The festival takes place in February and focuses on films celebrating women and leadership.

[1] The Athena Film Festival was co-founded by Kathryn Kolbert, Founding Director of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College and Melissa Silverstein, founder of the Women and Hollywood initiative and the festival's Artistic Director.

The tenth annual Athena Film Festival was held from February 27-March 1, 2020.

[2] Each year, awards are granted to individuals who have made a significant impact in their industry over the course of their career.

[3] In 2014, the festival announced the first edition of the Athena List, created to highlight finished, unproduced screenplays featuring roles with female leaders.