After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

🎟️ Tickets

TICKETS 🎟️

Presenting a snapshot of Black girlhood through a mixture of archive and contemporary short films. Find joy in these adventures, the refreshing variety of perspectives they offer and in storytelling that simply lets Black girls be girls.

Content warning: Please note that viewers may find Picking Tribes upsetting as it includes historical racist language and a brief depiction of lynching in the US. The curators of the programme T A P E Collective carefully considered the inclusion of the film and felt that as it was directed by a Black woman (as are all the films featured in the programme), they wanted to include it to truthfully represent the sentiments, worries and politics of the times.

ESSEX GIRLS dir. Yero Timi-Biu, UK, 2023, 15 min. 

Flipping the 'Essex Girl' trope, this coming-of-age film explores Black British girlhood and magical female friendships in 2009 Essex.

Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2023 - Short Film Competition

Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2024

PICKING TRIBES dir. S. Pearl Sharp, USA, 1984, 7 min

“In a heartfelt, and often hilarious, attempt to be more than ‘ordinary,’ a girl growing up in the 1940s tries to choose between her African-American and Native-American heritages. It is only when her beloved grandfather dies that she is able to reconcile the power of both her heritages and realizes her own uniqueness." -Moving Pictures Bulletin. Originally released in 1984, this lyrical visual poem featuring Barbara-O urges black women to both discover and invent their own identities. The 2009 remix includes updated audio with vocals by Sharp and Dwight Trible.

MUNA dir. Warda Mohamed, UK, 2023, 19 min. 

A film about teenage dreams, dislocated grief and unexpected connection, following a British-Somali teen navigating a confusing mourning period for a family member she never met.

Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2024 - Generation 14plus - International premiere

HOME AWAY FROM HOME dir. Maureen Blackwood, UK, 1993, 11 min. 

Sankofa Film Collective's Maureen Blackwood renders the often unspoken experience of loneliness and sacrifice within migration stories. To ease her homesickness Miriam recreates an aspect of home in her suburban British garden. Cultural memory exerts a healing power, combatting cultural appropriation, hostility towards migrants and the rift between Miriam and her Nigerian-British children.

FLIGHT OF THE SWAN, dir. Ngozi Onwurah, UK, 1992, 11 min. 

A young girl leaves her Nigerian village to attend a ballet school in England. Fascinated by Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, she dreams of performing as lead ballerina Princess Odette, but the girls in her close-minded ballet school mock her ideas of a 'black swan'.

After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

🎟️ Tickets

After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

🎟️ Tickets

After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

🎟️ Tickets

After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

🎟️ Tickets

After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

Showtimes - 🎟️ Tickets

Mon 24 Mar, 20.15

Tue 25 Mar, 16.30

Wed 26 Mar, 18.00

Thu 27 Mar, 20.30

After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

🎟️ Tickets

After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

🎟️ Tickets

After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

🎟️ Tickets

After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

🎟️ Tickets

After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

🎟️ Tickets

After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

🎟️ Tickets

After years of only a single 35mm print available for screenings, Leslie Harris’ ground-breaking JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. has been digitally restored in collaboration between UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Archive, and Sundance, and is returning to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 21 March 2025, with support from T A P E Collective as part of the SNAPSHOT season. The new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 16mm A/B negatives, working closely with director Leslie Harris to restore her seminal debut film.

Chantel Mitchell is a 17-year-old African-American high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Chantel is very smart, but her sharp tongue, abundant ego, and occasional naivete undermine her efforts to achieve her ultimate dream: to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future.

🎟️ Tickets

Presented by Maona Art and Solax Film Club. This screening will be preceded with an intro from Ingrid Machado of the Solax Film Club.

MILISUTHANDO is a poetic coming-of-age personal essay documentary on love and what it means to become human in the context of race, explored through the memories of Milisuthando herself – who grew up during apartheid but didn’t know it was happening until it was over.

A deeply intimate portrait of past, present and future South Africa, blending poetry, film, and photography into a striking cinematic essay, Milisuthando Bongela explores love, friendship, and belonging in a South Africa stratified by racism – proving that only if we understand its tentacles, can we begin to extricate ourselves from its clutches.

