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Toni Collette

The female-led inaugural 51Fest will open with docu-comedy Kathy Griffin: A Hell Of A Story and screen the world premiere of the first episode of limited series Unbelievable starring Toni Collette.

The festival, presented by Women In The World and IFC Center, runs in New York from July 18-21, and was established to celebrate the voice, vision and stories of women through screenings and conversations all by or about women.

Kathy Griffin: A Hell Of A Story focuses on the fallout from the comedian’s infamous photograph posing with mask of Donald Trump’s likeness, and her battle to reclaim her life and career. Griffin will join former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, CEO and founder of Tina Brown Live Media/Women in the World, for a post-screening conversation.

51Fest will offer audiences premieres of feature films, series and documentaries, followed by in-depth discussions with creators and stars. The programme includes the New York debuts of After The Wedding, with producer and star Julianne Moore attending a post-screening conversation; British thriller Official Secrets starring Keira Knightley as an Iraq War whistleblower, followed by a discussion with real-life subject Katharine Gun; and Sundance US dramatic feature audience award winner Brittany Runs A Marathon, which won the Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic Feature at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Among other selections, the festival will screen the North American premiere of Irish drama A Girl From Mogadishu; and a sneak preview of the comedy Otherhood starring Angela Bassett, Patricia Arquette, and Felicity Huffman.

“From intense documentaries like For Sama and Untouchable to fun, uplifting narratives like Brittany Runs A Marathon and riveting performances in After The Wedding and Unbelievable, our inaugural 51Fest features women’s stories from a variety of viewpoints and methods of storytelling,” said 51Fest programme director Anne Hubbell.

Clic here for the full line-up.