by Kate Gardner and Rachel Montpelier
From tense horror films to powerful documentaries, the diversity of films this September shows that films by and about women span all genres and tell fascinating stories.
The month starts off with several spooky offerings such as “Antibirth,” a terrifying film about a young woman (Natasha Lyonne) whose hard-partying lifestyle is interrupted when she wakes up with the symptoms of an unexpected and highly abnormal pregnancy. As her due date gets closer and closer, she begins to grow fearful of who or what is growing inside her.
Cinematographer Kirsten Johnson takes the director’s chair with “Cameraperson.” Johnson’s career has included films such as “Trapped,” Citizenfour,” and “The Invisible War”; her latest venture is a documentary that features highlights from footage she’s recorded over the course of twenty years in the business.
Everyone’s favorite diarist returns in “Bridget Jones’s Baby,” directed by Sharon Maguire and co-written by Helen Fielding and Emma Thompson. Renée Zellweger reprises her role as Bridget, who now finds herself with an unplanned pregnancy and the choice between her former flame Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and new suitor Jack (Patrick Dempsey). Unsure of who is the father of her unborn child, Bridget faces what might be the hardest decision of her life.
Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, alongside newcomer Madina Nalwanga and David Oyelowo, star in Mira Nair’s biopic “Queen of Katwe.” Nalwanga plays ten-year-old Phiona, a ten-year-old girl who falls in love with chess after a missionary (Oyelowo) teaches her the game. A prodigy, Phiona begins to rise through the ranks at tournaments as her mother (Nyong’o) helps her reach her full, extraordinary potential and save her family.
September ends with the powerful film “Denial”, based on the book “History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier.” Rachel Weisz stars as Deborah E. Lipstadt, an academic who is accused of libel when she declared David Irving (Timothy Spall) a Holocaust denier. Lipstadt and her legal team were then challenged to prove that the Holocaust did occur.
Here is a list of women-centric, directed, and written films being released in September. All descriptions are from press materials, unless stated otherwise.
September 2
“Yoga Hosers”
Fifteen-year-old yoga-nuts Colleen Collette (Lily-Rose Depp) and Colleen McKenzie (Harley Quinn Smith) love their smartphones and hate their after school job at Manitoban convenience store Eh-2-Zed. But when an ancient evil rises from beneath Canada’s crust and threatens their big invitation to a Grade 12 party, the Colleens join forces with the legendary man-hunter from Montreal named Guy Lapointe (Johnny Depp) to fight for their lives with all seven Chakras, one Warrior Pose at a time.
“Morgan”
A corporate troubleshooter (Kate Mara) is sent to a remote, top-secret location, where she is to investigate and evaluate a terrifying accident. She learns the event was triggered by a seemingly innocent “human,” who presents a mystery of both infinite promise and incalculable danger. Rose Leslie, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Jennifer Jason Leigh also star.
“White Girl” — Written and Directed by Elizabeth Wood (Opens in NY; Opens in LA September 16)
Street-wise college girl Leah (Morgan Saylor) becomes romantically involved with her charming drug dealer Blue (Brian “Sene” Marc) in New York City, but their fast life of luxury comes crashing down when Blue is arrested and Leah is left with his large stash of cocaine.
“Naam Hai Akira”
A woman (Sonakshi Sinha)attending college in Mumbai uses her martial-arts skills to take down a group of criminals.
“Antibirth” (Opens in NY) (Opens September 9 in LA) (Also Available on VOD)
Hard-drinking, pill-popping, bong-ripping Lou (Natasha Lyonne) and her best friend Sadie (Chloë Sevigny) spend their days adrift in a druggy haze. But one wild night out becomes a bad trip that never ends when Lou wakes up with symptoms of an unexplained, highly abnormal pregnancy. Who — or what — is growing inside her? As her due date approaches with alarming swiftness, the fear, paranoia, and conspiracy theories begin to pile up.
