During her time as an international programmer at TIFF, Armatage worked hard to introduce audiences to female filmmakers[5] and showed an affinity for risk-taking films.
[2] She has been praised for sticking up for Catherine Breillat’s Fat Girl (2001) when the board wanted to cut many scenes from the film for the festival in the name of censorship.
[11] Armatage's films have broached subjects such as "abortion in Speakbody (1979), objectification and economy in Striptease (1980) - from a grounding in theory"[11] and challenge other straight documentary conventions.
[3] Her films also attempt to uphold the principles of feminist filmmaking through "flexibility of roles, collaboration and equality of participation," according to Armatage's own writing.
Lydia Wazana, 1977) and Gertrude and Alice in Passing (1978) are recognized as some of the first Canadian indie films to point to the political relevance of lesbian history and culture.