The Kindergarten Teacher and Maiden, are the two new cinema releases with female focused stories open the weekend at HOME on Friday 8th March. Maiden is the inspirational story of the first ever all female sailing crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race, previously an exclusively masculine endeavor; and The Kindergarten Teacher is Sara Colangelo's Sundance award winning second feature starring Maggie Gyllenhaal. The Kindergarten Teacher, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal will have a special introduction from Dr Kirsty Fairclough, an authority on popular culture and gender representation. Both will be accompanied by a special #WomenatHome party and DJ set in the downstairs bar from Mancunian musician and DJ, Katbrownsugar. HOME will also host a full day film course open to all on Saturday the 9th March, exploring the work of inspirational female film maker Ida Lupino. Lupino has worked on more than 130 films and television programmes from 1931 - 1978 and was the first woman to direct a film noir. That's not it, on Sunday 10th March, HOME's Feminist of the Future Craft and Storytelling Event proves that feminism isn't just for grown ups. This free event will include Suffragette sash- making with Mighty Heart Theatre and tales from Eleanor Favilli's, inspiring Goodnight Stories of Rebel Girls alongside colouring and letter writing stations plus a dressing up box and obligatory photo booth. There'll also be chance for film fans to pay homage to the ultimate female heroine Ellen Ripley, in a 40th anniversary screening of Alien followed by a post-screening discussion on ‘Women in Sci-Fi’ led by Dr Amy Chambers, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies at MMU. Rounding off the weekend is a special screening of Song of Lahore presented in association with London Indian Film Festival. Co - directed by Oscar winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, who is Pakistan's first Academy Award winner. The International Women's Day Weekender is part of HOME's year long commitments to championing women in film across the world and encouraging the female creatives of the future. …………………….. International Women's Day 2019 HOME Manchester Date: Friday 8th March - Sunday 10th March Cost: Free Entry More Info ……………………..