September 9
“London Road” — Written by Alecky Blythe
Based on true events that occurred in 2006, when the town of Ipswich was shattered by the discovery of the bodies of five women. The residents of London Road had struggled for years with frequent soliciting and curb-crawling on their street. When a local resident was charged, and then convicted, of the murders, the community grappled with what it meant to be at the epicenter of this tragedy. Using their own words set to an innovative musical score, “London Road” tells a moving story of ordinary people coming together during the darkest of experiences.
“Author: The JT LeRoy Story” (Documentary)
On January 9, 2006 The New York Times sent shockwaves through the literary world when it unmasked “it boy” wunderkind JT LeRoy, whose tough prose about a sordid childhood had captivated icons and luminaries internationally. It turned out LeRoy didn’t actually exist. He was the creative expression of 40-year-old San Francisco phone-sex operator turned housewife, Laura Albert. “Author: The JT LeRoy Story” takes us down the infinitely fascinating rabbit hole of how Laura Albert breathed not only words, but life, into her avatar for a decade. As she recounts this astonishing odyssey, Albert also reveals the intricate web spun by irrepressible creative forces within her. Her extended and layered JT LeRoy performance still infuriates many; but according to Albert, channeling her brilliant fiction through another identity was the only possible path to self-expression.
“As I Open My Eyes” — Directed by Leyla Bouzid; Written by Leyla Bouzid and Marie-Sophie Chambon (Opens in NY; Opens in LA September 30)
Tradition butts up against progress in Leyla Bouzid’s debut feature “As I Open My Eyes,” a musically charged French-Tunisian film that follows a young woman (Baya Medhaffar) in a band as she navigates familial, cultural, and social ideals in the build up to the Jasmine Revolution in Tunis.
“Ithaca” — Directed by Meg Ryan
When his older brother (Jack Quaid) leaves to fight in WWII, 14-year-old Homer Macauley (Alex Neustaedter) takes on a job as a bicycle telegraph messenger to provide for his widowed mother (Meg Ryan) and his siblings (Christine Nelson and Spencer Howell). Homer delivers messages of love, hope, pain, and death to the good people of Ithaca, but soon must grapple with a message that will change him forever.
“Cameraperson” (Documentary) — Directed by Kirsten Johnson (Opens in NY; Opens in LA September 23)
Cinematographer Kirsten Johnson is the woman who shot “Two Towns of Jasper,” “Pray the Devil Back to Hell,” “The Oath,” and “Happy Valley,” among many others. With “Cameraperson” she presents an extraordinary and deeply poetic documentary of her own, which investigates what it means to film and be filmed. (Sundance Film Festival)
“Come What May” — Co-Written by Laure Irrmann
May 1940: German forces roll into France. Led by their reluctant mayor (Olivier Gourmet), the inhabitants of a small Northern French village are forced to flee along with millions of others throughout the country. The villagers take with them a German child whose father (August Diehl) opposed the Nazi regime and has been jailed for lying about his nationality. The father escapes into the fog of war in search of his son, accompanied by a Scottish soldier (Matthew Rhys) who is trying to get back to England.
September 16
“Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four” (Documentary) — Directed by Deborah S. Esquenazi (Opens in NY; Opens in LA September 30)
“Southwest of Salem” highlights the ongoing injustice that “The San Antonio Four” — Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez — are still enduring. They are four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of gang-raping two little girls in San Antonio, Texas. However, the evidence was never there. The San Antonio Four continues to fight against mythology, faux-science, homophobia, and the prosecutorial fervor in their continuous struggle for exoneration in this riveting documentary.
“Bridget Jones’s Baby” — Directed by Sharon Maguire; Co-Written by Helen Fielding and Emma Thompson
After breaking up with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), Bridget Jones’s (Renée Zellweger) “happily ever after” hasn’t quite gone according to plan. Fortysomething and single again, she decides to focus on her job as a top news producer and surround herself with old friends and new. Then her love life takes a turn and Bridget meets a dashing American named Jack (Patrick Dempsey), the suitor who is everything Mr. Darcy is not. In an unlikely twist she finds herself pregnant, but with one hitch…she can only be 50 percent sure of the identity of her baby’s father.
