The Women of Color Film Festival was founded in 1991, organized by graduate students at the University of California at Santa Cruz.[1]
The festival's programming practice has historically avoided judging films as "good" or "bad", and included work by self-taught filmmakers and students.[1] The emphasis is on showing a range of perspectives.[1] The organizers have experimented with screening films in a variety of spaces such as dining halls, gymnasiums, outdoor courtyards, and off-campus community centers.[1]