FF2 Media - female artists + female audience

'Little Woods' and other films that get sisterhood right

By Brigid K. Presecky

While fiction has often portrayed sisterhood as a tumultuous relationship, Nia DaCosta’s new film Little Woods manages to portray the familial bond without stereotypical tropes of competition, resentment or envy. Tessa Thompson and Lily James star in the poignant story of two half-sisters, struggling together through life’s challenges of poverty, grief and single parenthood. Like…

'Andhadhun' an audience favorite at 2019 Indian Film Festival

By Angela Stern

The buzz on the Red Carpet for the 2019 Indian Film Festival on opening night was unfettered by the strong April gusts of wind that threatened to blow over the backdrops and tussle the carefully coiffed hair of the many names that came to celebrate. Perhaps the energy was due to the fact that roughly…

Seder Masochism: Nina Paley's irreverent take on Passover/Easter Rituals

By Elisa Shoenberger

Nina Paley released her new animated film Seder Masochism on the internet in January 2019, Like her stellar Sita Sings the Blues (released in 2008), Seder Masochism uses numerous animation styles including ancient Egyptian stylizations, and even embroidery. Seder Masochism is a satirical retelling of the Jewish Haggadah (traditionally recited every Passover at a meal…

Watch at Home: ‘A Dog's Way Home’ & more from female filmmakers

By Danielle Solzman

FF2 Media’s new “Watch at Home” columns list the new films written and/or directed by women filmmakers that are newly available each week on DVD, Video On Demand &/or streaming services. Here are the new films written and/or directed by women filmmakers now available at home as of 4/12/2019 (with links to FF2 Media reviews…

Metz and Grace make 'Breakthrough' a universal uplift

By Brigid K. Presecky

Director Roxann Dawson’s Breakthrough recreates the miraculous true story of a Missouri boy’s traumatic accident and the unfailing faith of his devoted mother. With This Is Us star Chrissy Metz leading a strong cast, the film is a tactful reimagining of what could have easily been turned into Christian-skewed camp. (BKP: 4/5) Review by Vice…

Tribeca Film Festival announces Nora Ephron Prize jury

By Georgiana E. Presecky

The Tribeca Film Festival announced its 2019 jury members April 16. Jurors will select award-winners in 10 categories at the annual festival, which will be held April 25-May 5 in New York City. Among the 10 categories is the Nora Ephron Prize, an annual award given to “a woman who embodies the spirit and vision…

Eva Husson rewrites history of war women in 'Girls of the Sun'

By Lesley Coffin

Eva Husson has been a major talent to watch for since beginning her directorial career 15 years ago. After producing two short films her debut narrative, Bang Gang (a modern love story) guaranteed high praise when it premiered at the Toronto International film Festival. Three years later, she returned to the festival with her film…

Watch at Home: 'Unicorn Store' & more from female filmmakers

By Danielle Solzman

Female directors bring thought-provoking films to CEUFF

By Elisa Shoenberger

I am really excited to be seeing and reviewing films from this year’s Chicago European Union Film Festival at the Gene Siskel Film Center. I’ve been to the festival in the past; I usually catch one film or so each year. This year, I had the chance to see three films by women. It’s really…

'Float Like a Butterfly,' 'Emma Peeters' among films by women at CEUFF

By Brigid K. Presecky & Georgiana E. Presecky

The 22nd Annual Chicago European Union Film Festival will run through April 4 at the Gene Siskel Film Center (GSFC), screening 22 films from female directors. CEUFF screened 60 premieres from 28 European Union nations throughout the month of March, making it the largest showcase of EU cinema in North America. “As we all know,…

Female directors are best of the fest at CEUFF

By Stephanie A. Taylor

The Gene Siskel Film Center’s Chicago European Film Festival will run from March 8 to April 4. Of the 60 films featured, 22 were directed by women. A huge deal, considering last year there were only 10 films directed by female directors of 61 films. During the 2017 CEUFF, I saw Cézanne and I (Cézanne…