“Tanna”
“Tanna” is set in the South Pacific where Wawa (Marie Wawa), a young girl from one of the last traditional tribes, falls in love with her chief’s grandson, Dain (Mungau Dain). When an intertribal war escalates, Wawa is unknowingly betrothed as part of a peace deal. The young lovers run away, but are pursued by enemy warriors intent on killing them. They must choose between their hearts and the future of the tribe, while the villagers must wrestle with preserving their traditional culture and adapting it to the increasing outside demands for individual freedom.
“Finding Altamira” — Co-Written by Olivia Hetreed (Also Available on VOD)
In 1879, Spanish archaeologist Marcelino (Antonio Banderas) and his daughter Maria (Allegra Allen) discover seemingly impossible paintings of galloping bison adorning the walls of a hidden cave. The cave of Altamira brings the world together in amazement, drawing people of all types to see the paintings in person. But, Marcelino soon realizes that the art on the walls must be 10,000 years old, earlier than anyone believes possible. The theory threatens to tear Maria and Marcelino’s family apart, while the outside world’s astonishment soon turns to fury and fear.
“Miss Stevens” — Co-Written and Directed by Julia Hart
Stuck at a crossroads in her personal life, it falls on Miss Stevens (Lily Rabe) to chaperone three of her students — Billy (Timothée Chalamet), Margot (Lili Reinhart), and Sam (Anthony Quintal) — on a weekend trip to a drama competition. Exploring the fine line between being a grown up and being a kid, “Miss Stevens” is about students becoming teachers and teachers realizing that the messiness of youth never really goes away.
“Mr. Church” — Written by Susan McMartin
A dying mother (Natascha McElhone) finds that she is unable to continue caring for her young daughter Charlotte on her own, and so retains the services of one Henry Joseph Church (Eddie Murphy) to look after the girl. Mr. Church is an expert chef and immediately takes a shine to his precocious new ward. What began as a temporary arrangement blooms into a lifelong friendship between the talented chef and the maturing young woman (Britt Robertson). However, as time passes, Charlotte’s curiosity about her mysterious friend will push the limits of their bond. (Tribeca Film Festival)
“Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?” (Opens in NY and Phoenix; Opens in LA and Washington, DC September 23)
After some boys in a small Texas town bring a gun to school and accidentally shoot it off, Jenna (Andrea Anders) decides to take a stand and ignite a movement to get rid of all the guns in town. With the help of her female friends, they convince all the women in town to withhold sex from their husbands until they agree to give up their guns. As tensions — and libidos — rise, the men and women of Rockford must decide what’s really important: keeping the peace or getting a piece.
September 19
“A Family Affair” (Documentary)
On his 30th birthday, Tom Fassaert receives a mysterious invitation from his 95-year-old grandmother Marianne to come visit her in South Africa. At that time, the only thing he knows about her are the myths and predominantly negative stories his father told him. She was a femme fatale who went through countless men, a famous model in the 1950s, and a mother that put her two sons into a children’s home. Fassaert decides to accept her invitation. But when his grandmother makes an unexpected confession, his venture becomes much more complicated than he could ever have imagined.
September 23
“The Dressmaker” — Written and Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse
“The Dressmaker” tells the story of the beautiful and talented Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet). After years of working as a dressmaker in exclusive Parisian fashion houses, Tilly returns home to a town in the Australian outback to reconcile with her eccentric mother Molly (Judy Davis). Armed with her sewing machine and haute couture style, Tilly transforms the women of the town, exacting sweet revenge on those who did her wrong.
