria
Alma LASCU, PhDc – Actor, Theatre Pedagogue (Romania)
13:30-13:50
On Making “Between the Edges of the Day“ – a Short Film About Domestic Violence, Based on the Co-writer’s Personal Story
Andreea LĂCĂTUȘ, PhDc – Filmmaker and Director of One World Romania IDHRFF (Romania)
13:50-14:10
Constructing the Female Subject: The Case of Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023)
Maria ANDRONIKOU, PhD – Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens; Lecturer, Stavrakos Film School (Greece)
14:10-14:30
The Woman on Screen Through the Lens of Men – Between Reality and Imagination
Laura LĂZĂRESCU-THOIS, PhD – Associate Professor, UNATC (Romania)
14:30-15:30
Break
15:30-15:50
Feminist Creative Leadership Through the Body: A Diffractive Reading of Adina Pintilie and Ana Lungu
Ruxandra Maria GHIȚESCU, PhDc – Filmmaker, Associate Lecturer, Ovidius University (Romania)
15:50-16:10
Reclaiming the Gaze: Feminist Spectatorship and Creative Resistance in Maryam Tafakory’s Irani Bag
Adela CHIRU, PhD – Assistant Professor, University of Bucharest (Romania)
16:10-16:30
The Power of Gentleness in the Films of Claire Denis
Lucia CHICOȘ, PhD – Filmmaker, Teaching Assistant, UNATC (Romania)
16:30-16:50
Cute but Psycho. Multimodal Metaphor, Humour and Femininity in Female-Led Horror Contemporary Cinema
Teodora VASILESCU, PhDc – University of Bucharest (Romania)
16:50-17:10
Dissolving the “Female/Male Gaze”: Individual Subjectivity as the Core of Auteur Vision
Teodora-Kosara POPOVA, PhDc – Filmmaker, Assistant Professor, National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) (Bulgaria)
17:10-17:30
Inspirational Talk
When Women Hold the Camera: What Happens When We Stop Waiting for Permission
Joy HARRIS BIRD – Filmmaker, Founder and Creative Director, JoyPark Studios (USA)
17:30-19:30
Break
19:30-20:00
Inspirational Talk
Alexandra SOFONEA, PhD – NET therapist, Researcher UNATC (Romania)
20:00-22:00
Screening & Discussion – invited event by Her Story, Her Future
Trauma and Storytelling – Explore Healing Through Art and Science
Presentation of the Swedish theatre play Barrikad (performed in Swedish with English subtitles). Before the performance, Dr. Katy Robjant, Dr. Sabine Schmitt, and Dr. Susanne Axelsson will offer a brief introduction to the NETfacts intervention approach. After the play, a discussion with the participants will be hosted by the director of the production, Emil Nilsson Mäki.
To attend the Barrikad screening via Zoom, you need to register for a screening ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/trauma-and-storytelling-tickets-1903551416529?aff=oddtdtcreator
The Zoom link will be sent automatically upon registration.
THURSDAY, 11 DEC 2025
11:00-11:40
Keynote
Women Leadership and Creativity
Alexia MUIÑOS RUIZ – Filmmaker, Executive Director, European Women’s Audiovisual Network (Spain)
11:40-12:00
Mentorship as Creative Leadership: Transforming Women’s Voices in Screenwriting Workshops. A Case Study of SYAA
Raluca MĂNESCU, PhDc – Screenwriter (Romania)
12:00-12:20
Authentic Motherhood in Contemporary Auteur Cinema: Between Lived Experience and Representation
Evi KARAGEORGU, PhDc – Cultural Researcher (Bulgaria)
12:20-12:40
Black Soup: Alimentary Identity and the Politics of Memory and Resistance in Tania Licheuskaya’s film „Čornaja poliŭka”
Valeria BARBAS, PhD – Mixed Media Artist, Senior Researcher, Institute of Cultural Heritage (Republic of Moldova)
12:40-13:00
The Final Brushstroke – Color Grading as a Modern Visual Art Practice
Maria MURGU, PhD – Research Assistant, Lecturer, UNATC (Romania)
13:00-13:20
Inspirational Talk
Women, Leadership, and AI in Audiovisual Production
Anna KASIMATI – Head of the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme at the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center (Greece)
13:20-13:50
The Algorithmic Gaze: Who Has Control Over Meaning?
Georgia MIHALCEA, PhDc – Filmmaker, Narrative Systems Architect (Romania)
13:50-14:10
Women and Product Design on Screen: A Cinethnographic Approach on the Sector’s Gendered Realities
Guim ESPELT ESTOPÀ, PhD – Designer, Researcher, Curator, Teacher, Elisava, Barcelona School of Design and Engineering (Spain)
14:10-14:30
Towards a Socio-educational Design: Interdisciplinary Process of Creating a Documentary Comic for Tunisian Children
Nada DAGDOUG, PhD – Visual Artist, Caricaturist, Educator (Tunisia)
14:30-16:30
Break
16:30-18:00
Masterclass on Assertive Communication with Andreea MEREUȚĂ exclusively on site – for Romanian participants (limited seats, registration is necessary)
Andreea MEREUȚĂ is a cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist and neurotrainer.