Tickets

She Packs a Punch celebrates the action-laden, camp and curious world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema with two recently restored films from director René Cardona. Showcasing his flair for action, spectacle and lucha libre, they highlight some of the most captivating female action stars of the era.

The Bat Woman (La mujer murciélago) takes you on a rollicking ride through 1960s Mexican pulp cinema, where lucha libre meets superheroes meets The Creature from the Black Lagoon. In picturesque Acapulco, a series of wrestler murders prompts the enigmatic Bat Woman, played by Maura Monti, to investigate. A deranged scientist is behind the mayhem, capturing wrestlers for his twisted experiments, and it’s up to Batwoman, who is also a coral diver, a wrestler, a markswoman, and super spy, to stop him. Clad in a cape, cowl, and bikini, Monti delivers high-octane action and epic car chases.

As Warner has shelved their recent Batwoman film, this remains the only big-screen Batlady to date. The Bat Woman delivers a uniquely thrilling, action-packed blend of suspense, intrigue and camp, with Monti’s unforgettable performance as the one and only Batwoman, stealing the show.

Presented by feminist film collective Invisible Women and T A P E collective, She Packs a Punch highlights the important contribution of female action stars to Mexican cinema. While these titles do lean into the exploitation genre, they also serve a crucial role in bringing luchadoras—who were not allowed to compete in the ring at the time—onto the screen and into the spotlight that they deserved. These films offer a chance to rediscover and appreciate the powerful women who, as Batwomen, as werepanthers, or as wrestlers, were at the heart of the action in films that will find their place in the pulp cult canon.

Screening as part of Art of Action, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.

Special thanks to Viviana García Besné from Permanencia Voluntaria.

She Packs a Punch celebrates the action-laden, camp and curious world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema with two recently restored films from director René Cardona. Showcasing his flair for action, spectacle and lucha libre, they highlight some of the most captivating female action stars of the era.

The Panther Women (Las Mujeres Panteras) plunges into the wild world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema, where (brilliantly named) fierce female wrestlers Loreta Venus and The Golden Rubi find themselves caught in a whirlwind of dark magic. The pair wind up pitted against the Panther Women, a glamorous and satanic cult of were panthers waging relentless war against the descendants of the druid who once killed their ancient leader.

With the mesmerizing exotic dancer and vedette Tongolele adding to the intrigue, The Panther Women serves up a heady dose of pulp thrills and high-energy action. This film delightfully blends gothic horror with the world of lucha libre, featuring a knock-off version of El Santo and a bevy of bloodthirsty, impeccably made-up wrestlers.

Presented by feminist film collective Invisible Women and T A P E collective, She Packs a Punch highlights the important contribution of female action stars to Mexican cinema. While these titles do lean into the exploitation genre, they also serve a crucial role in bringing luchadoras—who were not allowed to compete in the ring at the time—onto the screen and into the spotlight that they deserved. These films offer a chance to rediscover and appreciate the powerful women who, as Batwomen, as werepanthers, or as wrestlers, were at the heart of the action in films that will find their place in the pulp cult canon.

Screening as part of Art of Action, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.

Special thanks to Viviana García Besné from Permanencia Voluntaria.

She Packs a Punch celebrates the action-laden, camp and curious world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema with two recently restored films from director René Cardona. Showcasing his flair for action, spectacle and lucha libre, they highlight some of the most captivating female action stars of the era.

The Panther Women (Las mujeres panteras) and The Bat Woman (La mujer murciélago) both feature powerful women in high-octane adventures. In The Panther Women, wrestlers Loreta Venus and The Golden Rubí face off against a glamorous, satanic cult of werepanthers in a thrilling blend of gothic horror and lucha libre. Meanwhile, The Bat Woman delivers a rollicking ride where lucha libre meets superheroines and a splash of The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Both films offer a captivating blend of suspense, camp, and action, celebrating the fearless heroines who dominate the screen.

Presented by feminist film collective Invisible Women and T A P E collective, She Packs a Punch highlights the important contribution of female action stars to Mexican cinema. While these titles do lean into the exploitation genre, they also serve a crucial role in bringing luchadoras—who were not allowed to compete in the ring at the time—onto the screen and into the spotlight that they deserved. These films offer a chance to rediscover and appreciate the powerful women who, as Batwomen, as werepanthers, or as wrestlers, were at the heart of the action in films that will find their place in the pulp cult canon.

