Due to the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent restrictions, Women and Hollywood is shifting its focus to online content. We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.
(Please keep in mind that these dates are subject to change.)
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
Selah and The Spades – Written and Directed by Tayarisha Poe
Meet your new favorite anti-heroine: Selah Summers (Lovie Simone), the dominant, intelligent, furious protagonist of “Selah and The Spades,” Tayarisha Poe’s feature directorial debut. Selah leads the most powerful underground clique at the prestigious Haldwell boarding school. Since Haldwell’s teachers and administrators are basically useless, Selah essentially runs the entire school, too. For Selah, presiding over Haldwell is her way of finding and wielding her own power. She’s all too aware that women’s lives aren’t really their own; their autonomy is constantly challenged, weakened, and harnessed. So, she’ll seize influence and control wherever she can, however she can. And if someone crosses her, she’ll make sure they regret it. (Rachel Montpelier)
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Tayarisha Poe.
“Selah and The Spades” is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Beyond the Visible – Hilma af Klint (Documentary) – Directed by Halina Dyrschka
“Beyond the Visible”
“Beyond the Visible” is the story of a visionary artist whose talent, intellect, and dedication to her craft produced a prolific body of work unlike any other. Inspired by spiritualism, science, and the natural world, Hilma af Klint painted astonishingly contemporary microcosms of color and form. Halina Dryschka’s documentary is an exploration of how such an exceptional woman could be so frustratingly erased from the art world, written out by an industry dominated by the idea of male “genius.”
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Halina Dyrschka.
“Beyond the Visible – Hilma af Klint” is now virtually screening via Kino Marquee.
Endings, Beginnings – Written by Jardine Libaire and Drake Doremus
In Los Angeles, Daphne (Shailene Woodley), a 30-something woman, navigates love and heartbreak over the course of one year. Daphne becomes intertwined with friends Jack (Jamie Dornan) and Frank (Sebastian Stan) after meeting them at a party. During that time, she will unlock the secrets to her life in a sudden turn of events and in the most surprising of places.
“Endings, Beginnings” is now available for purchase on VOD platforms including Apple TV. Find more viewing info here.
The Turning – Directed by Floria Sigismondi
“The Turning”: Patrick Redmond/Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures
Inspired by Henry James’ landmark novel, “The Turning” takes us to a mysterious estate in the Maine countryside, where newly appointed nanny Kate (Mackenzie Davis) is charged with the care of two disturbed orphans, Flora (Brooklynn Prince) and Miles (Finn Wolfhard). Quickly though, she discovers that both the children and the house are harboring dark secrets and things may not be as they appear.
“The Turning” is now available for purchase on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon. It will be available for rent April 21. Find more viewing info here.
Extra Ordinary – Written by Maeve Higgins, Mike Ahern, Enda Loughman, and Demian Fox
Rose (Maeve Higgins), a mostly sweet and lonely Irish driving instructor, must use her supernatural talents to save the daughter of Martin (Barry Ward) — also mostly sweet and lonely — from a washed-up rock star who is using her in a Satanic pact to reignite his fame.
“Extra Ordinary” is now available for purchase on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon.
What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael (Documentary)
“What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael”
It may be surprising to some folks not steeped in 20th-century film history that, arguably, its most famous critic was a woman. Pauline Kael was hugely influential. She wrote for The New Yorker and was loved and hated by many filmmakers during the ’60s and ’70s. She argued. She was outspoken and appeared on TV many times to duke it out with other critics. While she had movies she adored and movies she loathed, she clearly loved being a critic. She helped launch careers. She took film seriously and wrote beautiful criticism. “What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael” really brings the wonder of this woman’s opinion to life. (Melissa Silverstein)
“What She Said” is now available for rent via Film Forum’s Virtual Cinema.
Beanpole
“Beanpole”
First-time actresses Viktoria Miroshnichenko and Vasilisa Perelygina lead the audience into a perfect storm of friendship, guilt, obligation, jealousy, and love in “Beanpole.” The Russian film is about the wounds created by war — as well as the ones we inflict on ourselves. As such, this post-WWII drama packs quite a punch. Iya (Miroshnichenko), nicknamed “Beanpole” due to her tall stature, suffers a personal tragedy shortly before her best friend, Masha (Perelygina), returns from her stint in the army. No spoilers, but suffice to say Iya’s hardships directly affect Masha too. Masha doesn’t blame Iya for their circumstances — or does she? — but rather decides her friend owes her. What follows almost feels like a horror movie. We see the heroines become entangled in something awful, but we are powerless to stop it. So are they. (RM)
“Beanpole” is now available for rent via Film Forum’s Virtual Cinema.
