Director Claire McCarthy who earlier this month was named as one of 10 “directors to watch” in Variety Magazine, sat down to talk with me at the Sundance Film Festival just days before the world premiere of her film Ophelia.
Category: Features
Inaugural Rom Com Fest begins in LA
Celebrate all your favorite romantic comedies this weekend (tickets and badges are still available) at the inaugural Rom Com Fest, running from June 20-23 in Los Angeles. The lineup of films include anniversaries for beloved favorites from female filmmakers like Karen McCullah & Kirsten Smith’s 10 Things I Hate About You and Abby Kohn &…
Miranda Bailey explores fractured father-son relationship with 'Being Frank'
Miranda Bailey is all about looking at the inner lives of liars. Her first film as director, the documentary The Pathological Optimist, focused on the discredited doctor Andrew Wakefield (who authored the infamous study linking vaccines to autism). Bailey followed that up with the award-winning short Another Happy Anniversary, and now her feature debut, Being…
Pixar releases 21st male-directed feature film
Out this Friday, Incredibles 2 is the 20th feature film released in the 23-year history of Pixar. The animation studio has made headlines in recent months with the exit of co-founder John Lasseter and the team behind Toy Story 4 stepping down due to perceived mistreatment of women and people of color.
Spanning Generations: 20 summer films by women
Ducking into an air-conditioned movie theater for a few hours is weaved into the fabric of summer, and many of our favorite summertime flicks were written and directed by women. From stories of aliens to superheroes to small towns, from Oz in the 1930s to Themyscira of 2017, these 20 stories are perfect for summer-night…
FF2 Media Co-Sponsors Nadine Labaki Film in NYC on 6/7/19
NYC Shout-Out: In 2019, Nadine Labaki's film “Capernaum” was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, thrilling those of us have cherished her work for years now. Labaki's breakout film “Caramel” was firmly set in contemporary Beirut. Her second film “Where Do We Go Now?” is Magical Realism. A mythical Lebanese village, surrounded by…
10 New Must-See Films Directed by Women
Only three of the top 10 certified-fresh films of 2019 on Rotten Tomatoes are directed by women. Documentaries Hail Satan? and Knock Down the House are both 100 percent fresh, while Olivia Wilde’s buzzy comedy Booksmart sits at 97 percent. Members of FF2 Media’s all-female staff watch and review every film released theatrically in New…
WIF gala honors female directors; Poehler named 'Entrepreneur in Entertainment'
The power of an organization like Women in Film cannot be overlooked in today’s world. As women finally find themselves in a world where they can begin to be recognized, the significance of this union of female artists is just beginning to take shape. The Los Angeles chapter of WIF is gearing up to host…
Female filmmaker wins top honor at CCFF for 'Saint Frances'
The 2019 Chicago Critics Film Festival was held May 17-23 at the Music Box Theatre, featuring nine films written and/or directed by women. Of the 24 films in the festival lineup, these four stood out as especially memorable features from female directors. [Saint Frances wins Audience Award - Narrative Feature from Chicago native, writer and star…
‘Booksmart’ is for a new kind of nerd
You’ll read plenty of think pieces about Booksmart this week. Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut about best friends who make one last attempt to have fun before high school graduation has garnered high praise since its SXSW premiere and currently sits at 100 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its May 24 release. On a…
Ash Mayfair's 'The Third Wife' a beautiful look at Vietnam's dark past
Ash Mayfair understands the world of her new film The Third Wife well. It isn’t simply a documentary of one of the darker parts of Vietnam's past with underage marriage and patriarchy, but the story of her own family. Despite controversy for casting 13-year-old actress Nguyen Phuong Tra My in the role of May (the…
Watch at Home: ‘Wine Country’ & more from female filmmakers
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 5/10/2019 (with links to FF2 Media reviews…
'Charlie Says' offers feminist light on notorious Manson murders
For more than 20 years, the team of Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner have been collaborating on some of the daring and original independent films of the past two decades; I Shot Andy Warhol, American Psycho, and The Notorious Bettie Page. Their feminist and explicate approach to material makes them a fearless team and part…
Chicago Critics Film Festival celebrates women directors
The 2019 Chicago Critics Film Festival raises the curtain on 24 highly-anticipated new films running May 17-23 at the Music Box Theatre. Nine of these 24 feature films are written and/or directed by women, holding steady at 37.5 percent from last year’s representation of female filmmakers. It’s a strong group of films, many of…
Female filmmakers best of the fest at Tribeca
It wasn’t difficult to find female-written and/or directed films this year at the Tribeca Film Festival. In fact, my time to attend the fest was limited to three days, so I just went to the films that fit my schedule and lo and behold, 45 percent of these films were either written and/or directed by…
Watch at Home: ‘At the Heart of Gold’ & more from female filmmakers
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 5/3/2019 (with links to FF2 Media reviews…
'Little Woods' and other films that get sisterhood right
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
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
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…
Metz and Grace make 'Breakthrough' a universal uplift
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
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…
Alison Klayman documents disturbing world of Steve Bannon in ‘The Brink’
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.…
Michal Aviad exposes sexual harassment in 'Working Woman'
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
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…
Watch at Home: ‘Second Act’ & more from female filmmakers
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 3/29/2019 (with links to FF2 Media reviews…
Watch at Home: ‘Bumblebee’ & more from female filmmakers
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 3/22/2019 (with links to FF2 Media reviews…
Nancy Schwartzman exposes bubble of privilege in 'Roll Red Roll'
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’
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
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…
Watch at Home: ‘And Then There Was Eve’ & more from female filmmakers
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 1/25/2019 (with links to FF2 Media reviews…