+ introduced by Invisible Women’s Camilla Baier

Screening as part of Art of Action, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.

Special thanks to Viviana García Besné from Permanencia Voluntaria.

She Packs a Punch celebrates the action-laden, camp and curious world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema with two recently restored films from director René Cardona. Showcasing his flair for action, spectacle and lucha libre, they highlight some of the most captivating female action stars of the era.

The Panther Women (Las mujeres panteras) and The Bat Woman (La mujer murciélago) both feature powerful women in high-octane adventures. In The Panther Women, wrestlers Loreta Venus and The Golden Rubí face off against a glamorous, satanic cult of werepanthers in a thrilling blend of gothic horror and lucha libre. Meanwhile, The Bat Woman delivers a rollicking ride where lucha libre meets superheroines and a splash of The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Both films offer a captivating blend of suspense, camp, and action, celebrating the fearless heroines who dominate the screen.

Presented by feminist film collective Invisible Women and T A P E collective, She Packs a Punch highlights the important contribution of female action stars to Mexican cinema. While these titles do lean into the exploitation genre, they also serve a crucial role in bringing luchadoras—who were not allowed to compete in the ring at the time—onto the screen and into the spotlight that they deserved. These films offer a chance to rediscover and appreciate the powerful women who, as Batwomen, as werepanthers, or as wrestlers, were at the heart of the action in films that will find their place in the pulp cult canon.

Screening as part of Art of Action, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.

Special thanks to Viviana García Besné from Permanencia Voluntaria.

She Packs a Punch celebrates the action-laden, camp and curious world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema with two recently restored films from director René Cardona. Showcasing his flair for action, spectacle and lucha libre, they highlight some of the most captivating female action stars of the era.

The Panther Women (Las mujeres panteras) and The Bat Woman (La mujer murciélago) both feature powerful women in high-octane adventures. In The Panther Women, wrestlers Loreta Venus and The Golden Rubí face off against a glamorous, satanic cult of werepanthers in a thrilling blend of gothic horror and lucha libre. Meanwhile, The Bat Woman delivers a rollicking ride where lucha libre meets superheroines and a splash of The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Both films offer a captivating blend of suspense, camp, and action, celebrating the fearless heroines who dominate the screen.

Presented by feminist film collective Invisible Women and T A P E collective, She Packs a Punch highlights the important contribution of female action stars to Mexican cinema. While these titles do lean into the exploitation genre, they also serve a crucial role in bringing luchadoras—who were not allowed to compete in the ring at the time—onto the screen and into the spotlight that they deserved. These films offer a chance to rediscover and appreciate the powerful women who, as Batwomen, as werepanthers, or as wrestlers, were at the heart of the action in films that will find their place in the pulp cult canon.

Screening as part of Art of Action, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.

Special thanks to Viviana García Besné from Permanencia Voluntaria.

She Packs a Punch celebrates the action-laden, camp and curious world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema with two recently restored films from director René Cardona. Showcasing his flair for action, spectacle and lucha libre, they highlight some of the most captivating female action stars of the era.

The Bat Woman (La mujer murciélago) takes you on a rollicking ride through 1960s Mexican pulp cinema, where lucha libre meets superheroes meets The Creature from the Black Lagoon. In picturesque Acapulco, a series of wrestler murders prompts the enigmatic Bat Woman, played by Maura Monti, to investigate. A deranged scientist is behind the mayhem, capturing wrestlers for his twisted experiments, and it’s up to Batwoman, who is also a coral diver, a wrestler, a markswoman, and super spy, to stop him. Clad in a cape, cowl, and bikini, Monti delivers high-octane action and epic car chases.

As Warner has shelved their recent Batwoman film, this remains the only big-screen Batlady to date. The Bat Woman delivers a uniquely thrilling, action-packed blend of suspense, intrigue and camp, with Monti’s unforgettable performance as the one and only Batwoman stealing the show.