Darcy – Directed by Heidi Philipsen and Jon Russell Cring; Written by Tracy Nichole Cring and Jon Russell Cring
Darcy (Gus Birney) is an idealistic 15-year-old living on the edge of town, in her family’s down-and-out motel, where the justice system dumps its trash. The prostitutes, the addicts, the malcontents inside each room have their own stories and secrets and Darcy’s fate is interwoven with theirs. Frustrated by her life yet feeling too powerless to change it for the better, Darcy finds hope in Luke (Johnathan Tchaikovsky), a mysterious and alluring stranger who checks into the motel and encourages her to explore her dreams. She then finds herself with a choice: remain in the world she knows or move forward into an unknown future.
“Darcy” is now available for rent on Herflix.
Behind You
Two young sisters, sent to live with their estranged aunt, find that all the mirrors in her house are covered or hidden. When one of the sisters happens upon a mirror in the basement, she unknowingly releases a malicious demon that had haunted her mother and aunt years ago.
“Behind You” is now available for rent or purchase on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon.
The Legacy of the Bones
A year after solving a series of murders, detective Amaia Salazar (Marta Etura) is faced with a related mystery in the Baztán Valley that ends up hitting very close to home.
“The Legacy of the Bones” is now streaming on Netflix.
Party Hard, Die Young – Written by Karin Lomot and Robert Buchschwenter
It’s supposed to be the party of their lives. But for Julia (Elisabeth Wabitsch) and her friends, a graduation trip turns into a horror trip, from which not everyone will return.
“Party Hard, Die Young” will be available on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon on April 21.
The Plagues of Breslau – Written by Sylwia Koperska-Mrozinska and Patryk Vega
After a body is found sewn inside a cow hide, a Wrocław detective (Malgorzata Kozuchowska) discovers a killer is recreating an 18th-century “plague” of criminal punishments.
“The Plagues of Breslau” will begin streaming on Netflix April 22.
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON STREAMING/VOD
“Sea Fever”
Sea Fever – Written and Directed by Neasa Hardiman (VOD)
Stray Dolls – Directed by Sonejuhi Sinha; Written by Sonejuhi Sinha and Charlotte Rabate (VOD)
Fleabag Live (Taped Theater Production) – Directed by Vicky Jones; Written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Amazon Prime, Soho Theatre On Demand)
Tape – Written and Directed by Deborah Kampmeier (VOD)
The Rhythm Section – Directed by Reed Morano (VOD)
Misbehaviour – Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe; Written by Rebecca Frayn and Gaby Chiappe (UK) (VOD)
Blush – Written and Directed by Debra Eisenstadt (VOD)
The Lost Husband – Written and Directed by Vicky Wight (VOD)
The Other Lamb – Directed by Malgorzata Szumowska; Written by Catherine S. McMullen (VOD)
Never Rarely Sometimes Always – Written and Directed by Eliza Hittman (VOD)
Little Women – Written and Directed by Greta Gerwig (VOD)
Invisible Life – Written by Inés Bortagaray, Karim Aïnouz, and Murilo Hauser (Amazon Prime)
Lazy Susan – Written by Carrie Aizley, Darlene Hunt, and Sean Hayes (VOD)
Like a Boss (VOD)
There’s Something in the Water (Documentary) – Directed by Ellen Page and Ian Daniel (Netflix)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire – Written and Directed by Céline Sciamma (Hulu)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (VOD)
The Perfect Candidate – Directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour; Written by Haifaa Al-Mansour and Brad Niemann (UK) (VOD)
Military Wives – Written by Rachel Tunnard and Rosanne Flynn (UK) (VOD)
Banana Split – Written by Hannah Marks and Joey Power (VOD)
Home (Documentary) – Directed by Jen Randall (UK) (VOD)
Blow The Man Down – Written and Directed by Danielle Krudy and Bridget Savage Cole (Amazon Prime)
Emma. – Directed by Autumn de Wilde; Written by Eleanor Catton (VOD)
Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) – Directed by Cathy Yan; Written by Christina Hodson (VOD)
Clemency – Written and Directed by Chinonye Chukwu (VOD)
The Invisible Man (VOD)
The Hunt (VOD)
Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears – Written by Deborah Cox (Acorn TV)
Asako I & II – Written by Sachiko Tanaka and Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (VOD)
The Grudge (VOD)
Lost Girls – Directed by Liz Garbus (Netflix)
Justine – Written and Directed by Stephanie Turner (Netflix)
Ride Like a Girl – Directed by Rachel Griffiths; Written by Elise McCredie and Andrew Knight (VOD)
Go Back to China – Written and Directed by Emily Ting (VOD)
Swallow (VOD)
Bombshell (VOD)
Frozen II – Directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck; Written by Jennifer Lee (Disney+, VOD)
Judy (VOD)
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
20th Century Woman: The Documentary Films of Lee Grant (Retrospective)
Hope Runs High Films presents the documentary films of Academy Award winner Lee Grant. Featuring Best Documentary Oscar-winner “Down and Out in America,” “When Women Kill,” “Battered,” and Grant’s groundbreaking 1985 exploration of the trans experience, “What Sex Am I?” Also available are “A Father…A Son…Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Grant’s inside look at Kirk and Michael Douglas’ Hollywood Dynasty, and “The Willmar 8.” Most of these films have been largely unavailable since their release, until now.
