Weekly Update for April 20: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You

Films About Women Opening This Week

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. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

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? (Press materials)

Find screening info and tickets here.

Let the Sunshine In — Directed by Claire Denis; Written by Claire Denis and Christine Angot (Opens in the UK)

Isabelle (Juliette Binoche) is a divorced Parisian painter searching for another shot at love, but refusing to settle for the parade of all-too-flawed men who drift in and out of her life. There’s a caddish banker (Xavier Beauvois) who, like many of her lovers, happens to be married; a handsome actor (Nicolas Duvauchelle) who’s working through his own hang-ups; and a sensitive fellow artist (Alex Descas) who’s skittish about commitment. (Press materials)

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. (Press materials)

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. (Press materials)

Imitation Girl — Written and Directed by Natasha Kermani (Also Available on VOD)

A mysterious young woman (Lauren Ashley Carter) materializes in the middle of the Southwestern desert, where each step teaches her about her new world, and her new body. As she assumes her new life, she discovers she has a twin with whom she shares more than just an outward appearance. (Press materials)

Lou Andreas-Salomé: The Audacity to Be Free — Directed by Cordula Kablitz-Post; Written by by Cordula Kablitz-Post and Susanne Hertel (Opens in NY; Opens in LA April 27)

One of the greatest intellectuals of the 20th century, a published novelist, poet, essayist, and the first female psychoanalyst, Lou Andreas-Salomé recounts her life to a young German scholar. Salolmé’s ideas on personal freedom and the lifestyle she chose against all conventions spurred genius and passion in others, including Friedrich Nietzsche, Paul Rée, Sigmund Freud, and her lover, the poet Rainer Marie Rilke. (Press materials)

Read Cordula Kablitz-Post’s Guest Post for Women and Hollywood.

Find screening info here.

After Auschwitz (Documentary) (Opens in NY)

“After Auschwitz” is a post-Holocaust documentary that follows six extraordinary women, capturing what it means to move from tragedy and trauma towards life. These women all moved to Los Angeles, married, raised children, and became “Americans” but they never truly found a place to call home. What makes the story so much more fascinating is how these women saw, interpreted, and interacted with the changing face of America in the second half of the 20th century. They serve as our guides on an unbelievable journey, sometimes celebratory, sometimes heartbreaking, but always inspiring. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Opens in the UK)

“The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”: Kerry Brown

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)

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. (Press materials)

Films About Women Currently Playing

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (Documentary) — Directed by Sophie Fiennes
Nana (Documentary) — Co-Written and Directed by Serena Dykman
The Judge (Documentary) — Directed by Erika Cohn
Wildling (Also Available on VOD)
Cake
Color Me You
This Is Our Land
The Miracle Season — Co-Written by Elissa Matsueda
Where Is Kyra? — Written by Darci Picoult
Pandas
Big Fish & Begonia
Gemini
Finding Your Feet — Co-Written by Meg Leonard
Acrimony
Tomb Raider — Co-Written by Geneva Robertson-Dworet
Unsane
Midnight Sun
Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist (Documentary) — Directed by Lorna Tucker (UK)
I Got Life! — Co-Written and Directed by Blandine Lenoir (UK)
Mary Magdalene — Written by Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett (UK)
The Happys
Apocalypsis
A Wrinkle in Time — Directed by Ava DuVernay; Written by Jennifer Lee
Claire’s Camera
Red Sparrow
Oh Lucy! — Written and Directed by Atsuko Hirayanagi
Annihilation
Dark River — Written and Directed by Clio Barnard (UK)
Double Lover
Tehran Taboo
A Fantastic Woman
The Post — Co-Written by Liz Hannah
Vazante — Co-Written and Directed by Daniela Thomas
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
In Between — Written and Directed by Maysaloun Hamoud
I, Tonya
The Shape of Water — Co-Written by Vanessa Taylor
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (Documentary) — Written and Directed by Alexandra Dean
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Films Directed By Women Opening This Week

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. (Press materials)

Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story (Documentary) — Directed by Ashley Bell; Co-Written by Ashley Bell and Fernanda Rossi (Opens April 22)

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. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Films Directed by Women Currently Playing

Films Written by Women Currently Playing

Submergence — Written by Erin Dignam (Also Available on VOD)
Truth or Dare — Co-Written by Jillian Jacobs
All I Want — Co-Written by Melissa Center
Pacific Rim Uprising — Co-Written by Kira Snyder and Emily Carmichael
Ismael’s Ghosts — Co-Written by Léa Mysius and Julie Peyr
A Bag of Marbles — Co-Written by Alexandra Geismar
Love, Simon — Co-Written by Elizabeth Berger
The Leisure Seeker — Co-Written by Francesca Archibugi
The 15:17 to Paris — Written by Dorothy Blyskal
The Insult — Co-Written by Joëlle Touma
The Greatest Showman — Co-Written by Jenny Bicks

TV Premieres This Week

“The Handmaid’s Tale”: George Kraychyk/Hulu

Pass Over (TV Movie) — Co-Directed by Danya Taymor; Written by Antoinette Nwandu (Premieres April 20 on Amazon)

Spike Lee captures the poetry, humor, and humanity of this urgent and timely play about two young black men talking trash, passing the time, and dreaming of the promised land. A provocative riff on “Waiting for Godot,” “Pass Over” is written by newcomer Antoinette Nwandu, and directed for the stage by Danya Taymor. (Press materials)

The Letdown — Created by Alison Bell and Sarah Scheller (Premieres April 21 on Netflix)

Audrey (Alison Bell) is determined not to be defined by motherhood. In theory, this seems fairly easy. In practice, her career-focused husband, self-obsessed mother, and fancy-free best friend make it damn near impossible. (Press materials)

The Handmaid’s Tale (Season 2 Premieres April 25 on Hulu)

The Emmy-winning drama series returns with a second season shaped by Offred’s (Elisabeth Moss) pregnancy and her ongoing fight to free her future child from the dystopian horrors of Gilead. “Gilead is within you” is a favorite saying of Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd). In Season 2, Offred and all our characters will fight against — or succumb to — — this dark truth. (Press materials)

Enissa Amani: Ehrenwort (Comedy Special) (Premieres April 26 on Netflix)

Clever, cheeky, and incredibly funny — that’s Enissa Amani! After numerous appearances on comedy stages, in TV shows and films, the multi-talented German comedy prize winner now lands her next coup: As the first German woman to get her own Comedy Special on Netflix! With her subtle sense of humor, and her wonderfully provocative punch lines, the Iranian-born German-Persian conquered the country’s biggest stand-up stages in no time at all. Fans love her targeted taboo breaks and on January 8 they witnessed the live-taping of her new show in the iconic St. Pauli Theater on Hamburg’s Reeperbahn. (Press materials)

VOD/DVD Releasing This Week

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (Documentary) — Written and Directed by Alexandra Dean (VOD/DVD, April 24)
Dear Dictator — Co-Written and Co-Directed by Lisa Addario (VOD/DVD, April 24)
Forever My Girl — Written and Directed by Bethany Ashton Wolf (VOD/DVD, April 24)
The Strange Ones — Co-Directed by Lauren Wolkstein (DVD, April 24)