FILMS ABOUT WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
Represent (Documentary) – Directed by Hillary Bachelder
The past few years have seen a record-breaking number of women running for office. Hillary Bachelder follows three of these women — Myya Jones, Bryn Bird, and Julie Cho — in her feature directorial debut, “Represent.” Although they come from very different backgrounds and are pursuing very different goals, each is an idealistic candidate determined to improve the political system from within. Jones is a young Black Democrat hoping to be Detroit’s next mayor, and Bird is a Democrat who wants to make her rural Ohio community more progressive with her township trustee candidacy. Cho, a Korean immigrant, is a Republican running for state representative in the left-leaning Evanston, Illinois. While each subject is open about her political views, which are often complicated, “Represent” is most interested in the machinations of mainstream politics — and the possibility, or lack thereof, of a newcomer breaking down its barriers. The doc also examines how Jones, Bird, and Cho’s unique identities — their race, gender, class, and age — impact their candidacies. (Rachel Montpelier)
“Represent” is now available via virtual cinemas.
Before the Fire – Directed by Charlie Buhler; Written by Jenna Lyng Adams
“Before the Fire”
As a global pandemic engulfs Los Angeles, rising TV star Ava Boone (Jenna Lyng Adams) is forced to flee the mounting chaos and return to her rural hometown. As she struggles to acclimate to a way of life she left behind long ago, her homecoming attracts a dangerous figure from her past — threatening both her and the family that serves as her only sanctuary.
“Before the Fire” is now available via virtual cinemas and VOD.
In the Life of Music – Directed by Caylee So and Sok Visal; Written by Caylee So and Dane Styler
“In the Life of Music” follows the journey of Hope (Ellen Wong, “GLOW”) a young American girl visiting her relatives in Cambodia for the first time. Determined to learn the history of her parents, Hope discovers the story of how one song, “Champa Battambang,” played an integral part of three generations. Starting with how her parents met and fell in love in 1968, to their fight for survival during the war-torn Khmer Rouge years of the 1970s, and finally finishing in the modern day with Hope getting the answers she has longed for.
“In the Life of Music” is now playing in Los Angeles and Cape Cod.
Open 24 Hours
A paranoid delusional woman, Mary White (Vanessa Grasse), has just been released from a mental hospital for setting her serial killer boyfriend on fire. Mary suffers from severe paranoia and hallucinations. Her boyfriend, James Lincoln Fields (Cole Vigue), is a brutal serial killer known as The Rain Ripper. He enjoyed murdering people and making Mary watch. After being released from the hospital, Mary’s vulnerable demeanor aids her in obtaining employment at an all-night gas station. However, left alone to her own devices, her paranoia and hallucinations return with furious consequences. Things take a gruesome turn when customers and friends suddenly start turning up dead and mutilated all around her.
“Open 24 Hours” will be available on VOD August 18.
The Crimes That Bind
When her son is accused of raping and trying to murder his ex-wife, Alicia (Cecilia Roth) embarks on a journey that will change her life forever.
“The Crimes That Bind” will be available on Netflix August 20.
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
Boys State (Documentary) – Directed by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss
“Boys State”
There’s much to love about “Boys State,” a Grand Jury Prize winner at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ doc gives an all-access look into an American Legion-sponsored program that sees a thousand Texas high school seniors gathering for a week-long program to build their own state government. Launched in 1935, the “experiment” is designed for teens to learn about democracy and civil discourse. The doc is so immersive that it’s hard not to buy into all the drama. What happens on the campaign trail — and the results on election night — feel genuinely important. The stakes for this little experiment gradually become higher and higher, and it’s impossible not to draw parallels between the exercise and the (broken) political system it’s intended to mimic. (Laura Berger)
“The Boys” is now available on Apple TV+.