The “20th Century Woman” retrospective is now virtually screening in partnership with independent theaters, art-houses, and multiplex chains. Find viewing info here.
Circus of Books (Documentary) – Directed by Rachel Mason
“Circus of Books”
In 1976, Karen and Barry Mason had fallen on hard times and were looking for a way to support their young family when they answered an ad in the Los Angeles Times. What was expected to be a brief sideline led to their becoming fully immersed in the LGBT community as they took over a local store, Circus of Books. A decade later, they had become the biggest distributors of gay porn in the U.S. “Circus of Books” offers a rare glimpse into an untold chapter of queer history, and it is told through the lense of the owners’ own daughter, Rachel Mason.
“Circus of Books” will begin streaming on Netflix April 22.
Pot Luck (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Jane Wells
Five years after the people of Colorado voted to legalize recreational cannabis, “Pot Luck” presents a colorful cast of locals including businessmen, budtenders, barbers, cops, and farmers, who all share a stake in the brand new world of legalized pot. Gathering their stories and experiences the film looks beyond the headlines and hysteria and asks: Is this blazed new world a good one? Have the injustices of the war on drugs been addressed? Is drug crime down? What about personal liberty and access to alternative health care? Is legalization synonymous with greater social justice?
“Pot Luck” is now available for rent or purchase on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon. Find more viewing info here.
Abe – Written by Lameece Isaaq and Jacob Kader
Twelve-year-old Abe (Noah Schnapp) is an aspiring chef who wants his cooking to bring people together — but his half-Israeli, half-Palestinian family has never had a meal that didn’t end in a fight. Ditching his traditional summer camp, Abe begins working with Chico (Seu Jorge), an adventurous street chef who encourages him to think outside his old cuisine. But when Abe’s deceit is uncovered, he must grapple with his family, his background, and his passions, and whether even the most lovingly-cooked family dinner can heal old wounds.
“Abe” is now available for rent or purchase on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon.
The Bet – Written and Directed by Joan Carr-Wiggin
A woman (Natasha Little) makes a bet with her husband (Colin Salmon) that she can get the next man she sees to propose. Enter Albert (Douglas Hodge), a lonely, eccentric man who believes he will never be loved.
“The Bet” is now available for rent or purchase on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon. Find more viewing info here.
Bad Therapy – Written by Nancy Doyne
Married couple Bob and Susan Howard (Rob Corddry and Alicia Silverstone) decide to see a marriage counselor named Judy Small (Michaela Watkins), who recently relocated close to their home in Los Angeles. When Bob and Susan first meet Judy, she appears competent, intelligent, and trustworthy, with a track record of other couples that she’s treated successfully without incident. But Bob and Susan’s particular emotional dynamic is a trigger for Judy’s dark and conflicted impulses. Suggesting that she see them separately, Judy subtly puts them at odds with one another and brings their marriage to the breaking point in a comically escalating series of manipulations.
“Bad Therapy” is now available for rent or purchase on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon.
Other Music (Documentary) – Directed by Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller
In the summer of 2016, New York City lost a beloved and influential hub of independent music culture. Other Music — located on East 4th Street between Broadway and Lafayette in the heart of Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood — was more than just a store that sold CDs, records, tapes, and magazines. It was a place where bands were formed, record labels were born, and careers were launched. And it was the place where a generation of New Yorkers at the dawn of the Internet age went to discover groundbreaking music by artists who would go on to become household names and underground icons: Animal Collective, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, the National, Interpol, TV On The Radio, Regina Spektor, William Basinski, and countless others.
Independent record stores and theaters are now hosting virtual screenings of “Other Music.” Find specific viewing info here.
L’Innocente (Re-Release) – Written by Suso Cecchi D’Amico, Luchino Visconti, and Enrico Medioli
“L’Innocente”: Archives du 7e Art/Rizzoli Film
Philandering turn of the century Nietzschean Superman wannabe Tullio Hermil (Giancarlo Giannini) ironically falls back in love with neglected wife Giuliana (Laura Antonelli) when she becomes pregnant by another man — but then becomes insanely jealous of the child.
“L’Innocente” is now available for rent via Film Forum’s Virtual Cinema.
