The Dr. Saul and Dorothy Kit Film Noir Festival
The Fourth Annual Dr. Saul and Dorothy Kit Film Noir Festival
Beyond the Femme Fatale: The Women Who Made Noir
Programmed by Rob King, Film & Media Studies
Managed by Rob King, Film & Media Studies and Alexandre Ilic, Film
MARCH 1–5, 2023
The 2023 Kit Noir Film Festival will examine women’s contributions to noir as film producers, screenwriters, novelists, and, in one instance, as a director. Rather than dwell on the character types that women played in noir (such as the notorious “femme fatale”), the festival instead draws attention to what women provided from behind the camera. In the process, it uncovers a period much like our own, in which women have occupied a prominent place in the popular imaginary of crime.
Screenings will be accompanied by discussions with film scholars Julie Grossman, Dana Polan,and Shelley Stamp, as well as a panel featuring crime writers Megan Abbott and Sarah Weinman.
The lineup features 10 films released between 1946 and 1964, with some titles screening on 35mm film. The series will include a free pre-festival virtual screening on February 25-26 of The Deep End. See the festival schedule for full details on films and showtimes.
This festival is funded by a generous gift from alumnus Gordon Kit (CC ’76), in honor of his parents.
