Summertime can often be a grim time to go to the movies, as male-dominated blockbusters and a deluge of sequels clog the box office. But this July looks especially promising for original films by and about women. From Oscar contenders to indie flicks, July 2019 boasts an impressive movie lineup.

Several strong women-directed films are releasing on July 12. Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell,” was a breakout at Sundance, with Wang receiving Sundance Institute’s 2019 Vanguard Award. When we spoke with Wang, she described the film as “a very personal story that depicts the proximity of grief and joy, pathos and humor.” Jasmin Mozaffari will be making her feature film debut with “Firecrackers,” a portrait of two friends who can’t seem to escape their hometown. Also out that day is Lynn Shelton’s eighth feature, “Sword of Trust.” Starring Michaela Watkins, Jillian Bell, and Marc Maron, the improvised comedy centers around a relic that purportedly proves the South won the Civil War.

Women documentarians are showcasing their work this July, as well. The late, great Agnès Varda turns a critical eye on her own work in her final film, “Varda by Agnès,” which opens in the UK July 19. In “For Sama,” out July 26, co-director Waad Al-Kateab offers a uniquely female perspective of war as she chronicles her life in Aleppo, Syria. Finally, co-helmer Tamara Kotevska’s “Honeyland,” also out July 26, chronicles life in an isolated mountain region within the Balkans, where one woman’s peaceful life is suddenly uprooted.

The month will conclude with the July 27 premiere of “Share” on HBO. Pippa Bianco’s feature directorial debut previously screened at Sundance and Cannes and tells the story of a teenager trying to find out what happened during a night she can’t remember.

July 5

“My Days of Mercy” – Directed by Tali Shalom-Ezer (Also Available on VOD)

“My Days of Mercy”

Two sisters, Lucy and Martha, regularly protest capital punishment at state executions. Lucy (Ellen Page) meets Mercy (Kate Mara) attending that day’s execution in support of lethal injection. Despite their moral differences, they feel an obvious connection to one another.

“Vita & Virginia” – Directed by Chanya Button; Written by Eileen Atkins (Opens in the UK; Opens July 19 in Canada)

Set amidst the bohemian high society of 1920s England, “Vita & Virginia” tells the scintillating true story of a literary love affair that fueled the imagination of one of the 20th century’s most celebrated writers. Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton) is the brash, aristocratic wife of a diplomat who refuses to be constrained by her marriage, defiantly courting scandal through her affairs with women. When she meets the brilliant but troubled Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki), she is immediately attracted to the famed novelist’s eccentric genius and enigmatic allure. So begins an intense, passionate relationship marked by all-consuming desire, intellectual gamesmanship, and destructive jealousy that will leave both women profoundly transformed and inspire the writing of one of Woolf’s greatest works.

“Skin in the Game”

Abducted off the sidewalk of suburban America, 15-year-old Dani (Sammi Hanratty) finds herself submerged in a horrific human trafficking ring run by Eve (Angélica Celaya). With no initial assistance from the police, Dani’s mother (Elisabeth Harnois) and an ex-prostitute (Erica Ash) take to the streets in an effort to find her before it is too late.

July 12

“Sword of Trust” – Directed by Lynn Shelton; Written by Lynn Shelton and Michael Patrick O’Brien (Available on VOD July 19)

Cynthia (Jillian Bell) and Mary (Michaela Watkins) show up to collect Cynthia’s inheritance from her deceased grandfather, but the only item she’s received is an antique sword that was believed by her grandfather to be proof that the South won the Civil War.

“Firecrackers” – Written and Directed by Jasmin Mozaffari (Also Available on VOD)

Lou (Michaela Kurimsky) and her best friend Chantal (Karena Evans) plan to get out of their isolated, run-down town and move to a city far, far away. When Chantal’s unstable and possessive ex violates her during a night of partying, the girls decide to exact their revenge on him through a night of vandalism and debauchery. The consequences of their actions are devastating, threatening the girls’ chances of ever leaving. The more Lou fights tooth-and-nail to save her friendship and hold onto her dreams, the more she spins out of control as she begins to realize that freedom will come at a high cost.

“The Sweet Requiem” – Directed by Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam (Opens in NY)

Dolkar (Tenzin Dolker) is a 26-year-old living in exile in Delhi. An unexpected encounter with a figure from her past sets off a flurry of memories she had long repressed regarding the journey that brought her here. Dolkar was only eight when she and her father left their Tibetan home in a desperate attempt to start anew in a safer land. As memories of what became a disastrous expedition take shape, Dolkar resolves to confront the man she believes is responsible.

“Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable” (Documentary) – Written by Carol Martori and Aaron Lieber

Bethany Hamilton lost her arm to a tiger shark at age 13, but this didn’t stop her from pursuing her dream of becoming a professional surfer. However, it wasn’t only the competition that fueled her desire to stay in the big blue, but her love for the ocean. Not only has she conquered the giant walls but also the journey of being a mother — all with only one arm. She inspires and she never stops.

