There’s no shortage of heavy-hitters when it comes to women filmmakers premiering films this month. From veteran auteurs like Claire Denis, Lucretia Martel, and Lynne Ramsay, to rising directors like Chloé Zhao and Courtney Moorehead Balaker, April offers a diverse slate from women in film.
“Pitch Perfect” franchise screenwriter Kay Cannon kicks off the month with her directorial debut, “Blockers,” a teens vs. parents rom-com centered around an ill-fated prom night that hits theaters April 6. That same weekend Scottish writer-director Lynne Ramsay — who was awarded Best Screenplay at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival — premieres her dark thriller “You Were Never Really Here,” about a veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) on a mission to save girls from sex trafficking.
Out April 13 is Argentine auteur and Cannes Palme D’Or Nominee Lucretia Martel’s latest, “Zama,” a historical drama set in the 18th century when Spain ruled Argentina. Zhao’s “The Rider” also opens on the 13th. Based on a true story, it centers on a rodeo star whose career is derailed by a life-threatening riding accident.
Amy Schumer returns to the big screen in April 20’s “I Feel Pretty.” Co-written and co-directed by Abby Kohn, the comedy sees Schumer portraying an insecure woman who, after a blow to the head, begins to see herself as the most beautiful person in the world.
A number of documentary releases round out the month’s lineup, including an exploration of the life and work of a legendary artist in Sophie Fiennes’ “Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami,” out April 13, as well as a mission to rescue endangered elephants in Thailand with Ashley Bell’s “Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story,” out April 27.
The month ends with a meditation on faith and queer sexuality, the Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams-starrer “Disobedience,” which is based on Naomi Alderman’s book. Set in an Orthodox Jewish community in London, the April 27 film depicts the rekindled romance between a rabbi’s daughter who has left the community (Weisz) and her cousin’s wife (McAdams).
Here are all of the women-centric, women-directed, and women-written films debuting in April. All descriptions are from press materials unless otherwise noted.
April 6
“Blockers” — Directed by Kay Cannon
When three parents (Leslie Mann, John Cena, and Ike Barinholtz) stumble upon their daughters’ pact to lose their virginity at prom, they launch a covert one-night operation to stop the teens from sealing the deal.
“You Were Never Really Here” — Written and Directed by Lynne Ramsay
A traumatized veteran (Joaquin Phoenix), unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe’s nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered, leading to what may be his death trip, or his awakening.
“The Miracle Season” — Co-Written by Elissa Matsueda
Based on the inspiring true story of West High School girls’ volleyball team. After the tragic death of the school’s star player Caroline “Line” Found, the remaining team players must band together under the guidance of their tough-love coach in hope of winning the state championship.
“Where Is Kyra?” — Written by Darci Picoult
“Where Is Kyra?” tells the story of Kyra Johnson (Michelle Pfeiffer), a middle-aged divorcée who moves into her elderly mother’s Brooklyn apartment while she looks for work, and tries to get back on her feet. When her mother suddenly dies, Kyra is left without any support, both emotional and financial, and finds herself with very few options — none of them good. Despite a blossoming affair with a sympathetic neighbor (Keifer Sutherland) with struggles of his own, Kyra can’t accept that her once-tidy life has fallen apart, and she resorts to increasingly desperate measures to hold onto what little she has left.
“6 Balloons” — Written and Directed by Marja-Lewis Ryan (Available on Netflix)
Over the course of one night, a woman (Abbi Jacobson) drives across LA with her heroin addict brother (Dave Franco) in search of a detox center, with his two-year-old daughter in tow.
“Sun Dogs” — Directed by Jennifer Morrison (Available on Netflix)
A young man (Michael Angarano), determined to be a military hero, ends up on a misguided adventure with his family, and new friend Tally (Melissa Benoist), which leads him to the most unlikely realization of how he can courageously “save lives.”
“Shelter” (Opens in LA)
Naomi, an Israeli Mossad agent (Neta Riskin) is sent to Germany to protect Mona (Golshifteh Farahani), a Lebanese informant recovering from plastic surgery to assume her new identity. Together for two weeks in a quiet apartment in Hamburg, the relationship that develops between the two women is soon exposed to the threat of terror that is engulfing the world today.