The Bay of Silence – Directed by Paula Van Der Ost; Written by Caroline Goodall
When Will (Claes Bang) discovers his wife, Rosalind (Olga Kurylenko), and their three children have suddenly disappeared, he sets off on a frantic search across Europe. He finally locates them in a remote village in northern France, but relief turns to horror when Will discovers his baby son has mysteriously died. Will sets out to discover the truth about his wife’s disappearance and the death of his son, finding himself at odds with Rosalind’s former stepfather, Milton (Brian Cox), who wants to “protect” her for his own private reasons.
“The Bay of Silence” is now available on VOD.
The One and Only Ivan – Directed by Thea Sharrock
“The One and Only Ivan”
An adaptation of the award-winning book about one very special gorilla, “The One and Only Ivan” is an unforgettable tale about the beauty of friendship, the power of visualization, and the significance of the place one calls home. Ivan (Sam Rockwell) is a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant (Angelina Jolie), Bob the dog (Danny DeVito), and various other animals. He has few memories of the jungle where he was captured, but when a baby elephant named Ruby (Brooklynn Prince) arrives, it touches something deep within him. Ruby is recently separated from her family in the wild, which causes him to question his life, where he comes from, and where he ultimately wants to be.
“The One and Only Ivan” is now available on Disney+.
Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America (Documentary) – Directed by Willa Kammerer
“Starting at Zero” explores the power of investing in high-quality early childhood education so that all children and families have the opportunity to attain the American Dream. The film brings together the voices of policymakers, educators, academics, business leaders, pediatricians, parents, and children. It features five current and past governors who are champions of early childhood education: Governors Steve Bullock of Montana, Kay Ivey of Alabama, and Ralph Northam of Virginia, as well as former Governors Jim Hunt of North Carolina, and Phil Bryant of Mississippi. “Starting at Zero” examines the latest developmental brain science to demonstrate how essential the earliest years of learning are to maximize human potential.
“Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America” is now available via virtual cinemas.
Rebels on Pointe (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Bobbi Jo Hart
“Rebels on Pointe”
Exploring universal themes of identity, dreams, and family, “Rebels on Pointe” is the first-ever documentary film celebrating the world famous Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. The notorious all-male, drag ballet company was founded over 40 years ago in New York City on the heels of the Stonewall riots, and has a passionate cult following around the world. The film juxtaposes intimate behind-the-scenes access, rich archives, and history, engaging character driven stories, and dance performances shot in North America, Europe, and Japan. “Rebels on Pointe” is a creative blend of gender-bending artistic expression, diversity, passion, and purpose. A story which ultimately proves that a ballerina is not only a woman dancing — but an act of revolution in a tutu.
“Rebels on Pointe” is now available on OVID.tv.
Enter the Forbidden City – Directed by Hu Mei
Yue Jiu (Dalong Fu), the most famous opera singer in all of Imperial China, is expelled from the capital city for vulgarity. He heads south, where he encounters Runsheng (Ma Jinghan), a promising young opera singer for the Chuntai Troupe. When the Emperor invites all of China’s opera troupes back to the capital city for a celebration, Yue Jiu and Runsheng are forced to choose between their reputations, their safety, and their love of opera.
“Enter the Forbidden City” will be available on VOD August 18.
TV AND EPISODIC PREMIERES
Teenage Bounty Hunters – Created by Kathleen Jordan (Premieres August 14 on Netflix)
“Teenage Bounty Hunters”
Rebelling against their buttoned-up Southern community, 16-year-old fraternal twin sisters Sterling (Maddie Phillips) and Blair (Anjelica Bette Fellini) Wesley team up with veteran bounty hunter Bowser Jenkins (Kadeem Hardison) for an over-the-top adventure as they dive into the world of bail skipping baddies and suburban secrets while trying to navigate high school drama — love, sex, and study hall.