Alison Klayman documents disturbing world of Steve Bannon in ‘The Brink’

By Lesley Coffin

In our current political climate, Steve Bannon has become a symbol of the conservative party. Since become a major player in Donald Trump’s presidential win and political strategist in the White House (until his public leave), he’s become a spokesperson for an ideology he defines as populism … and taken the message to global stages.…

LA theater hosts female playwrights for 12th Annual Swan Day

By Angela Stern

There is nothing as magical as the creative energy that women in the arts possess. Put a few dozen of those women in a room, or perhaps, a theater together and the atmosphere is positively other-worldly. Such was the case on March 23rd, at the renowned A Noise Within Theater in Pasadena, Ca. In an…

Michal Aviad exposes sexual harassment in 'Working Woman'

By Lesley Coffin

Michal Aviad has been focusing on spotlighting women’s issues in contemporary society since the beginning of her career in the 1980s. She graduated from Tel Aviv University and San Francisco State University and eventually returned to Israel to teach at Tel Aviv University. Since beginning her career as a writer and director, she has produced…

CEUFF: ‘Little Harbor’ and ‘The Ex-Wife’ show inner worlds of broken women

By Nikoleta Morales

There are many great films to see at Chicago’s European Union Film Festival (CEUFF), which takes place March 8 through April 4 at the Gene Siskel Film Center. This is the largest festival in North America that shows films from various parts of Europe. There are a total of 60 films this year. What amazes…

Anthology Film Archives hosts Feminist Film Week

By Giorgi Plys-Garzotto

On a rainy day in March, I decided to stop in at the Anthology Film Archives for a film about the environment. I had no idea what I was about to watch—Water Makes Us Wet, the film screening for that night of Anthology’s NYC Feminist Film Week, had no precedent in any other film I…

Giorgi's Athena 2019

By Giorgi Plys-Garzotto

It’s kind of ironic that the film I was most excited to see at the Athena Film Festival was about books! About a month before the festival, I read The Left Hand of Darkness for the first time and was struck by the worldbuilding Ursula K. Le Guin put into her planet of genderless people.…

Sophia's Athena '19

By Sophia Jin

On February 28, 2019—a cold Thursday night—my sister and I waited amongst a crowd to enter Barnard College’s Miller Theatre to watch Fast Color. I was so excited to see the FF2 Media logo on the banner that was in the entrance! To open the Athena Film Festival, an quick introductory speech was given by…

Watch at Home: ‘Second Act’ & more from female filmmakers

By Danielle Solzman

Watch at Home: ‘Bumblebee’ & more from female filmmakers

By Danielle Solzman

Nancy Schwartzman exposes bubble of privilege in 'Roll Red Roll'

By Lesley Coffin

The rape and assault of a teenage girl by member of a Steubenville, Ohio football team made national headlines after the events were exposed via social media. While the public outcry led to a criminal trial and opened a conversation of teenage sexual assault, it also exposed the role privilege has when it comes to…

Director Clermont-Tonnerre makes room for second chances in ‘The Mustang’

By Pamela Powell

Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre creates “The Mustang,” a revelatory film about a hopeless, isolated incarcerated man (Mattias Shoenaerts) who enters into a horse training rehabilitation program. Gorgeously shot, this evocative and soulful film delves into our penal system as it draws parallel lines between all creatures. Premiering at Sundance Film Festival, “The Mustang” is now playing…

Women filmmakers best of the fest at 2019 SXSW

By Danielle Solzman

The 2019 SXSW Film Festival has come and gone and there was a nice crop of films directed or written by women during this year's festival. As is the typical case, I could not see everything that I wanted to during this year's festival. This just speaks to how much of a monster that SXSW…

Julia's Athena '19

By Julia Lasker

I kicked off Athena with a ‘Panel on Filmmaking’ with Julia Hart, writer and director of Fast Color, which had aired at the festival the evening before. Not only was Hart effortlessly witty and intelligent, it felt like she spoke to my soul. She introduced the concept of “uncentering” yourself as the director—in other words,…

