Expanding Film Culture’s Field of Vision

Released in the Fall of 1991, Angles was a magazine that highlighted the creative work being produced by women in the field of film and video. After working with her friend, Gretchen Elsner-Sommer, in the Chicago area promoting women focused festivals such as Women in the Director’s Chair, Elfrieda Abbe recognized a need for a magazine in the women in film community. Bringing together her skills as a journalist for the Wisconsin Sentinel, Elfrieda created Angles, a publication dedicated to sharing women’s work. With each edition, the magazine contained think pieces on film and video community, interviews with creators, festival notes, recommended books and films, correspondence with readers, and an “exchange” section, which acted as a classifieds section of the magazine with the goal of connecting people to support the creation of feminist media. 

There are 13 issues of Angles, running from 1991 to 2003. The magazine worked to highlight the work of all kinds of women, noting their commitment to sharing news about “the diverse body of work created by women from all ethnic, cultural, racial, and socio/economic backgrounds.” The magazine was created by women for women to foster community and support for those passionate about film and video.