Weekly Update for November 10: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You

Films About Women Opening This Week

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) makes a bold move, commissioning three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), the town’s revered chief of police. When his second-in-command, Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), an immature mother’s boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing’s law enforcement is only exacerbated. (Press materials)

Find tickets and screening info here.

Thelma (Opens in NY)

A college student (Eli Harboe) starts to experience extreme seizures while studying at a university in Oslo, Norway. She soon learns that the violent episodes are a symptom of inexplicable, and often dangerous, supernatural abilities. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Bitch — Written and Directed by Marianna Palka (Also Available on VOD)

“Bitch” tells the powerful and darkly humorous story of a housewife (Marianna Palka) who, after her philandering husband (Jason Ritter) and unruly kids break her psyche, upends the family dynamic by assuming the persona of a vicious dog. (Press materials)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Marianna Palka.

Gold Star — Written and Directed by Victoria Negri (Opens in NY) (Also Available on VOD)

After dropping out of music school, Vicki (Victoria Negri) drifts aimlessly between her family’s house in Connecticut and an itinerant existence in New York. When her father suffers a debilitating stroke, she has to become his primary caretaker. Vicki resists connecting with him, and making peace with herself, but finds a way forward thanks to a new friend and a life-changing event. (Press materials)

Read Victoria Negri’s guest post for Women and Hollywood.

Find screening info here.

A Bride for Rip Van Winkle (Opens in LA)

Nanami (Haru Kuroki) is an apathetic, part-time junior high school teacher, whose only solace comes from connecting with others on Planet, a new social network service. One day, a young man named Tetsuya (Gô Jibiki) messages her and asks to meet in person. The two begin dating and quickly become engaged. A few weeks following the wedding, Tetsuya’s mother confronts Nanami with allegations of lying and cheating. Heartbroken and despondent, Nanami checks herself into a hotel and manages to get hired there as a maid. One day, a friend, Amuro (Gô Ayano), offers Nanami a housekeeping job in an old mansion, whose sole resident’s infectious spirit helps Nanami to open her heart. However, Nanami soon realizes that Amuro, the mansion, and its occupant aren’t what they seem — and even dreams have limits. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Films About Women Currently Playing

Lady Bird — Written and Directed by Greta Gerwig
It Happened in L.A. — Written and Directed by Michelle Morgan (Available on VOD November 14)
Most Beautiful Island — Written and Directed by Ana Asensio (Also Available on VOD)
Wait for Your Laugh (Documentary) (Opens in LA November 17)
Princess Cyd
Parker’s Anchor — Co-Written by Jennica Schwartzman
Uncle Gloria: One Helluva Ride (Documentary) — Directed by Robyn Symon (Also Available on VOD)
The Light of the Moon — Written and Directed by Jessica M. Thompson
A Bad Moms Christmas
Mansfield 66/67 (Documentary)
Wexford Plaza — Written and Directed by Joyce Wong
Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (Documentary) — Directed by Sophie Fiennes (UK)
Mr. Roosevelt — Written and Directed by Noël Wells
Suck It Up — Directed by Jordan Canning; Written by Julia Hoff
Maya Dardel — Co-Written and Co-Directed by Magdalena Zyzak
Félicité — Co-Written by Delphine Zingg
All I See Is You
The Divine Order — Written and Directed by Petra Volpe
Novitiate — Written and Directed by Margaret Betts
Tragedy Girls
Jane (Documentary)
I Am Not a Witch — Written and Directed by Rungano Nyoni (UK)
Happy Death Day
The Florida Project
Dina (Documentary)
My Little Pony: The Movie — Co-Written by Meghan McCarthy and Rita Hsiao
Chavela (Documentary) — Directed by Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi
Battle of the Sexes — Co-Directed by Valerie Faris
Victoria & Abdul
Friend Request
Home Again — Written and Directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer
The Unknown Girl
Dolores (Documentary)
Tulip Fever
Leap! — Co-Written by Carol Noble
The Teacher
Marjorie Prime
Annabelle: Creation
Kidnap
Maudie — Directed by Aisling Walsh; Written by Sherry White
Lost in Paris — Co-Written and Co-Directed by Fiona Gordon
Wonder Woman — Directed by Patty Jenkins

