FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING
Official Secrets – Written by Sara Bernstein, Gregory Bernstein, and Gavin Hood
Based on world-shaking true events, “Official Secrets” tells the gripping story of Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley), a British intelligence specialist whose job involves routine handling of classified information. One day in 2003, in the lead up to the Iraq War, Gun receives a memo from the NSA with a shocking directive: the United States is enlisting Britain’s help in collecting compromising information on United Nations Security Council members in order to blackmail them into voting in favor of an invasion of Iraq. Unable to stand by and watch the world be rushed into an illegal war, Gun makes the gut-wrenching decision to defy her government and leak the memo to the press. So begins an explosive chain of events that will ignite an international firestorm, expose a vast political conspiracy, and put Gun and her family directly in harm’s way.
Before You Know It – Directed by Hannah Pearl Utt; Written by Jen Tullock and Hannah Pearl Utt
“Before You Know It”
Stage manager Rachel Gurner (Hannah Pearl Utt) still lives in her childhood apartment — along with her off-kilter actress sister Jackie (Jen Tullock), eccentric playwright father Mel (Mandy Patinkin), and deadpan preteen niece Dodge (Oona Yaffe) — above the tiny theater they own and operate. Level-headed and turtleneck-wearing Rachel is the only thing standing between her family and utter chaos. Then, in the wake of a sudden family tragedy, Rachel and Jackie learn their presumed-deceased mother (Judith Light) is actually alive and thriving as a soap opera star. Now the sisters’ already precarious balance turns upside down, and Rachel must figure out how to liberate herself from this surreal imbroglio.
Find screening info here.
Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins (Documentary) – Directed by Janice Engel; Written by Janice Engel and Monique Zavistovski (Opens in Texas; Opens in NY and LA September 6)
“Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins”: Robert Bedell / Sundance Institute
“Raise Hell” is the story of Molly Ivins, the outspoken political columnist and Texas maverick who spoke truth to power and gave voice to those that had none. Molly used humor like Mark Twain: to skewer the powerful, protect the helpless, and to shine a light on bad government. Six-foot tall with flaming red hair, Molly was a fearless reporter who stopped at nothing, not even death threats, to speak truth.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Janice Engel.
Find screening info here.
Chocolate Milk: The Documentary (Documentary) – Directed by Elizabeth Bayne (Playing in Select Cities Through August 31)
“Chocolate Milk: The Documentary” is an exploration of the racial divide in breastfeeding. Told through the narratives of three African American women: a new mother, a midwife, and a WIC lactation educator, the film seeks to answer the longstanding question of why more African American women are not breastfeeding. By creating an engaging narrative centered around the challenges of breastfeeding, “Chocolate Milk” will spark public discussion on how communities can better support black mothers.
Angel of Mine – Directed by Kim Farrant (Also Available on VOD)
Having suffered a tragic loss years earlier, Lizzie (Noomi Rapace) is trying to rebuild her life when she suddenly becomes obsessed with a neighbor’s daughter, believing the girl to be her own child. As Lizzie’s shocking, threatening acts grow increasingly dangerous, they lead to an explosive confrontation with the girl’s angry, defensive mother (Yvonne Strahovski).
Santa Girl – Written by Patricia Harrington (Also Available on VOD)
Santa Claus’ (Barry Bostwick) only daughter (Jennifer Stone) wants to experience the “real world” before she must marry the son of Jack Frost, a boy she has never met, and take over the family business. Along with her trusty elf, Cassie Claus sets off to college while trying to keep her magic powers and famous father a secret. At school Cassie is pursued by two boys — Sam (Devon Werkheiser), sweetly awkward, and J.R. (Joshua Cody), handsome and wealthy. As her impending arranged marriage looms, Cassie struggles with her feelings for Sam and her obligation to her father and Christmas.
Itsy Bitsy (Also Available on VOD)
A single mother, Kara (Elizabeth Roberts), moves from New York to the quiet countryside with her two children for a job opportunity she can’t afford to turn down. The family moves into their humble new guesthouse, where her teenage son, Jesse (Arman Darbo), begins the unhappy task of looking after his little sister, Cambria (Chloe Perrin). Kara begins her work as a private nurse to Walter (Bruce Davison), a man stricken with multiple sclerosis and an appraiser of rare antiquities, but Walter’s secret past soon invites doom and terror. Jesse discovers a mysterious relic of ancient origin that had been brought to the household by Ahkeeba (Treva Etienne), a shady international associate of Walter’s. All too quickly they discover that the relic contains more than just legends and myths. Inside waits a terrifying creature born of ancient darkness and pure instinct: a prehistoric cave spider unlike the modern world has ever seen.
Find screening info here.
