COVEN Film Festival returns January 2020 with an expanded lineup and new festival programmer

After a successful launch in 2019, the COVEN Film Festival is returning to San Francisco next year with an expanded 3-day program and new Festival Programmer Faridah Gbadamosi. 

With an eye on increasing the quality and expansiveness of their programming, COVEN Co-Founders Cameo Wood and Connie Jo Sechrist wanted to bring in a professional festival programmer for the fest's second year.

Cameo first met Faridah in 2017 at Mill Valley, where they had an amazing conversation about women in film after seeing Dee Ree’s Mudbound. Since then, they've kept in touch and Faridah has been a huge supporter of COVEN since the beginning.

Says Cameo, “Faridah was our first choice, and I’m so delighted that she accepted our offer to join the team. We cannot wait to see what films she selects for the upcoming film festival, and to share films directed by women and non-binary people with San Francisco audiences.”  

In addition to being named Festival Programmer for the COVEN Film Festival, Faridah is the current Programming and Hospitality Manager at Frameline, the largest and longest running LGBTQ+ film exhibition in the world. She is also on the programming committee for US Indies at Mill Valley Film Festival. 

COVEN's inaugural 2019 festival earned rave reviews from attendees for its inclusive lineup, organized flow, and networking opportunities. In 2020, the fest will grow from a single day of programming to three full days of films and events taking place January 10-12. 

Cameo and Connie are thrilled to welcome Faridah to the team, and excited to introduce new and returning audiences to the work of emerging filmmakers from around the world. COVEN is currently accepting film submissions at covenfilmfest.com.