Split-screen image with two women side-by-side. Left: Woman with long braided hair, resting chin on hand, wearing earrings. Right: Woman with long pulled-back hair, wearing earrings, looking forward. Los Angeles text on the right with colorful book graphics.

Crafting Courage: Women, Film, and the Power of Personal Narrative A Special Screening and Conversation with Shiori Ito and Ava DuVernay

How do storytellers transform personal grief, trauma, and truth into powerful cinema–and what does it cost to tell these stories? What unique obstacles do women face in industries that often marginalize their voices? Join PEN America for a special screening of the 2024 Oscar-nominated Black Box Diaries, followed by a conversation with filmmaker and journalist Shiori Ito and Emmy-Award winning writer, director, and producer Ava DuVernay. Together, they’ll discuss the art and urgency of personal storytelling, the barriers that female creators continue to confront, and how courage, craft, and resilience shape narratives that demand to be seen.