In a world where we often speak more than we listen, how we express ourselves can transform the dynamics of professional relationships. This masterclass invites participants to explore how to communicate their needs, feelings, and ideas with clarity, respect, and confidence.
Through examining automatic reactions, common blocks, and practical steps, participants will learn to foster balanced conversations—ones that connect rather than divide—and leave with tools for authentic, tension-free dialogue.
If you have any questions, please contact creatrixfama@gmail.com, mirona.radu@unatc.ro and cornel.hutanu@unatc.ro.
Peer-Review Committee for Presentations
Alexandra SOFONEA, PhD, Researcher, UNATC
Ion INDOLEAN, PhD, Lecturer, Babeş-Bolyai University
Theodora PENCIU, PhDc, Teaching Assistant, UNATC
Maria BUCURENCIU, PhDc, Teaching Assistant, UNATC
Mirona RADU, PhDc, Research Assistant, UNATC
Organizing Team
Alexandru BERCEANU, PhD, Associate Professor, Vice-Rector for Research, Development, and Innovation, UNATC
Alexandru STERIAN, PhD, Professor, Head of UNATC Doctoral School
Mirona RADU, PhDc, Research Assistant, UNATC; Founder of Her Story, Her Future – mentorship programme for women in the film industry
Cătălina RADU, PhD, Professor, Faculty of Management, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Coach for Her Story, Her Future – mentorship programme for women in the film industry
Cornel HUȚANU, Conference Consultant, UNATC
Elena BELCIU, PhD, Conference Consultant, UNATC
Dumitru TĂNASE, Technical Director, UNATC
Women in Film: Leadership, Creativity, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives brings together powerful voices from film industry, academia, and the arts to explore how women shape and transform the moving image.
It represents a renewed and imaginative format for the third edition of the Her Story, Her Future mentorship programme for women in the film industry, presented this year under the name Academia. Designed as a vibrant blend of scientific presentations, masterclasses, and uplifting talks from amazing and generous women professionals, researchers, and artists, the conference creates a special space for knowledge sharing and interdisciplinary reflection.
Focusing on leadership, authorship, creativity, and intersectional perspectives, the event features presentations from different countries, highlighting how women rethink aesthetic and narrative structures, challenge systemic disparities, and engage in ethical and sustainable creative practice. Its international dimension enriches the conversation, bringing new angles and fostering dialogue on representation, identity, mentorship, and collaboration, while amplifying women’s visibility and influence in film and media.
Participants are highly encouraged to submit articles for inclusion in Doctoral Horizons, the academic journal of the UNATC Doctoral School. All the contributions will undergo a peer-review process, ensuring depth, rigour, and clarity (submission deadline: February 10, 2026).
Through dialogue and reflection, Women in Film: Leadership, Creativity, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives aims to cultivate a supportive and sisterly community in which women support and inspire each other.
Mirona RADU, PhDc, Research Assistant at UNATC, Founder of Her Story, Her Future – mentorship programme for women in the film industry
Call for Submissions is closed
Suggested topics for presentations, workshops, and articles:
- Conceptual frameworks in women’s cinema: feminist film theory, auteur theory, narrative innovation, and alternative storytelling approaches.
- Representation and subjectivity: exploring the portrayal of women on screen, gaze studies, intersectionality, and identity politics in film.
- Directorial aesthetics and creative authorship: style, visual language, and formal experimentation by women filmmakers.
- Gender, power, and leadership in the film industry: structural inequalities, decision-making processes, and transformative leadership models.
- Mentorship, ethics, and sustainability in creative practice: fostering equitable networks, knowledge transfer, and socially responsible approaches in film production.
- Interdisciplinarity and cultural impact: intersections of cinema with visual arts, performance, media studies, education, and creative economy.
- Community building and collaborative practices: solidarity, co-creation, and collective strategies for professional and cultural influence.
We encourage submissions of original research, case studies, or innovative artistic approaches that reflect the transformative role of women in film, leadership, creativity, and interdisciplinary collaboration. All presentations should be in English.
Applications should be submitted via the online form available here: https://forms.gle/RTtzw4EEQrszrE7e6
Deadline for submission: November 25, 2025
Each submission must include:
- Title
- Abstract (300 words)
- Biography (250 words)
Application results and the full conference program will be announced by December 2, 2025.
Each presentation is limited to 15 minutes, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session.
Participants will be invited to submit articles for inclusion in Doctoral Horizons, the official publication of the UNATC Doctoral School, dedicated to promoting academic and artistic research in theater, film, and interdisciplinary studies. All presentations and articles will be subjected to peer review.
General guidelines for submitting articles (deadline: February 10, 2026)
- Abstract: 150–200 words
- Keywords: 5–10
- Article length: minimum 2,500 words
- Language: English
- Referencing style: APA (7th edition)
- Illustrations: photographs, drawings, diagrams, charts included in the text and sent separately as .jpg files
We look forward to receiving your applications and fostering a vibrant exchange of ideas on the role of women in film, mentorship, creativity, and interdisciplinary impact.