Kelly Reichardt’s “Certain Women” took home top honors at the BFI London Film Festival last year, but the ensemble drama was one of just two women-directed films that screened in the 12-title Official Competition program, which amounted to 17 percent of the lineup. The fest has just announced its first crop of films for its 2017 edition, and this year’s Official Competition slate is considerably more female-friendly. Of 12 films in the 2017 Competition lineup, four are directed or co-directed by women, an encouraging 33 percent — nearly double the percentage from last year.
Films screening in Official Competition include Vivian Qu’s “Angels Wear White,” a drama that centers on two school girls who are assaulted by a middle-aged man, and Annemarie Jacir’s “Wajib,” a dramedy about a father and estranged son that has been chosen to represent Palestine at the 2018 Oscars in the foreign-language category.
The Documentary Competition also features a high number of women-directed films. Five of 12 features in the lineup are directed by women — about 42 percent of the program. Last year women directed or co-directed 50 percent of the films featured in this slate. Among the films screening this year are Elvira Lind’s award-winning portrait of an American dancer, “Bobbi Jene,” and Maryam Goormaghtigh’s “Before Summer Ends,” a road trip movie that follows three Iranian expats traveling around France.
Unfortunately the Gala program includes far fewer titles helmed by women. Of 20 films screening in this high-profile category, only three are directed or co-directed by women, a total of 15 percent of the lineup: Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton’s tennis comedy “Battle of the Sexes,” Dee Rees’ drama about rival families set in post–World War II South, “Mudbound,” and Lynne Ramsay’s Joaquin Phoenix vigilante drama “You Were Never Really Here.” Women directed only 15 percent of last year’s Gala films, as well.
The BFI London Film Festival runs October 4–15. Check out the women-directed and co-directed films screening below. List adapted from Deadline.
OFFICIAL COMPETITION
Vivian Qu, ANGELS WEAR WHITE
Nora Twomey, THE BREADWINNER (European Premiere)
Juliana Rojas, Marco Dutra, GOOD MANNERS
Annemarie Jacir, WAJIB
GALAS
Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris, BATTLE OF THE SEXES
Dee Rees, MUDBOUND
Lynne Ramsay, YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Maryam Goormaghtigh, BEFORE SUMMER ENDS
Elvira Lind, BOBBI JENE
Agnès Varda, JR, FACES PLACES
Lucy Cohen, KINGDOM OF US (World Premiere)
Sonia Kronlund, THE PRINCE OF NOTHINGWOOD