“Darlin’” – Written and Directed by Pollyanna McIntosh (Also Available on VOD)

“Darlin'”: SXSW

Found at a Catholic hospital filthy and ferocious, feral teenager Darlin’ is whisked off to a care home run by The Bishop and his obedient nuns where she is to be tamed into a “good girl.” However, Darlin’ holds a secret darker than the “sins” she is threatened with, and she is not traveling alone. The Woman, equally fierce and feral, who raised her is ever present and is determined to come for her no matter who tries to step in her way. (SXSW)

“American Heretics: The Politics of the Gospel” (Documentary) – Directed by Jeanine Isabel Butler

“American Heretics: The Politics of the Gospel” takes audiences into the buckle of Bible Belt, where a group of defiant Oklahomans are rising up to challenge deeply rooted fundamentalist Christian doctrine. Labeled as “heretics” for their beliefs and actions, they refuse to wield their faith as a sword sharpened by literal interpretations of the Bible. Especially those interpretations that continue to justify nationalism and hack away at landmark civil rights protections for women, minorities, immigrants, and the LGBTQ communities. These American Heretics are still interested in saving you from hell, but it’s the earthly one, where poverty, discrimination, and nationalism oppress those “who are the least among us.”

It’s been a year since her older sister’s murder, and Echo is still far from being completely alright. Echo (Laura Marano) has been trying her hardest to be the strong one, while her mother takes too many antidepressants and her father works too much. Now, at the start of her freshmen year of high school, Echo receives an unlikely gift from Zoë’s old boyfriend: her diary. Echo is hesitant to read it but can’t put it down after she gets caught up in Zoë’s secret life.

July 19

“Above the Shadows” – Written and Directed by Claudia Myers (Also Available on VOD)

After nearly 10 years of fading into the shadows, Holly (Olivia Thirlby) spends her life invisible to most people. She then discovers that an ex-MMA fighter named Shayne (Alan Ritchson) can still see her. After discovering that it was partly her fault that Shayne has lost everything, she makes it a point to correct her mistakes before she fades away forever.

“Varda by Agnès” (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Agnès Varda (Opens in the UK)

An unpredictable documentary from a fascinating storyteller, Agnès Varda’s new feature documentary sheds light on her experience as a director, bringing a personal insight to what she calls “cine-writing.”

“Gwen” (Opens in the UK)

In the stark beauty of 19th-century Snowdonia, a young girl tries desperately to hold her home together, struggling with her mother’s mysterious illness, her father’s absence, and a ruthless mining company encroaching on their land. A growing darkness begins to take grip of her home, and the suspicious local community turns on Gwen and her family.

July 22

“This Changes Everything” (Documentary) (Screening One Night Only in Select Theaters)

Told first-hand by some of Hollywood’s leading voices in front of and behind the camera, “This Changes Everything” takes an incisive look into the history, empirical evidence, and systemic forces that foster gender discrimination and thus reinforce disparity in our culture. Most importantly, the film seeks pathways and solutions from within and outside the industry, as well as around the world.

July 26

“For Sama” (Documentary) – Directed by Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts (Opens in NY, LA, and SF)

“For Sama” is both an intimate and epic journey into the female experience of war. A love letter from a young mother to her daughter, the film tells the story of Waad Al-Kateab’s life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married, and gives birth to Sama, all while cataclysmic conflict rises around her. Her camera captures incredible stories of loss, laughter, and survival as Waad wrestles with an impossible choice — whether or not to flee the city to protect her daughter’s life, when leaving means abandoning the struggle for freedom for which she has already sacrificed so much. 

“Honeyland” (Documentary) – Directed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov

“Honeyland”

Nestled in an isolated mountain region deep within the Balkans, Hatidze Muratova lives with her ailing mother in a village without roads, electricity, or running water. She’s the last in a long line of Macedonian wild beekeepers, eking out a living farming honey in small batches to be sold in the closest city — a mere four hours’ walk away. Hatidze’s peaceful existence is thrown into upheaval by the arrival of an itinerant family, with their roaring engines, seven rambunctious children, and herd of cattle. Hatidze optimistically meets the promise of change with an open heart, offering up her affections, her brandy, and her tried-and-true beekeeping advice. It doesn’t take long however, before Hussein, the itinerant family’s patriarch, senses opportunity and develops an interest in selling his own honey. Hussein has seven young mouths to feed and nowhere to graze his cattle, and he soon casts Hatidze’s advice aside in his hunt for profit. This causes a breach in the natural order that provokes a conflict with Hatidze that exposes the fundamental tension between nature and humanity, harmony and discord, exploitation and sustainability.

“Astronaut” – Written and Directed by Shelagh McLeod

A lonely widower (Richard Dreyfuss) battles his family, ill health, and time to win a competition for a golden ticket to space.

“See You Soon” – Written by Jenia Tanaeva and Mike Cestari

A U.S. soccer star suffers a career-threatening injury in the run-up to the World Cup, and during his recovery, embarks on an epic romance with a Russian single mom.

“Share” – Written and Directed by Pippa Bianco (Premieres on HBO)

“Share”: HBO

“Share” is an intimate portrait of Mandy (Rhianne Barreto), a 16-year-old athlete whose world is upended when she discovers a disturbing video from a night she doesn’t remember. As the video — which features a vulnerable, unconscious Mandy — begins to circulate among her community, Mandy desperately attempts to recover her memories of that night, while navigating the throes of an invasive public debate. By turns illuminating and disorienting, “Share” follows Mandy’s search for the truth, which is made even more difficult by the concern, anger, and denial of her family and peers, who have competing expectations for how she should deal with the fallout of the video and what did — or didn’t — happen.