Contrary to popular belief, women have been directing feature films since the silent era. Such directors as Lois Weber, Frances Marion, Dorothy Arzner, and Alice Guy-Blaché were a significant presence in the early years of Hollywood, before the entrenchment of the studio system temporarily put an end to women's participation behind the camera. Utilizing film clips, rare photos, and interviews with survivors of the era, The Silent Feminists rediscovers the work of America's pioneering women directors, paying fond tribute to these more than thirty individuals who contributed much to the art and craft of movie-making. This illuminating documentary was co-directed and is introduced tonight by Anthony Slide, who has authored more than a dozen books on cinema, and whom Lillian Gish called "our preeminent historian of silent film."