Lovecraft Country – Developed by Misha Green (Premieres August 16 on HBO)
“Lovecraft Country”
Set in the 1950s, “Lovecraft Country” sees Atticus “Tic” Freeman (Jonathan Majors) returning home to Chicago when his father (Michael Kenneth Williams) goes missing. Along with his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance), the writer and publisher of a Green Book-esque travel guide for the Black community, and childhood friend Letitia “Leti” Lewis (Jurnee Smollett), Tic takes a cross-country trip through Jim Crow America to find his dad. Along the way, the group comes across perilous sundown towns and the cops that “protect” them, secret family history, and a sinister group of white men who are obsessed with Tic’s ancestry. In each of the three episodes I’ve seen, “Lovecraft Country” tackles a distinct horror staple or set-up: a road trip that goes awry, a creepy household that “welcomes” our heroes, a haunted mansion. We’ve heard these stories ad nauseam, but the series’ centering of Black characters and experiences makes them feel urgent, and vital. Being stranded is scary. Being a Black person stranded with racist police officers in the ’50s is a nightmare — one that too many people have had to face. (RM)
The Suspect (Docuseries) – Directed by Deborah Wainwright (Premieres August 18 on Sundance Now)
When millionaire Richard Oland of Moosehead Brewing fame suffered a gruesome 45 blows to his head, neck, and hands, his son Dennis immediately became the police’s prime and only suspect. The case turned one of Canada’s wealthiest families into the cast of a real-life soap opera.
Biohackers (Premieres August 20 on Netflix)
A fast-paced thriller following medical student Mia (Luna Wedler) who discovers the use of highly advanced biohacking technology in her university town.
Rose Matafeo: Horndog (Comedy Special) (Premieres August 20 on HBO Max)
Rose Matafeo has kissed nearly 10 men in her life, AKA she’s a total horndog. But what is horniness? Is it that intangible essence of excitement and adventure that has inspired humankind since the dawn of time? An understanding of the overwhelming power of love as the key to true personal flourishing? Or is it simply wanting to bone everyone, all the time? Join this Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Show Winner as she tracks her history of heartfelt horniness in her first stand-up special for HBO Max.
Beth Stelling: Girl Daddy (Comedy Special) (Premieres August 20 on HBO Max)
Team Coco presents Beth Stelling in an artfully hilarious hour about family, society, and the exes who have shaped her. Thirteen years into her career as a stand-up, Stelling has been called a “female comic” so many times that if she ever has kids they might as well call her “girl daddy.” Stelling responds to her co-workers’ lazy, fear-driven #MeToo material by guiding her audience through the humorous side of tough conversations around consent, chauvinism, and women’s bodily autonomy. Is it MY abortion? Or OUR abortion? Let your new friend Beth explain in her first hour-long stand-up special.
W&H AND TOGETHER FILMS LAUNCH #WOMENTOGETHER
We are very excited to introduce Women Together, a new initiative brought to you by Women and Hollywood and Together Films, with the goal of promoting women-created and women-centric content. Together, we want to use our expertise to set up the infrastructure and engagement to promote women in our industry.
Whether a project needs a closed “influencer” screening, an online outreach campaign for its opening weekend, or a curated post-show Q&A, we work in a variety of ways to increase visibility, viability, impact, and traffic. Our only criteria? To promote content by and/or about women for everyone.
If you are interested in chatting to us about an upcoming project, please reach out at WomenTogether@
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK
Cabana
Cinematographer to Watch: Carmen Cabana of “Vida” and “High Fidelity”
NYFF’s 2020 Main Slate Is 24 Percent Women-Directed
Exclusive: Julia Scotti Revisits Her Old Stand-Up With a New Perspective in “Funny That Way” Clip
TIFF Tribute Awards to Be Broadcast, Winners Include Kate Winslet, Chloé Zhao, and Mira Nair
“Never Gonna Snow Again” Named Poland’s Submission for Oscars’ International Feature Category
Quote of the Day: Sierra Teller Ornelas Talks Native American Representation on Her New Show
Women at Sundance | Adobe Fellowship Announces Inaugural Class
American Black Film Festival’s 2020 Lineup Includes “9/11 Kids,” “No Ordinary Love,” & More
Martha Plimpton to Receive Inaugural ChangemakeHER Award at rePRO Film Festival
Ava DuVernay Becomes the First Female Filmmaker to Win the Gish Prize
Note: All descriptions are from press materials, unless otherwise noted.
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