Rose McGowan, the former child actress and star of the witchy series "Charmed," made her directorial debut in the indie film "Dawn." The critically acclaimed world premieres at Sundance Film Festival on Sept. 19th.

RSA/Black Dog Films announced that the Rose McGowan's "Dawn" will have an Academy Award qualifying run in Los Angeles at the Downtown Independent. McGowan will curate the first annual "Dawn Festival," a week long fest where Dawn will be shown accompanied by seven features, one per night.

Rose told The Hollywood Reporter "I'm curating a festival of directors that have given their lead women a strong voice.  These stories could have been told with men in the title characters, but these directors showed us what happens when you break stereotypes.  They have inspired me as a woman, as a director and as a person."

"I am a big film and art buff, I think better films would be made if more people were," McGowan tells The Hollywood Reporter. "My three inspirations for Dawn were the look of the original Parent Trap, the tension of Night of the Hunter and the loneliness of an Edward Hopper painting."

Rose McGowan said the realized that her passion lies in filmmaking. The actress's breakthrough directorial debut tells the story of "young girl's budding sexuality and one's desire to experience the unknown," according to McGowan's press release.

The title character, Dawn, played by Tara Barr, "is a quiet young teenager living in Kennedy era America who longs for something or someone to free her from her sheltered life. When she strikes up an innocent flirtation with the boy who works at her local gas station (Reiley McClendon), she thinks that he is perhaps the answer to her teenage dreams. Though when she invites the boy and his friends into her otherwise cloistered world, she gets a lot more than she bargained for. "

McGowan told The Hollywood reporter that the short film "Dawn" is a step towards directing features. "I have three features in the works right now," McGowan told The Hollywood Reporter. "Two are in rewrites. One is a bigger film, one smaller. After conservatively estimating my time on sets at over 17,000 hours, I'm more than ready."

The films that accompany "Dawn" were carefully chosen by McGowan. They feature iconic performances by actresses that prove rich, complex and layered roles can and should be written for and by women. 

The following films will screen with Rose McGowan and special guests in attendance:

SAFE - "Todd Haynes directed Julianne Moore in a haunting study of a woman's life."

THELMA & LOUISE - "Ridley Scott directed two substantial actresses in two substantial, inspiring roles."

HAROLD AND MAUDE - "Hal Ashby directed Ruth Gordon.  Two creatives on a creative journey."

SIXTEEN CANDLES - "John Hughes directed Molly Ringwald.  He made a teen's hopes and hurts real."

ROSEMARY'S BABY - "Roman Polanski directed Mia Farrow in a virtuoso breakdown performance."

SILKWOOD - "Mike Nichols directed Meryl Streep and Cher.  They showed us women can change the world by finding their voice."

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS - "Jonathan Demme directed Jodie Foster.  She showed us what a person can do when they go forward despite their fear."