It's common enough to head to the multiplex in search of "chick flicks," traditionally romantic fare geared toward female audiences, but attendees at Cambridge's Brattle Theatre this week can witness something more compelling: the inauguration of a film fest dedicated to turning that Hollywood subgenre on its head.
The first Different Faces Different Voices Film Festival, a two-day event organized by nonprofit Harvard Square Script Writers (HSSW), will screen 29 original shorts Wednesday and Thursday, culled from its "Flicks4Chicks" competition. All female-driven narratives, the in-competition shorts were bound by two requirements: that they were written and produced in under a month, and that they went beyond the Bechdel test.
"You hear a lot about the Bechdel test," said Genine Amada Tillotson, HSSW's director and events chair for Women in Film and Video/New England. For a film to pass said test, inspired by an Alison Bechdel cartoon, two female characters must converse about something other than a man.
"We wanted to go a step further with that," Tillotson explained. "Not only are they not talking about or to men, but they're doing something really interesting or exciting."
Shorts, both local and from as far away as Brazil, explore a wealth of topics. In "City Stars," an Uber driver picks up a passenger reminiscent of a figure from her past. In "Boxed Up," a war veteran copes with post-traumatic stress disorder. And in "Like Me," a young girl's coming of age coincides with her realization that she identifies as male.
"I go to a lot of film festivals for women, and the term "chick flick" is always used in a derogatory way to describe films that are fluffy, overwrought, and sentimental," Tillotson said. "We needed to reclaim the term and in doing so say that we should be proud to make a film that is a chick flick."
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In addition to screenings and an awards ceremony, four workshops will be offered during the fest, addressing topics including documentary production and the short film market.
"We wanted to create a festival that would explore the voices of people who are often marginalized," Tillotson said of her hopes for Different Faces Different Voices. "We need to show that there is an audience for these topics. Watching these films, and proving that the industry is wrong, is almost a political statement."
The Different Faces Different Voices Film Festival starts Wednesday at the Brattle. All-access passes ($25) are available at www.brattlefilm.org
Isaac Feldberg can be reached at isaac.feldberg@globe.com, or on Twitter at @i_feldberg.