“Pandas” (Documentary)
At Chengdu Panda Base in China, scientists are dedicated to protecting the species by breeding adult Giant Pandas in order to introduce cubs into the wild. This film follows one such researcher, whose passion leads her to initiate a new technique inspired by a black bear program in rural New Hampshire. What starts as a cross-culture collaboration becomes a life-changing journey for an American biologist who crosses an ocean to join her, a scientist from Inner Mongolia, and a very curious female cub named Qian Qian, born in captivity.
“Spiral” (Documentary) — Directed by Laura Fairrie
Anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial, and physical and verbal assaults against Jews are on the rise throughout Europe, particularly in France. In response to rising tensions and fears, many in the Jewish community decide to leave. Others, like lawyer Julien, remain behind to fight back against those who would fan the flames of hate, like popular comedian Dieudonné, known for his signature inverted Nazi salute. Director Laura Fairrie presents an urgent, alarming look at the impact of this free reign of hatred on the lives of ordinary people. (DOC NYC)
“Big Fish & Begonia”
There is a mystical race of beings that control the tide and the changing of the seasons. But one of these beings, a young girl named Chun, wants to experience the human world, not simply observe it. When she turns 16, Chun is allowed to transform into a dolphin and explore the human world. However, she soon learns this world is a dangerous place. Chun is nearly killed in a vortex, but saved by a human boy at the cost of his own life. Moved by his kindness and courage, she decides to give the boy life again, but this power comes at a price. Chun will have to face adventure and sacrifice in order to protect the boy’s soul until it is ready to return to the human world.
“Orbiter 9” (Available on Netflix)
A girl discovers that the reality of her life isn’t as she believes.
April 13
“20 Weeks” — Written and Directed by Leena Pendharkar (Also Available on VOD)
“20 Weeks” follows a young couple navigating their first pregnancy, who during a routine scan discover a health condition that could gravely impact their baby, which forces them to re-examine their relationship and their future.
“The Judge” (Documentary) — Directed by Erika Cohn (Opens in NY; Opens in LA April 20)
When she was a young lawyer, Kholoud Al-Faqih walked into the office of Palestine’s Chief Justice, and announced she wanted to join the bench — he laughed at her. But just a few years later, Kholoud became the first woman judge to be appointed to the Middle East’s Shari’a (Islamic law) courts. “The Judge” offers a unique portrait of Judge Kholoud — her brave journey as a lawyer, her tireless fight for justice for women, and her drop-in visits with clients, friends, and family. With unparalleled access to the courts, it presents an unfolding vérité legal drama, with rare insight into both Islamic law and gendered justice.
“Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” (Documentary) — Directed by Sophie Fiennes (Opens in NY; Opens in LA April 20)
“Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” re-invents the music film as an electrifying journey through the performance, private, and public worlds of pop cultural icon Grace Jones, whose bold aesthetic echoes throughout the film. Larger than life, wild, scary, and androgynous — Grace Jones plays all these parts. Yet here we also discover her as a lover, daughter, mother, sister, and even grandmother, as she submits herself to our gaze, and allows us to understand what constitutes her mask.
“Truth or Dare” — Co-Written by Jillian Jacobs
A harmless game of Truth or Dare among friends turns deadly when someone — or something — begins to punish those who tell a lie or refuse the dare.
“Submergence” — Written by Erin Dignam (Also Available on VOD)
James (James McAvoy) is a British agent under the cover of a water engineer, while Danny (Alicia Vikander) is a bio-mathematician working on a deep-sea diving project to explore the origin of life on our planet. On a chance encounter in a remote resort in Normandy where they both prepare for their respective missions, they fall rapidly, and unexpectedly, into each other’s arms, and a deliriously wild love affair develops, even though their jobs are destined to separate them. Danny sets off on a perilous quest to dive to the bottom of the ocean. James’ assignment takes him to Somalia, where he is sucked into a geopolitical vortex that puts him in grave danger. Both characters are subject to different kinds of isolation as they pine for each other; their determination to reconnect becomes as much an existential journey as a love story.
“The Rider” — Written and Directed by Chloé Zhao (Opens in NY and LA)
Based on his true story, “The Rider” stars breakout Brady Jandreau as a once rising star of the rodeo circuit warned that his competition days are over after a tragic riding accident. Back home, Brady finds himself wondering what he has to live for when he can no longer do what gives him a sense of purpose: to ride and compete. In an attempt to regain control of his fate, Brady undertakes a search for new identity, and tries to redefine his idea of what it means to be a man in the heartland of America.
