FF2 Media - Supporting Women Artists Now!

Watch at Home: ‘Being Frank’ & 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 9/13/2019 (with links to FF2 Media reviews…

Why ‘Hustlers’ is more than the ‘female version’ of ‘Goodfellas’

By Georgiana E. Presecky

Olivia Wilde’s summer comedy Booksmart was quickly dubbed “the female Superbad” by publications like Vox and CinemaBlend after its release in May. Twitter users cited similarities between the two films, while Interview Magazine and InStyle both published articles about why the film is better than Superbad (2007). From the box office to marketing questions, the…

TIFF directors honored at female filmmakers dinner

By Brigid K. Presecky

Women filmmakers were celebrated at IndieWire Female Filmmakers Dinner at Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 8 at The Purman (presented by Canada Goose). This year, TIFF (which runs through September 15) is presenting more than 330 films: 36 percent are directed, co-directed, and/or created by women; a slight increase from last year’s representation…

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

By Danielle Solzman

New book draws attention to independent female filmmakers

By Georgiana E. Presecky

Dr. Michele Meek is the author of the new book Independent Female Filmmakers: A Chronicle Through Interviews, Profiles and Manifestos. The writer, professor and director features the work of multiple directors from Martha Coolidge to Jennifer Fox in the hope of raising awareness for film-going audiences about the impact of women in film. FF2 Media…

'Before You Know It' collaborators on making a small movie seem big

By Lesley Coffin

Hannah Pearl Utt and Jen Tullock have been professional actresses for years. But with their new film Before You Know It, they step into the spotlight as two very different sisters stunned to learn their long-dead mother...isn't. This project isn't their first time acting opposite one another, having co-starred in the series Disengaged which Utt…

Watch at Home: ‘Vita & Virginia’ & more from female filmmakers

By Danielle Solzman

Chanya Button spotlights revolutionary women in 'Vita and Virginia'

By Lesley Coffin

Almost a century ago, Virginia Woolf skyrocketed to fame with her iconic novel Orlando, and has remained one of the key figures in English literature ever since. Her contributions as one of the premiere modernist authors of her time has made her novels vital classics still studied and enjoyed today. But her name was relatively…

TIFF inches closer to gender parity

By Pamela Powell

The 2019 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will take place September 5-15, presenting more than 330 films: 36 percent are directed, co-directed, and/or created by women; a slight increase from last year’s representation of 35 percent. TIFF will showcase world premieres and festival favorites alike at this year’s event comprising 84 feature films directed by…

CNN’s ‘The Movies’ highlights history of women in cinema

By Georgiana E. Presecky

CNN aired a six-part series on the history of American cinema throughout July and August. Produced by Tom Hanks and Werner Herzog as an extension of their successful “Decades” series, the 12-hour docu-style series The Movies is an informative tribute to the cultural impact of cinema - and culture’s influence on the everchanging film landscape.…

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

By Danielle Solzman

Nanfu Wang and Lynn Zhang focus on life in 'One Child Nation'

By Lesley Coffin

Three years ago, Nanfu Wang emerged as a documentarian to watch with her highly praised Hooligan Sparrow, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival and ultimately winning the top documentary prize from the Independent Spirit Award. Hooligan Sparrow told the story of how the Chinese government targeted activists, and telling that story made Wang a target…

THE NIGHTINGALE: FF2 Media Oscar Campaign 2019

By Julia Lasker

The Nightingale came out on Friday, August 2nd, and all five members of FF2 on the runaround that week were completely blown away. We gasped, cried, and huffed in anger together through the whole film and when the lights came up, unanimously agreed on a five-star rating without hesitation. Suffice it to say, we’re ready…

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

By Danielle Solzman

Watch at Home: ‘The Souvenir’ & more from female filmmakers

By Danielle Solzman

51fest helps women tell 'remarkable and often untold' stories

By Beatrice Viri

51fest’s first-ever run took place July 18-21 at the IFC Center. The festival aligned with a heatwave, but nonetheless people lined up enthusiastically in anticipation. Partnering with Women in the World and IFC Center, 51fest is a festival centered on women filmmakers. According to their mission statement, “Women make up more than half of [the]…