“Beauty And The Beast” (“La Belle et la Bête”) — Co-Written by Sandra Vo-Anh
In 1810, a financially-ruined merchant (André Dussollier) exiles himself in the countryside with his six children. Among them is Belle (Léa Seydoux), his youngest daughter, a joyful girl full of grace. One day, during an arduous journey, the merchant stumbles across the magical domain of the Beast (Vincent Cassel), who sentences him to death for stealing a rose. Feeling responsible for the terrible fate which has befallen her family, Belle decides to sacrifice herself and take her father’s place. At the Beast’s castle, it is not death that awaits Belle, but a strange life in which fantastical moments mingle with gaiety and melancholy. When night falls, the Beast’s past is revealed to her bit by bit in her dreams. Armed with her courage, ignoring every danger, and opening her heart, Belle manages to release the Beast from his curse. And in doing so, she discovers true love.
“Queen of Katwe” — Directed by Mira Nair
For ten-year-old Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga) and her family, life in the impoverished slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle. Her mother, Harriet (Lupita Nyong’o), is fiercely determined to take care of her family and works tirelessly selling vegetables in the market. When Phiona meets Robert Katende (David Oyelowo), a soccer player turned missionary who teaches local children chess, she is captivated. As Phiona begins to succeed in local chess competitions, Katende teaches her to read and write. She quickly advances through the ranks in tournaments, but breaks away from her family to focus on her own life. Her mother eventually realizes that Phiona has a chance to excel and teams up with Katende to help her daughter fulfill her extraordinary potential, escape a life of poverty, and save her family.
“Dirty 30” — Co-Written by Mamrie Hart and Molly Prather (Also Available on VOD)
Lifelong friends Kate (Mamrie Hart), Evie (Grace Helbig), and Charlie (Hannah Hart) are in a rut. Kate spends her days at a middling job and her nights alone or on failed dates. Evie is married with the in-laws from hell, wandering from one charitable cause to the next. Charlie has the girl of her dreams but just can’t seem to pull her business (or her act) together. On the eve of Kate’s 30th birthday, she agrees to let Evie and Charlie throw her a party. But what’s supposed to be a simple celebration becomes a wild who’s who of past and present, and things quickly spiral out of control.
“Girl Asleep” — Directed by Rosemary Myers (Opens in LA; Opens in NY September 30)
In this vibrant portrayal of Australian adolescence, Greta Driscoll’s (Bethany Whitmore) bubble of obscure loserdom is burst when her parents throw her a surprise 15th birthday party and invite the whole school. Perfectly content being a wallflower, suddenly Greta’s flung far from her comfort zone into a distant, parallel place — a strange world that’s a little frightening and a lot weird, but where can she find herself.
“Generation Startup” (Documentary) — Directed by Cheryl Miller Houser and Cynthia Wade
“Generation Startup” takes us to the front lines of entrepreneurship in America, capturing the struggles and triumphs of six recent college graduates who put everything on the line to build startups in Detroit. Shot over 17 months, it’s an honest, in-the-trenches look at what it takes to launch a startup.
“My Blind Brother” — Written and Directed by Sophie Goodhart
Bill (Nick Kroll) has always lived in the shadow of his brother Robbie (Adam Scott), a handsome athlete and local hero who happens to be blind. Their sibling rivalry reaches a fever pitch when both men fall for the same woman (Jenny Slate).
“Audrie & Daisy” (Documentary) — Co-Directed by Bonni Cohen (Also Available on Netflix)
Audrie and Daisy, two high school girls in different towns across America, were sexually assaulted by boys they thought were their friends. Both girls experienced social media bullying and were stigmatized — and both attempted suicide. Tragically, Audrie takes her own life, but Daisy survives. By juxtaposing their stories and drawing connections between the two teenage girls, filmmakers Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk illuminate the larger societal epidemic of sexual assault that has been exacerbated by today’s technologies. (Sundance Film Festival)
September 28
“Sand Storm” — Written and Directed by Elite Zexer
Desert noon in a Bedouin village in Southern Israel. Jalila (Ruba Blal) is hosting an awkward celebration — the marriage of her husband to a second, much younger wife — while trying to conceal the insult that boils inside her. Her daughter Layla (Lamis Ammar) is preoccupied with a different matter: her secret, strictly forbidden, love affair with Anuar was just discovered. Jalila believes that the world is harsh and cruel; the only way to win is to keep your mouth shut, your head as high as possible, and struggle within the traditional world’s limits. Layla believes that there are no limits to the world surrounding her; everything can be hers if she wishes hard enough. When their family falls apart and everything they believe in shatters, the two women are forced to start seeing the world from each other’s eyes.