“10×10” — Directed by Suzi Ewing (Also Available on VOD)
After meticulous planning and preparation, Lewis (Luke Evans) snatches Cathy (Kelly Reilly) off the busy streets, and locks her away in a soundproofed room measuring 10 feet by 10 feet. His motive: to have Cathy confess to a dark secret that she is determined to keep hidden. But Cathy has no intention of giving up so easily, and proves more than a match for her kidnapper.
“Wildling” (Also Available on VOD)
Since birth, Anna (Bel Powley) has been raised in isolation by a man she knows only as Daddy (Brad Dourif), who has done everything possible to conceal the truth about the girl’s origins from her. But when the teenage Anna is suddenly thrust into the real world under the protection of no-nonsense police officer Ellen (Liv Tyler), it soon becomes clear that the young woman is far from ordinary. Unable to adjust to a normal life, Anna finds herself drawn instead to the wild freedom of the forest while struggling to resist the growing bloodlust that has awakened inside her.
“Zama” — Written and Directed by Lucretia Martel (Opens in NY)
Zama (Daniel Giménez Cacho), an officer of the Spanish Crown born in South America, waits for a letter from the King granting him a transfer from the town in which he is stagnating to a better place. His situation is delicate. He must ensure that nothing overshadows his transfer. He is forced to accept submissively every task entrusted to him by successive Governors who come and go as he stays behind. The years go by and the letter from the King never arrives. When Zama notices everything is lost, he joins a party of soldiers that go after a dangerous bandit.
“Nana” (Documentary) — Co-Written and Directed by Serena Dykman (Opens in NY)
“Nana” documents director Serena Dykman’s journey with her mother, Alice, as they retrace her grandmother’s Auschwitz survival story. Born in Poland, Maryla Michalowski-Dyamant survived Ravensbruck, Malchow, and Auschwitz — where she was the forced translator for the “Angel of Death,” Josef Mengele. Maryla dedicated her life after the war to publicly speaking about her survival to younger generations. Alice and Serena explore how Maryla’s outspoken activism continues today, in a world where survivors are disappearing, and intolerance, racism, and anti-Semitism are on the rise.
“I Am Not An Easy Man — Directed by Eleonore Pourriat; Written by Eleonore Pourriat and Ariane Fert” (Available on Netflix)
A shameless chauvinist gets a taste of his own medicine when he wakes up in a world dominated by women and locks horns with a powerful female author.
April 18
“This Is Our Land” (Opens in NY)
Pauline (Émilie Dequenne), a self-employed nurse in a mining district in the north of France, raises her two children alone, and cares for her father, a former steelworker. Devoted and generous, her patients love her and count on her. Yet nobody sees that Pauline, who finds herself facing an increasingly harsh social reality, is slowly embarking on a path that no one in her family has taken before. A rising nationalist party, in a quest for respectability, is going to take advantage of her popularity by making her its candidate in the local elections.
April 20
“I Feel Pretty” — Co-Written and Co-Directed by Abby Kohn
An ordinary woman (Amy Schumer) who struggles with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy on a daily basis wakes from a fall believing she is suddenly the most beautiful and capable woman on the planet. With this newfound confidence she is empowered to live her life fearlessly and flawlessly, but what will happen when she realizes her appearance never changed?
“Funny Cow” (Opens in the UK)
“Funny Cow” charts the rise to stardom of a female comedienne through the 1970s and 1980s. It is set against the backdrop of working men’s clubs and the stand-up comedy circuit of the North of England. From her troubled childhood to her turbulent adult relationships, the Funny Cow (Maxine Peake) uses the raw material of her life experiences to bring her unique style of comedy to the stage.
“Mercury 13" (Documentary) — Co-Directed by Heather Walsh (Available on Netflix)
NASA’s “man in space” program, dubbed “Project Mercury” began in 1958. The men chosen — all military test pilots — became known as The Mercury 7. But away from the glare of the media, behind firmly closed doors, female pilots were also screened. Thirteen of them passed and, in some cases, performed better than the men. They were called the Mercury 13 and had the “right stuff” but were, unfortunately, the wrong gender. Underneath the obsession of the space race that gripped America, the Mercury 13 women were aviation pioneers who emerged thirsty for a new frontier, but whose time would have to wait.
“Let the Sunshine In” — Directed by Claire Denis; Written by Claire Denis and Christine Angot (Opens in the UK; Opens in the U.S. April 27) (Also Available on VOD)
Single mother Isabelle (Juliette Binoche), a divorced artist with one child, is looking for love — true love to be precise.
