L.A. Women’s International Film Festival kicks off its weekend downtown

As Women’s History Month winds down, the 12th annual Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival arrives downtown Thursday. Celebrating the distinct stories and voices of female filmmakers from all over the world, the festival presents more than 45 films through Sunday at Regal’s L.A. Live Stadium 14.

The festival was founded in 2004 by the Alliance of Women Filmmakers, and each year the group partners with another organization to generate awareness and raise money for women’s causes. This year, AWF and Dress for Success Worldwide-West will hold a clothing drive throughout the festival, and $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the organization.

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The opening night movie is British filmmaker Shamim Sarif’s “Despite the Falling Snow,” a drama starring Rebecca Ferguson and Charles Dance that’s set in the Cold War. Other noteworthy films playing this weekend are “Codegirl,” a documentary on bridging the tech gap by Lesley Chilcott, and “Posthumous,” a modern-day fairy tale directed by Lulu Wang.