Anika's Athena '19

By Anika Guttormson

On the five-o’clock train to Barnard College I sat, ecstatically scrolling through the Athena Film Festival’s website to pick out which films screenings I wanted to see. This may make me look bad but despite being a junior film student I have admittedly never been to a film festival before. I had no idea walking…

Watch at Home: ‘And Then There Was Eve’ & more from female filmmakers

By Danielle Solzman

‘Five Feet Apart’ and the disturbing sick teenager trend in YA fiction

By Georgiana E. Presecky

I really wanted to love Five Feet Apart. In my head, I already did, from the cheerful trailer to the engaging promotional tour in which its very entertaining leads Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson spoke of raising awareness for cystic fibrosis, the chronic disease that plagues their characters in the film. I didn’t love…

'I'm Not Here' director Michelle Schumacher defines own success

By Lesley Coffin

Broadway actress Michelle Schumacher’s been busy building her multi-hyphenated resume. Starting her career on the stage as an actress-dancer-singer, she began perusing filmmaking after marrying and starting a family with fellow actor J.K. Simmons. She studied writing, editing, producing, and directing at UCLA, and now has a second feature film in release, I’m Not Here.…

Dayna's Athena ‘19

By Dayna Hagewood

As a disclaimer, this was my first Athena Film Festival. I have worked at a local film festival in New Jersey for the past three years, so I thought I knew what I was signed up for. I had no idea that there would be such a powerful sense of community surrounding the wonderful program…

Katusha's Athena '19

By Katusha Jin

Athena Film Festival 2019 began its run on Thursday, February 28th. On this chilly Thursday evening, my sister and I promptly headed to the Miller Theatre for the opening film of the festival—Fast Color. The auditorium was buzzing with excitement, waiting for the first film to begin. I hadn’t looked at the program prior to…

‘Little Woods’ and other films that get sisterhood right

‘Andhadhun’ an audience favorite at 2019 Indian Film Festival

Seder Masochism: Nina Paley’s irreverent take on Passover/Easter Rituals

'Little Woods' and other films that get sisterhood right

'Andhadhun' an audience favorite at 2019 Indian Film Festival

Seder Masochism: Nina Paley's irreverent take on Passover/Easter Rituals

Watch at Home: ‘A Dog's Way Home’ & more from female filmmakers

Metz and Grace make 'Breakthrough' a universal uplift

Tribeca Film Festival announces Nora Ephron Prize jury

Eva Husson rewrites history of war women in 'Girls of the Sun'

Watch at Home: 'Unicorn Store' & more from female filmmakers

Female directors bring thought-provoking films to CEUFF

'Float Like a Butterfly,' 'Emma Peeters' among films by women at CEUFF

Female directors are best of the fest at CEUFF

Alison Klayman documents disturbing world of Steve Bannon in ‘The Brink’

LA theater hosts female playwrights for 12th Annual Swan Day

Michal Aviad exposes sexual harassment in 'Working Woman'

CEUFF: ‘Little Harbor’ and ‘The Ex-Wife’ show inner worlds of broken women

Anthology Film Archives hosts Feminist Film Week

Giorgi's Athena 2019

Sophia's Athena '19

Watch at Home: ‘Second Act’ & more from female filmmakers

Watch at Home: ‘Bumblebee’ & more from female filmmakers

Nancy Schwartzman exposes bubble of privilege in 'Roll Red Roll'

Director Clermont-Tonnerre makes room for second chances in ‘The Mustang’

Women filmmakers best of the fest at 2019 SXSW

Julia's Athena '19

Anika's Athena '19

Watch at Home: ‘And Then There Was Eve’ & more from female filmmakers

‘Five Feet Apart’ and the disturbing sick teenager trend in YA fiction

'I'm Not Here' director Michelle Schumacher defines own success

Dayna's Athena ‘19

Katusha's Athena '19