It was founded in 1979 by feminist filmmakers Lis Rhodes, Jo Davis, Felicity Sparrow and Annabel Nicolson, publishing a 1980 catalogue including about 30 films, and it closed in 1991, largely due to funding issues that also prompted the merger of Circles and Cinema of Women, which led to the formation of Cinenova.
In many ways, this research was the cornerstone of Circles, which went on to distribute the films by Alice Guy, Germaine Dulac, Maya Deren, and Lois Weber which were to have been discussed in the exhibition.
Women in refusing to be confined to this role have produced films and videos, often with low budgets or none at all; often under difficult personal circumstances, yet independently without the pressure to either compromise politically or aesthetically.
Despite narrow ideas of content, form and 'entertainment', which have excluded and dismissed this body of work, women are producing films and videos on a larger scale than ever before and the demand for this material is increasing.
"[2] The selection of titles was carried out by a regular Viewing Committee, composed of an open panel with wide representation from women's groups involved in production and exhibition.