The recent Emmy Awards ceremony was, among other things, a showcase of the ostensibly feminine ideal – slim, statuesque beauties in sumptuous fashions presenting themselves as objects of the camera’s gaze. But behind the pageantry lurked a sobering detail: Women made up just a tiny percentage of the writers, directors, executive producers and camera crews behind the nominated television shows.

The inescapable truth is that Hollywood is a male-dominated town. As of 2003, women comprised just 22 percent of total membership and 13 percent of directorial roles in the Directors Guild of America, which represents more than 10,000 members working in film, television, radio, videos and commercials.

That’s why events like the San Diego Girl Film Festival are necessary. The festival provides a space specifically for women filmmakers of all ages to show their films, find support and network with other women in the industry. The annual event, now in its third year, opens Friday, Oct. 7, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.

“Women filmmakers need a venue and a space that is completely women identified, that is just for them,” said Renee Herrell, founder and executive director of the San Diego Women Film Foundation, which produces the event. “Until that percentage of women filmmakers goes up from 13 percent, [the film foundation] will continue to exist. That would be awesome if the percentage goes up to 50 percent and I would be out of job – we would have at that point completed our mission.”

But until then, the film foundation will continue to pursue its goal of empowering young women through positive media, and promoting women filmmakers and their films. In addition to the Girl Film Festival, the foundation runs Divas Direct, a film workshop for young women, and a year-round film screening program that highlights local women filmmakers and explores women’s issues through film.

The goal of the San Diego Girl Film Festival, Herrell said, is to provide a well-rounded depiction of women – to essentially fill in the narrow concept of beauty and womanhood presented by the red carpet divas at the Emmys. Through diverse voices, the 60 films in the festival display a wide range of perspectives on what it means to be a woman. The works come from Australia, Italy, Spain, Canada and across the United States, as well as a few from local filmmakers.

The often-untold stories include a documentary on Chicago’s first women’s tackle-football team, the account of a mixed-race American woman who meets her Indian father for the first time, and the heartbreaking tale of an émigré who enjoys cake and citizenship, but not love, on her wedding day. Other films depict Girl Scouts whose mothers are in prison, portraits of motherhood, aging, women artists, and what it means to be labeled a “tomboy” or a “slut.” The films, mostly shorts plus a few of feature length, are grouped into thematic categories.

One of the categories Herrell is most proud of is the Youth Voice program screening on Saturday, Oct. 8. These short films were created by high school students and tackle some rather mature issues like environmental activism, media stereotypes and growing up gay.

“Youth have such a powerful voice through film. They are so insightful, and they have no qualms about the statements they’re making,” said Herrell. “As we grow older, we become politically correct…. A lot of times we don’t know how to talk about other cultures, races and ethnicities. We don’t know how to talk about people with a different sexual orientation from us. There’s a guardedness that we have. Youth don’t have that filter yet – in a good way. They are not scared to say things adults can’t always say, which is why it’s so important that they’re making films.”

This year the festival has grown by leaps and bounds, from a single day to a three-day event that opens Oct. 7 with a special advance screening of Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. The popular filmmaker luncheon also makes a return on Oct. 9, offering guests and potential future filmmakers the opportunity to speak one-on-one with the women behind the films.

“As a filmmaker, it’s important to have the opportunity to network with other professionals who are going to have a similar perspective and similar objectives,” said Lisa Fotedar-Miller, whose films My Father’s Eyes and A Good Scratch is Hard to Find will be screened at the festival.

Fotedar-Miller said the most important step in getting more women into the film industry is mentoring. Events like the filmmaker luncheon may be the first step in creating a community of artists that become resources for each other.

“What has helped women to make progress – though it’s not where it should be, in my opinion – is to have mentoring from those at a more senior level, whether it’s from another woman or not,” she said. “When you’re starting out, you need effective skill building. You build skills so much faster and more effectively when you have mentors and coaches who are right there by your side, rooting for you.”

Despite its women-centric nature, Herrell insists the festival, and the films, have broad appeal. Though the event attracts a very mixed audience, Herrell said, women’s events are sometimes given the f-word label. In some minds, “feminist” suggests an intimidating fringe element.

“I think sometimes there’s a little caveat with women’s events, that some people may shy away from them,” Herrell said. “I’m always asked if I’m a feminist – and if that means I’m a woman who likes empowering other women, then yes I am. But I also consider myself a woman promoting a good cause.”

Yet for the festival to truly be successful in its mission, it needs to have a general audience. In order to get the attention of Hollywood, these films and their filmmakers will first have to get our attention.

“It’s great to have a women-identified event; it’s empowering for women and I know that’s why women come. And it’s great to have space for them to be empowered. But we need the general public as well to be able to make this idea – of putting women’s work on screen, and that women are professional, real filmmakers – the norm, and not the exception.”