Films Directed by Women Opening This Week

Destination Unknown (Documentary) — Directed by Claire Ferguson (Opens in NY and LA)

“Destination Unknown” blends intimate testimony with immersive archive to bring the stories of 12 Holocaust survivors to the screen. The survivors share their memories, some for the first time, some for the last, bringing their experiences to a new generation. They endured the death camps. They hid in remote farms. They fought as partisans in Polish forests. But when the war ended, those struggles were only just beginning. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Requiem for a Running Back (Documentary) — Directed by Rebecca Carpenter (Opens in NY and Chicago)

Director Rebecca Carpenter’s father, Lewis Carpenter, was a running back for Vince Lombardi’s NFL Champion Green Bay Packers. When he dies, her family receives a surprise call from Boston University’s brain bank requesting his brain — with shocking results. Lew becomes the 18th NFL player diagnosed postmortem with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative neurocognitive disorder that can cause episodes of rage, social withdrawal, and other unusual behaviors. Carpenter finds herself at ground zero of an unfolding public health controversy and embarks on a three-year odyssey across America to explore the far-reaching implications of this “new” disease in football players. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Qarib Qarib Singlle — Directed by Tanuja Chandra; Written by Tanuja Chandra and Gazal Dhaliwal

Jaya (Parvathy) and Yogi (Irrfan Khan) set out on a short journey to retrace past relationships and end up on the most eventful, strange, crazy trip of their lives. This short journey through Rishikesh, Bikaner, and Gangtok — with the ups and downs, the missed trains and taxi rides, the heartbreak and the mending of old friendships, the quarrels and self-discovery — sweeps Jaya and Yogi away into a very special and unforgettable experience. (Press materials)

Rebels on Pointe (Documentary) — Written and Directed by Bobbi Jo Hart (Opens in NY November 15)

“Rebels on Pointe” is the first-ever cinéma vérité documentary film celebrating Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the all-male drag ballet company founded over 40 years ago on the heels of New York’s Stonewall Riots. The company has performed in over 500 cities and 33 countries, and has a cult following around the world. The film juxtaposes exclusive, behind-the-scenes access and intimate, character-driven stories of its dancers, highlighted by amazing performances shot around the world. “Rebels on Pointe” ultimately celebrates our shared humanity through universal themes of identity, dreams, family, love, loss, determination, and resilience — proving that a ballerina is not merely a woman dancing, but an act of revolution in a tutu. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Films Directed by Women Currently Playing

No Dress Code Required (Documentary) — Directed by Cristina Herrera Borquez
Battlecreek — Directed by Alison Eastwood; Written by Anthea Anka
11/8/16 (Documentary) — Co-Directed by Sheena M. Joyce, Petra Epperlein, Alma Har’el, Alison Klayman, Ciara Lacy, Martha Shane, and Elaine Mcmillion Sheldon
Elliot the Littlest Reindeer — Written and Directed by Jennifer Westcott
The Departure (Documentary) — Co-Written and Directed by Lana Wilson
The Party — Written and Directed by Sally Potter (UK)
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women — Written and Directed by Angela Robinson
Faces Places (Documentary) — Co-Directed by Agnès Varda
Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton (Documentary) — Directed by Rory Kennedy (Also Available on VOD)
Loving Vincent — Co-Written and Co-Directed by Dorota Kobiela
Viceroy’s House — Written and Directed by Gurinder Chadha; Co-Written by Moira Buffini
Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (Documentary) — Co-Written and Co-Directed by Catherine Bainbridge

Films Written by Women Opening This Week

Song of Granite — Co-Written by Sharon Whooley (Opens in NY November 15)

“Song of Granite” revolves around the life of the great traditional Irish singer Joe Heaney. The harsh landscape combined with the myths, fables, and songs of his Connemara childhood helped shape this complex and fascinating character. Enigmatic and complex, Heaney’s devotion to his art came at a huge personal cost. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Films Written by Women Currently Playing

Let There Be Light — Co-Written by Sam Sorbo
Kingsman: The Golden Circle — Co-Written by Jane Goldman
Logan Lucky — Written by Rebecca Blunt
Cars 3 — Co-Written by Kiel Murray

TV Premieres This Week

Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography (Documentary) (Premieres November 12 on A&E)

