THE PHILADELPHIA ELEVEN
Film poster for "The Philadelphia Eleven". In the form of a female gender symbol, a collage of images of women.
THE PHILADELPHIA ELEVEN
Film poster for "The Philadelphia Eleven". In the form of a female gender symbol, a collage of images of women.
In 1974, in an act of civil disobedience, eleven women are the first women ever ordained as Episcopal priests. Despite the backlash and harassment they faced, they built a movement that challenged patriarchy within Christendom.

THE PHILADELPHIA ELEVEN

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BEST DOCUMENTARY - Boston Globe's Globe Docs | JUROR'S CHOICE AWARD - Centre Film Festival | BEST DOCUMENTARY HONORABLE MENTION - Dunedin International Film Festival

Challenging Patriarchy in Christendom • Women Leaders in the Christian faith • Second Wave Feminism • Episcopal Church • LGBTQIA in Faith

Date of Completion: 2023 | Run Time: 86 minutes​​ | Language:  English | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript & Study Guide | Director/Producer: Margo Guernsey | Director of Photography/Co-Producer: Nikki Bramley

A group of women in the Episcopal Church share their call to become priests. After two legislative votes for women to be ordained fail, they organize their own ordination as priests in defiance of church norms. The Church of the Advocate, a Black urban church in North Philadelphia, welcomes them. A huge congregation witnesses the service on July 29, 1974. Changing an institution based on 2,000 years of history is an enormous task. The women priests face threats and harassment. Some lose family and friends, and others are banned from setting foot on church property. Their opponents repeatedly question whether they are "proper matter for ordination." Their ordination becomes not only a personal struggle, but also a very public battle over whether women are qualified to lead. Despite the backlash, they successfully change the church by asserting their leadership and a vision for “a new way” on their own terms. In a women’s rights story most people have never heard, we meet these trailblazers who challenge the very essence of patriarchy within Christendom, and successfully create a blueprint for lasting institutional change.

AWARDS
Best Documentary | Globe Docs
Nominated for Jury AwardAustin Film Festival
Juror's Choice Award | Centre Film Festival
Best Documentary, Honorable Mention Dunedin International Film Festival

FESTIVALS
Sidewalk Film Festival
Sedona International Film Festival