Slipaway – Written and Directed by Julia Butler and Daniel Mentz
Neglected by her family, Fall (Elaine Partnow), a high-spirited elder with kind intentions but extreme measures, encounters little companionship in this turbulent world. When she comes across Adam (Jesse Pepe), a young and hopeless street musician selling his keyboard, she buys it on a whim under the pretense of wanting to learn piano. Suspicious and wary, Adam agrees to teach her and quickly finds himself trapped in a sailboat with one audacious lady. With time, a genuine friendship develops between the two unlikely souls, yet before Adam can explore his new faith in life, his criminal past resurfaces and threatens to destroy everything. Meanwhile, an irreparable secret Fall has been hiding begins to unravel.
“Slipaway” is now available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON STREAMING/VOD
“The Roads Not Taken”
The Roads Not Taken – Written and Directed by Sally Potter (Bleecker Street)
The American Nurse (Documentary) (Streaming Re-Release) – Directed by Carolyn Jones (Kino Lorber)
Bias (Documentary) – Directed by Robin Hauser (VOD)
Trolls World Tour – Written by Maya Forbes, Elizabeth Tippet, Wallace Wolodarsky, Jonathan Aibel, and Glenn Berger (VOD)
Fantasy Island – Written by Jillian Jacobs, Jeff Wadlow, and Christopher Roach (VOD)
It Started as a Joke (Documentary) – Directed by Julie Smith Clem and Ken Druckerman (VOD)
IP Man 4: The Finale – Written by Lai-Yin Leung, Tai-lee Chan, Hiroshi Fukazawa, and Edmond Wong (VOD)
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Documentary) – Directed by Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht (Netflix)
Cunningham (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Alla Kovgan (VOD)
1917 – Written by Krysty Wilson-Cairns and Sam Mendes (VOD)
TV PREMIERES
Jane Goodall: The Hope (Documentary Special) – Directed by Kim Woodard and Elizabeth Leiter (Premieres April 22 on National Geographic)
Goodall in “Jane”: National Geographic
“Jane Goodall: The Hope” celebrates the vast legacy of Dr. Jane Goodall’s four decades of advocacy work for chimpanzees and depicts the next chapter for generations to come. The two-hour special follows Dr. Goodall throughout her robust travels, capturing her relentless commitment and determination to spread a message of hope.
She Walks With Apes (Documentary Special) – Written and Directed by Caitlin Starowicz and Mark Starowicz (Premieres April 22 on BBC America)
A two-hour special narrated by Sandra Oh about a generation of female primatologists, including Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas, and their study of our closest relatives — the great apes.
Sanctuary – Created and Written by Rachel Flowerday and Charlie Fletcher (Premieres April 23 on Sundance Now)
Siri and Helena (Josefin Asplund) are identical twins separated as children because of their colliding differences. Years later, Helena receives an invitation to come and visit Siri at a secluded resort in the Italian Alps — the Sanctuary — and sees it as an opportunity for an exciting vacation. But when Helena wakes up, the day after her arrival, she realises that Siri is missing and that she’s not at a resort, but at an advanced location for experiments on psychopaths.
THE GIRLS CLUB IS OFFERING THE FIRST MONTH FREE
Founded by Women and Hollywood publisher and founder Melissa Silverstein, the Girls Club is a community for women creatives, culture-changers, and storytellers to connect, create, network, advocate, support, and redefine entertainment.
These are trying times. We realize that COVID-19 is affecting the health, safety, and livelihood of many folks in the industry, and want to offer a space for folks to come together amidst all of the uncertainty. With that goal in mind, the Girls Club is offering the first month free to those who sign up.
If you identify as a woman and would like an invitation to this community, please email girlsclubnetwork@gmail.com and let us know a bit about who you are and what you do.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE BLOG
“Bangla Surf Girls”: Hot Docs
Editor to Watch: Carla Gutierrez of “RBG” and “Chavela”
Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Introduces $250K Grant Initiative for Arts Orgs Dedicated to Women & POC
Tribeca 2020 Preview: Hurricane Maria, Hereditary Trauma, and More
Going Behind the Scenes of “Unorthodox” with Co-Creator and Exec Producer Anna Winger
Hot Docs Announces 2020 Program, 51 Percent of Directors Are Women
Viola Davis, Halle Berry, Taraji P. Henson, & Other Veteran Black Actresses Talk Representation
Submit Now: The Corona Short Film Festival
These Projects Have Been Affected by Coronavirus. Here’s How You Can Help. (Volume IV)
Sally Potter Discusses “The Roads Not Taken” at the Inaugural Girls Club Event
Note: All descriptions are from press materials, unless otherwise noted.
Follow Women and Hollywood on Twitter @WomenaHollywood and Melissa Silverstein @melsil.
To contact Women and Hollywood, email melissa@womenandhollywood.com.