In this intimate two-part special, “Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography,” Smart explains her story in her own words and provides previously untold details about her infamous abduction and nine-month nightmare in the hands of her cruel captors. Now 29 years old, she shares the perspective she gained through the ordeal and how she has moved past it to focus on marriage, motherhood, and advocating for others. Smart’s family, law enforcement involved with investigating the disappearance, and eyewitnesses reveal new information about the case and reflect on her remarkable recovery and perseverance. (Press materials)

War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend (Documentary) — Directed by Deborah Scranton (Premieres November 13 on HBO)

This poignant documentary explores the unbreakable bond between multi-purpose K9s and their handlers. After 9/11, the U.S. military began to specially select, train, and deploy multi-purpose K9s to serve side-by-side with the nation’s most elite Special Operations soldiers, finding and disarming enemies while providing emotional support to troops in the bleakest hours. (Press materials)

Best Thing You’ll Ever Do — Created and Written by Monica West (Premieres November 14 on Amazon)

“Best Thing You’ll Ever Do” spotlights a 30-something NYC waitress, Mae (Monica West), who is facing a personal crossroads, and abruptly leaves Brooklyn for the San Francisco Bay area. She follows her dream of creating a start-up in Silicon Valley and meets her soon-to-be husband and immediately faces pressure and unsolicited advice from her fiancé, family, and friends regarding starting a family. (Press materials)

195 Lewis — Created by Rae Leone Allen and Yaani Supreme; Directed by Chanelle Aponte Pearson (Premieres November 16 on Vimeo and 195Lewis.com)

“195 Lewis” is a dramedy series that follows a black lesbian couple as they strive to practice radical honesty in their newly polyamorous relationship. Set in the heart of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, among a singular group of close-knit young black lesbian friends, the series follows Yuri and Camille as Yuri’s growing infatuation with a new lover uptown leaves Camille uncertain about her role in Yuri’s life. Tensions rise when Kris, Yuri’s friend from college, unexpectedly pops up on the stoop in need of a place to stay. (Press materials)

VOD/DVD Releasing This Week

Kedi (Documentary) — Directed by Ceyda Torun (VOD, November 10; DVD, November 14)
Amityville: The Awakening (VOD/DVD, November 14)
Aquarius (VOD/DVD, November 14)
Atomic Blonde (VOD/DVD, November 14)
In This Corner of the World — Co-Written by Chie Uratani (VOD/DVD, November 14)
The Secret Scripture (DVD, November 14)
Unlocked (DVD, November 14)
Wasted! The Story of Food Waste (Documentary) — Directed by Anna Chai and Nari Kye (DVD, November 14)
Whose Streets? (Documentary) — Co-Directed by Sabaah Folayan (DVD, November 14)

Women and Hollywood Invites You to Screenings of Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird”

*Saoirse Ronan and writer/director Greta Gerwig on the set of “Lady Bird”: A24*

We’re working* with the folks at A24 to offer the Women and Hollywood community the opportunity to see an advance screening of “Lady Bird,” written and directed by Greta Gerwig.

This is a film that we all love here at Women and Hollywood and we are so excited to give you all the chance to see this film as it rolls out and takes the country by storm.

We promise you will enjoy “Lady Bird.”

Here is a list of the screening dates and cities:

November 13: Detroit, Houston, and Tampa
November 14: Miami, San Diego, and Dallas
November 15: Orlando and Portland

What you need to do to attend:

Email ladybirdwah@gmail.com with 1) the city you would like to see the film in, 2) your affiliation (if any), and 3) where you heard about the screenings. You will get an email back with the time and location of the screening and a pair of tickets. Please don’t email if you are not sure if you want to attend. We have a limited amount of tickets and don’t want to hold seats for people will not be in attendance.
Your name will be on the list with the press team at the theater. Just say you are with Women and Hollywood.

*Disclaimer of transparency — I wrote above that Women and Hollywood is working with A24. Women and Hollywood has been hired by A24 to help reach our community because they believe that we are the targeted market for this film. I agree with them and that’s why I signed up to get the word out. This is a very special movie that is in keeping with the values and commitment of Women and Hollywood. Spreading the word about films that we can get behind and support is one of the missions of our work.