Young womanhood comes with many inevitable challenges. Making friends, pleasing family, dating, career-planning: there’s a lot to figure out. Luckily, women creators are taking to the internet to share their own experiences, giving us a glimpse into how they navigate their own lives — sometimes clumsily, sometimes confidently, and always hilariously.

This month’s VOD and web series picks are all about women who, in various ways and at various stages of their lives, are still figuring it out. Whether it be how to relate to other people, how to pursue a daunting career path, or how to exist within two different cultures, the women protagonists of “Catherine,” “Hunter,” and “Note to Self” learn about the world and themselves with humor and insight.

Here are Women and Hollywood’s latest VOD and web series selections.

VOD

“Catherine” (Short) – Written and Directed by Britt Raes

“Catherine” is a short film by Belgian animator and illustrator Britt Raes. The 11-minute short follows the titular Catherine, a young girl who struggles to connect with other people. Instead, she relates easily to animals and adores her many pets, but they don’t seem to survive long in her overzealous care. When her parents give her an adoring and amenable blue cat, Catherine finally finds the kind of companionship she’s been looking for.

In her own words, Raes describes “Catherine” as “the bittersweet life story of a young girl who grows up to be a crazy old cat lady.” But it’s much more than that. The film is a meditation on connection — both its challenges and its rewards. As Catherine makes sense of her place in the world, we are by her side, enraptured by the aesthetics of her world and the depth of her heart. With a unique blend of heartfelt emotion and dark humor, “Catherine” is a unique and unforgettable short. 

“Catherine” has screened at over 200 film festivals around the world, and won more than 50 awards.

Watch “Catherine” on Vimeo.

“Hunter” (Short) – Written and Directed by Hilary Bell

“Hunter” is a short film written and directed by Hilary Bell. In the 14-minute coming-of-age story, Bell makes her acting debut as a struggling comic. As a disabled woman, she has to not only navigate the brutal stand-up comedy scene but also a world that is not built for people with disabilities.

With richly textured visuals and a delicate performance from Bell, “Hunter” tells a brutally honest story about carving out your space in the world. But Bell doesn’t mince words: “Hunter” is not meant to inspire you. She writes, “You know those feel-good clickbait videos with swelling scores that are supposed to inspire you? The ones with titles like ‘don’t watch this at work unless you want to cry’? The heartwarming tale of triumph against all odds that ends up being an ad for an expensive blender? This movie isn’t that. This movie is the opposite of that.”

“Hunter” has screened as several film festivals and won the Grand Jury Prize Narrative Short at the 2018 Nashville Film Festival.

Watch “Hunter” on Seed&Spark.

Web Series

“Note to Self” – Created by Rakhee Morzaria 

“Note to Self” is a comedy web series created by Canadian actress and comedian Rakhee Morzaria. “Note to Self” follows Morzaria — playing “a heightened version” of herself of myself” — as she stumbles through life as a young brown woman in Toronto. At about two minutes each, every episode tackles a different sticky situation: growing armpit hair that’s too short to be a feminist statement; finding out the cafe doesn’t have Wi-Fi after you’ve purchased your coffee; mistaking a stranger’s help for a catcall.

What makes “Note to Self” so unique among contemporaries like “Girls” and “Broad City” is its distinct cultural point of view. Morzaria deals frequently with the question of finding her place as the daughter of immigrants. “As a first-generation Canadian I spent so much of my early life trying to fit in,” she says. “Only when I got older did I feel comfortable truly embracing my culture and exploring it.”

“Note to Self” received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Web Program or Series, Fiction.

Watch all episodes of “Note to Self” on YouTube or on Morzaria’s website.