Presented by feminist film collective Invisible Women and T A P E collective, She Packs a Punch highlights the important contribution of female action stars to Mexican cinema. While these titles do lean into the exploitation genre, they also serve a crucial role in bringing luchadoras—who were not allowed to compete in the ring at the time—onto the screen and into the spotlight that they deserved. These films offer a chance to rediscover and appreciate the powerful women who, as Batwomen, as werepanthers, or as wrestlers, were at the heart of the action in films that will find their place in the pulp cult canon.

+ recorded introduction

Screening as part of Art of Action, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.

Special thanks to Viviana García Besné from Permanencia Voluntaria.

She Packs a Punch celebrates the action-laden, camp and curious world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema with two recently restored films from director René Cardona. Showcasing his flair for action, spectacle and lucha libre, they highlight some of the most captivating female action stars of the era.

The Panther Women (Las Mujeres Panteras) plunges into the wild world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema, where (brilliantly named) fierce female wrestlers Loreta Venus and The Golden Rubi find themselves caught in a whirlwind of dark magic. The pair wind up pitted against the Panther Women, a glamorous and satanic cult of were panthers waging relentless war against the descendants of the druid who once killed their ancient leader.

With the mesmerizing exotic dancer and vedette Tongolele adding to the intrigue, The Panther Women serves up a heady dose of pulp thrills and high-energy action. This film delightfully blends gothic horror with the world of lucha libre, featuring a knock-off version of El Santo and a bevy of bloodthirsty, impeccably made-up wrestlers.

Presented by feminist film collective Invisible Women and T A P E collective, She Packs a Punch highlights the important contribution of female action stars to Mexican cinema. While these titles do lean into the exploitation genre, they also serve a crucial role in bringing luchadoras—who were not allowed to compete in the ring at the time—onto the screen and into the spotlight that they deserved. These films offer a chance to rediscover and appreciate the powerful women who, as Batwomen, as werepanthers, or as wrestlers, were at the heart of the action in films that will find their place in the pulp cult canon.

+ recorded introduction

Screening as part of Art of Action, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.

Special thanks to Viviana García Besné from Permanencia Voluntaria.

She Packs a Punch celebrates the action-laden, camp and curious world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema with two recently restored films from director René Cardona. Showcasing his flair for action, spectacle and lucha libre, they highlight some of the most captivating female action stars of the era.

The Bat Woman (La mujer murciélago) takes you on a rollicking ride through 1960s Mexican pulp cinema, where lucha libre meets superheroes meets The Creature from the Black Lagoon. In picturesque Acapulco, a series of wrestler murders prompts the enigmatic Bat Woman, played by Maura Monti, to investigate. A deranged scientist is behind the mayhem, capturing wrestlers for his twisted experiments, and it’s up to Batwoman, who is also a coral diver, a wrestler, a markswoman, and super spy, to stop him. Clad in a cape, cowl, and bikini, Monti delivers high-octane action and epic car chases.

As Warner has shelved their recent Batwoman film, this remains the only big-screen Batlady to date. The Bat Woman delivers a uniquely thrilling, action-packed blend of suspense, intrigue and camp, with Monti’s unforgettable performance as the one and only Batwoman stealing the show.

Presented by feminist film collective Invisible Women and T A P E collective, She Packs a Punch highlights the important contribution of female action stars to Mexican cinema. While these titles do lean into the exploitation genre, they also serve a crucial role in bringing luchadoras—who were not allowed to compete in the ring at the time—onto the screen and into the spotlight that they deserved. These films offer a chance to rediscover and appreciate the powerful women who, as Batwomen, as werepanthers, or as wrestlers, were at the heart of the action in films that will find their place in the pulp cult canon.

Screening as part of Art of Action, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.

Special thanks to Viviana García Besné from Permanencia Voluntaria.

She Packs a Punch celebrates the action-laden, camp and curious world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema with two recently restored films from director René Cardona. Showcasing his flair for action, spectacle and lucha libre, they highlight some of the most captivating female action stars of the era.