“Little Pink House” — Written and Directed by Courtney Moorehead Balaker
Based on a true story, a small-town paramedic named Susette Kelo (Catherine Keener) leaves a bad marriage, and starts over in a new town. She buys a rundown cottage in New London, Connecticut, refurbishes it, paints it pink, meets a great guy, and exhales. Then she discovers powerful politicians are bent on bulldozing her blue-collar neighborhood to make way for condos and office buildings. The redevelopment effort is spearheaded by Dr. Charlotte Wells (Jeanne Tripplehorn) — ambitious and accomplished, she’s the closest thing the gritty town has to a celebrity. With the help of a young lawyer named Scott Bullock (Giacomo Baessato), Susette emerges as the reluctant leader of her neighbors in an epic battle that goes all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, inspires a nation, and helps millions of Americans protect their homes.
“Lives Well Lived” (Documentary) — Directed by Sky Bergman (Opens in LA)
Through their intimate memories and inspiring personal histories encompassing over 3,000 years of experience, 40 people share their secrets and insights into living a meaningful life. These men and women open the vault on their journey into old age through family histories, personal triumph and tragedies, loves, and losses — seeing the best and worst of humanity along the way. Their thoughtful perspectives reveal a treasure of life lessons, and a reminder of the greatest role models in our own families.
“The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” (Opens in the UK)
Free-spirited journalist Juliet Ashton (Lily James) forms a life-changing bond with the eccentric Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society when she decides to write about the book club they formed during the occupation of Guernsey during WWII. (Guernsey Trade Media)
“Dude” — Written and Directed by Olivia Milch (Available on Netflix)
Four best girlfriends negotiate loss and major life changes during the last two weeks of high school in this coming-of-age comedy.
“Imitation Girl ”— Written and Directed by Natasha Kermani (Also Available on VOD)
A mysterious young woman materializes in the middle of the southwest desert, where each step teaches her about her new world and her new body. As she assumes a new life, she discovers she has a twin with whom she shares more than just an outward appearance.
April 27
“Disobedience” — Co-Written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz
A woman (Rachel Weisz) returns to the community that shunned her for her attraction to a childhood friend (Rachel McAdams). Once back, their passions reignite as they explore the boundaries of faith and sexuality.
“Kings” — Written and Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven
Millie (Halle Berry) is a hardworking, tough, and protective single mother with an affection for homeless children. She already has eight children living in her house, and will soon bring home another. Her neighbor Obie (Daniel Craig) is the local loose cannon, and the only white man in an area largely inhabited by African Americans, Latinos, and Koreans. With racial tensions running dangerously high, Millie and Obie would appear to be unlikely allies. Yet following the acquittal of four of the officers accused of beating Rodney King, these two must navigate the gathering chaos in the city to bring Millie’s kids home safely.
“Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story” (Documentary) — Directed by Ashley Bell; Co-Written by Ashley Bell and Fernanda Rossi
Elephant rescues in Thailand are rare, unpredictable, and often life threatening. After waiting over two years, actor-director Ashley Bell and a team of elephant rescuers led by world renowned Asian elephant conservationist and TIME Magazine’s Hero of Asia, Sangdeaun Lek Chailert, embark on a daring mission to rescue Noi Na, a 70-year old partially blind trekking elephant, and bring her 500 miles across Thailand to freedom. “Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story” aims to ignite a new way of thinking about this species, and shows what can be done to prevent the extinction of Asian elephants.
“In the Last Days of the City” — Co-Written by Rasha Salti (Opens in NY; Opens in LA May 11)
“In the Last Days of the City” is a haunting, lyrical chronicle of recent years in the Arab world where revolutions seemed to spark hope for change, and yield further instability in one stroke. A filmmaker (Khalid Abdalla) in Cairo attempts to capture the zeitgeist of his city as the world changes around him — from personal love and loss, to the fall of the Mubarak regime. Throughout, friends send footage, and stories from Berlin, Baghdad, and Beirut, creating a powerful, multilayered meditation on the meaning of homeland.
“Duck Butter” — Co-Written by Alia Shawkat (Available on Netflix)
Two women (Alia Shawkat and Laia Costa), who are dissatisfied with the dishonesty they see in dating and relationships, decide to make a pact to spend 24 hours together, hoping to find a new way to create intimacy.