NYFF to feature only six films by women

By Brigid K. Presecky

The 57th Annual New York Film Festival will feature 29 films on their main slate - six from female directors, making up 20 percent of the lineup. Running from September 27 through October 13 at Film at Lincoln Center, the festival’s lineup includes films from directors Kelly Reichardt, Agnes Varda, Celine Sciamma, Mati Diop, Justine…

'Otherhood' director Cindy Chupack makes the leap from TV to film

By Lesley Coffin

Cindy Chupack already has two Emmy awards in her pocket (and eight nominations) as proof of her accomplishments as a writer. But after working for the last 25 years on shows like Everybody Loves Raymond, Sex and the City, Modern Family, I’m Dying Up Here, Divorce and Better Things, she’s finally making the jump to…

'For Sama' director gives call to action at 51Fest

By Katharine Cutler

Last weekend, For Sama screened at the IFC Center in 51/Fest, a new film festival by and about women, celebrating the female majority in front of and behind the camera. The riveting documentary is about director Waad Al-Khateab’s journey through motherhood while living through the siege of Aleppo. The screening included a Q&A with Al-Khateab,…

'Otherhood' filmmakers discuss difficulties of Hollywood at 51Fest

By Katharine Cutler

On a hot afternoon during a heat wave, the theater for Otherhood in the IFC Center was entirely full. Screening at 51/Fest, a new festival by and about women, Angela Bassett, Patricia Arquette, and Felicity Huffman star as the three mothers who drive to New York City to move in with their sons after they…

Watch at Home: ‘Long Shot’ & more from female filmmakers

By Danielle Solzman

51fest at IFC Center screens 'A Girl from Mogadishu', a film of female resilience

By Beatrice Viri

On Sunday, July 21, IFC Center screened A Girl from Mogadishu as a part of 51fest's inaugural run. It is a narrative feature based on the life of Ifrah Omar, directed by Mary McGuckian. Born into a refugee-camp in Somalia, Ifrah (portrayed by Aja Naomi King) treks a tumultuous journey to seek asylum in Ireland…

Black Harvest Film Festival raises number of female directors

By Stephanie A. Taylor

The 25th annual Black Harvest Film Festival will run from August 3-29 with 60 films, including 27 directed by women (an increase from last year’s festival when there were only 17 female filmmakers). Two years ago, I interviewed Nancy Buirski, director of The Rape of Recy Taylor. The documentary was about a Black woman who…

Venice Film Festival doubles female directors - to two

By Brigid K. Presecky

The 76th Venice Film Festival, which runs from August 28 through September 7, has doubled the amount of women directors from last year’s slate - with a total of two out of 21 films directed by women. Saudi Arabian director Haifaa Al-Mansour’s The Perfect Candidate and Australian director Shannon Murphy’s Babyteeth are the only two…

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

By Danielle Solzman

42nd Asian American International Film Festival celebrates women filmmakers

By Beatrice Viri

Human rights, poverty, gangs, political revolution and LGBT issues are just some of the topics that will be covered at the Asian American International Film Festival (July 25-August 3) this year. The festival (also known as AAIFF) will screen 27 films and documentaries, along with workshops, shorts by local college students, Q&As, and panels discussing…

Meet Marvel’s newest directors

By Georgiana E. Presecky

Marvel is notorious for hiring male directors for its big-budget blockbuster hits, from the Russo Brothers’ Avengers series to franchises like Thor and Spider-Man. The studio announced release dates for two new feature films from female directors at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend - Black Widow and Eternals. Though the directors were announced as attached…

Marielle Heller previews 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood'

By Brigid K. Presecky

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Can You Ever Forgive Me? director Marielle Heller previews her upcoming Fred Rogers biopic (although she insists it isn’t) A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. With Tom Hanks portraying another American hero (see: Captain Phillips, Saving Mr. Banks, Sully) and Matthew Rhys as the hard-hearted reporter who profiles…

Director Ritu Sarin on challenges and triumphs of representing Tibet in Cinema

By Rachel Mosely

Director Ritu Sarin discusses her latest effort, The Sweet Requiem, which chronicles one young woman's experience as she processes the aftermath of escaping Chinese-occupied Tibet.

Watch at Home: ‘Little Woods’ & more from female filmmakers

By Danielle Solzman