The Bat Woman (La mujer murciélago) takes you on a rollicking ride through 1960s Mexican pulp cinema, where lucha libre meets superheroes meets The Creature from the Black Lagoon. In picturesque Acapulco, a series of wrestler murders prompts the enigmatic Bat Woman, played by Maura Monti, to investigate. A deranged scientist is behind the mayhem, capturing wrestlers for his twisted experiments, and it’s up to Batwoman, who is also a coral diver, a wrestler, a markswoman, and super spy, to stop him. Clad in a cape, cowl, and bikini, Monti delivers high-octane action and epic car chases.

As Warner has shelved their recent Batwoman film, this remains the only big-screen Batlady to date. The Bat Woman delivers a uniquely thrilling, action-packed blend of suspense, intrigue and camp, with Monti’s unforgettable performance as the one and only Batwoman stealing the show.

Presented by feminist film collective Invisible Women and T A P E collective, She Packs a Punch highlights the important contribution of female action stars to Mexican cinema. While these titles do lean into the exploitation genre, they also serve a crucial role in bringing luchadoras—who were not allowed to compete in the ring at the time—onto the screen and into the spotlight that they deserved. These films offer a chance to rediscover and appreciate the powerful women who, as Batwomen, as werepanthers, or as wrestlers, were at the heart of the action in films that will find their place in the pulp cult canon.

+ introduced by Invisible Women’s Camilla Baier

Screening as part of Art of Action, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.

Special thanks to Viviana García Besné from Permanencia Voluntaria.

She Packs a Punch celebrates the action-laden, camp and curious world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema with two recently restored films from director René Cardona. Showcasing his flair for action, spectacle and lucha libre, they highlight some of the most captivating female action stars of the era.

The Panther Women (Las Mujeres Panteras) plunges into the wild world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema, where (brilliantly named) fierce female wrestlers Loreta Venus and The Golden Rubi find themselves caught in a whirlwind of dark magic. The pair wind up pitted against the Panther Women, a glamorous and satanic cult of were panthers waging relentless war against the descendants of the druid who once killed their ancient leader.

With the mesmerizing exotic dancer and vedette Tongolele adding to the intrigue, The Panther Women serves up a heady dose of pulp thrills and high-energy action. This film delightfully blends gothic horror with the world of lucha libre, featuring a knock-off version of El Santo and a bevy of bloodthirsty, impeccably made-up wrestlers.

Presented by feminist film collective Invisible Women and T A P E collective, She Packs a Punch highlights the important contribution of female action stars to Mexican cinema. While these titles do lean into the exploitation genre, they also serve a crucial role in bringing luchadoras—who were not allowed to compete in the ring at the time—onto the screen and into the spotlight that they deserved. These films offer a chance to rediscover and appreciate the powerful women who, as Batwomen, as werepanthers, or as wrestlers, were at the heart of the action in films that will find their place in the pulp cult canon.

+ introduced by Invisible Women’s Camilla Baier

Screening as part of Art of Action, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.

Special thanks to Viviana García Besné from Permanencia Voluntaria.

She Packs a Punch celebrates the action-laden, camp and curious world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema with two recently restored films from director René Cardona. Showcasing his flair for action, spectacle and lucha libre, they highlight some of the most captivating female action stars of the era.

The Panther Women (Las Mujeres Panteras) plunges into the wild world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema, where (brilliantly named) fierce female wrestlers Loreta Venus and The Golden Rubi find themselves caught in a whirlwind of dark magic. The pair wind up pitted against the Panther Women, a glamorous and satanic cult of were panthers waging relentless war against the descendants of the druid who once killed their ancient leader.

With the mesmerizing exotic dancer and vedette Tongolele adding to the intrigue, The Panther Women serves up a heady dose of pulp thrills and high-energy action. This film delightfully blends gothic horror with the world of lucha libre, featuring a knock-off version of El Santo and a bevy of bloodthirsty, impeccably made-up wrestlers.

Presented by feminist film collective Invisible Women and T A P E collective, She Packs a Punch highlights the important contribution of female action stars to Mexican cinema. While these titles do lean into the exploitation genre, they also serve a crucial role in bringing luchadoras—who were not allowed to compete in the ring at the time—onto the screen and into the spotlight that they deserved. These films offer a chance to rediscover and appreciate the powerful women who, as Batwomen, as werepanthers, or as wrestlers, were at the heart of the action in films that will find their place in the pulp cult canon.

Screening as part of Art of Action, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.