September 30
“American Honey” — Written and Directed by Andrea Arnold
Star (Sasha Lane), an adolescent girl from a troubled home, runs away with a traveling sales crew who drive across the American Midwest selling subscriptions door to door. Finding her feet in this gang of teenagers, one of whom is Jake (Shia LaBeouf), she soon gets into the group’s lifestyle of hard-partying nights, law-bending days, and young love.
“Masterminds” — Co-Written by Emily Spivey
David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) is an uncomplicated man stuck in a monotonous life. The only glimmer of excitement is his flirtatious work crush Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) who soon lures him into the scheme of a lifetime. Along with a group of half-brained criminals led by Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) and an absurdly faulted heist plan, David manages the impossible and makes off with $17 million in cash…the only problem is he foolishly hands the money over to this wild group of double crossers and is set up to take the fall. Now on the lam and in over his head, David must dodge the authorities, evade hilarious hit man Mike McKinney (Jason Sudeikis), and try to turn the tables on the ones he trusted most.
“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” — Written by Jane Goldman
When Jake (Asa Butterfield) discovers clues to a mystery that spans different worlds and times, he finds a magical place known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. But the mystery and danger deepen as he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers — and their powerful enemies. Ultimately, Jake discovers that only his own special “peculiarity” can save his new friends.
“Maximum Ride” — Co-Written by Angelique Hanus
Six children genetically crossbred with avian DNA, complete with wings, take flight around the country to discover their origins.
“The Blackcoat’s Daughter” (Also Available on DirecTV)
A deeply atmospheric and terrifying new horror film, “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” centers on Kat (Kiernan Shipka) and Rose (Lucy Boynton), two girls who are left alone at their prep school Bramford over winter break when their parents mysteriously fail to pick them up. While the girls experience increasingly strange and creepy occurrences at the isolated school, we cross cut to another story — that of Joan (Emma Roberts), a troubled young woman on the road, who, for unknown reasons, is determined to get to Bramford as fast as she can. As Joan gets closer to the school, Kat becomes plagued by progressively intense and horrifying visions, with Rose doing her best to help her new friend as she slips further and further into the grasp of an unseen evil force.
“Denial”
Based on the acclaimed book “History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier,” “Denial” recounts Deborah E. Lipstadt’s (Rachel Weisz) legal battle for historical truth against David Irving (Timothy Spall), who accused her of libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier. In the English legal system, the burden of proof is on the accused, and it was up to Lipstadt and her legal team to prove the essential truth that the Holocaust occurred.
“Long Way North”(Opens in NY and LA)
Sacha (Christa Théret), a young girl from the Russian aristocracy, has always been fascinated by the adventurous life of her grandfather Oloukine (Féodor Atkine), a renowned scientist and Arctic explorer, and dreams of following in his footsteps. But Sacha’s parents, who have already made arrangements for her marriage, strongly disapprove of the idea. Defying her destiny, Sacha flees from her home and launches an adventure-filled quest toward the Great North in search of Oloukine and his ship.
“Milton’s Secret” — Co-Written by Sara B. Cooper
Milton Adams (William Ainscough) is stressed. It’s no picnic being 11-years-old in a world that is growing more uncertain every day. Milton’s mom and dad argue every night as their careers and financial security unravel around them, his community is in crisis, and, to top it all off, he is tormented by the neighborhood bully. When his Grandpa (Donald Sutherland) comes to visit, Milton discovers that rehashing bad experiences and worrying about the future only make things worse. With a little practice, Milton learns his Grandpa’s secret for coping: most things have a surprising way of working out when you flow with the power of now.