K-12 – Written and Directed by Melanie Martinez (Opens September 3 in LA)
“K-12”
“K-12” sees Melanie Martinez starring as Cry Baby, a strong and sensitive girl who is sent off to a disturbing sleep-away school hidden underneath a grandiose façade. Luckily, she has a sweet and unapologetic best friend who sticks up for her when she gets bullied by the other students, whose brains are under control by the Principal and his wicked staff. With the help of the magical friends they meet along the way, as well as an Angelic Spirit Guide, they are able to gain the strength they need to fight off the school’s belligerent patriarchal conditioning.
Find screening info here.
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN OPENING
Untouchable (Documentary) – Directed by Ursula Macfarlane (Available on Hulu September 2)
“Untouchable”: Barbara Alper / Sundance Institute
Ursula Macfarlane’s documentary gives context to the Harvey Weinstein scandal with the use of interviews with former employees, who re-examine what they thought they knew, and the women who Weinstein allegedly harmed, who give their painfully frank accounts of what the abuse did to their lives — physically, emotionally, professionally, and financially. Compelling interviews with Rosanna Arquette, Hope D’Amore, Paz de la Huerta, Erika Rosenbaum, and others underline how the wounds Weinstein allegedly inflicted and the shame and guilt that have festered for years continue to blight lives. Through the power of personal storytelling, “Untouchable” emphasizes the vital importance of the #MeToo movement and the entertainment industry’s long overdue cultural reckoning.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Ursula Macfarlane.
Tod@s Caen – Written by Martha Higareda and Cory Brusseau
Adán (Omar Chaparro) is a charming seducer who believes he knows how to make any woman swoon. He prepares to teach his friends the art of conquering women, using his array of bullet-proof rules of seduction. Mia (Martha Higareda) is an ambitious producer that dreams of having her own TV show on women empowerment called “Todos Caen,” a strategic guide to dating that teaches you how to hook a man — and have him eating from the palm of your hand in no time. Mia and Adán cross paths at a bar one fateful night, and from there the game is on in an all-out battle of the sexes. But as they test their finely honed seduction strategies on one another, both find that sometimes the more you play hard to get, the harder you may end up falling.
TV PREMIERES
The A-List – Created by Nina Metivier and Dan Berlinka (Premieres August 30 on Netflix)
Romance, rivalry, and radical mystery collides as a group of teens attend a remote island sleepaway camp in this suspenseful, supernatural series.
Big Family: The Story of Bluegrass Music (Documentary) – Written by Teresa Day (Premieres August 30 on PBS)
“Big Family: The Story of Bluegrass Music” offers a comprehensive look at bluegrass — its origins, the pioneers who shaped its sound, and its worldwide appeal. It is narrated by actor and bluegrass enthusiast, Ed Helms. More than 50 musicians appear in the film, including Alison Brown, Dale Ann Bradley, Sam Bush, J.D. Crowe, Bela Fleck, Laurie Lewis, Del McCoury, Bobby Osborne, Ricky Skaggs, Chris Thile, and many more.
Carole & Tuesday (Premieres August 30 on Netflix)
“Carole & Tuesday”
Set in the near future, this anime series is about two teen girls. Carole (Miyuri Shimabukuro) meets rich girl Tuesday (Kana Ichinose), and each realizes they’ve found the musical partner they need. Together, they just might make it.
Farmsteaders (Documentary) – Directed by Shaena Mallett (Premieres September 2 on PBS)
“Farmsteaders”: Shaena Mallett
Clear-eyed and intimate, “Farmsteaders” follows Nick Nolan and his young family on a journey to resurrect his late grandfather’s dairy farm as agriculture moves toward large-scale farming. A study of place and persistence, “Farmsteaders” points an honest and tender lens at everyday life in rural America, offering an unexpected voice for a forsaken people: those who grow the food that sustains us.
Steven Universe: The Movie (TV Movie) – Directed by Rebecca Sugar (Premieres September 2 on Cartoon Network) (Available on VOD September 3)
“Steven Universe: The Movie”
Steven (Zach Callison) thinks his time defending the Earth is over, but when a new threat comes to Beach City, Steven faces his biggest challenge yet.
Joan Rivers: Behind Closed Doors (Documentary) (Premieres September 4 on Reelz)
Joan Rivers was a true showbiz pioneer: a woman who could be funnier, smarter, and more risqué than her male counterparts, at a time when comedy was unquestionably a man’s world. But despite all of the success of her 55-year career, Rivers believed she never got the recognition she deserved — and her acerbic and aggressive stand-up style let you know that she probably knew it.
VOD/STREAMING RELEASES
“Ma”
Ophelia – Directed by Claire McCarthy; Written by Semi Chellas (VOD, August 31)
Booksmart – Directed by Olivia Wilde; Written by Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, Katie Silberman, and Emily Halpern (VOD, September 3)
Dark Phoenix (VOD, September 3)
Ma (VOD, September 3)
Scooby Doo: Return to Zombie Island – Directed by Cecilia Aranovich Hamilton and Ethan Spaulding (VOD, September 3)
WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD IN THE NEWS
TIFF 2019: How the Toronto festival is repairing the pipeline of female-fronted films, one program at a time (The Globe and Mail)
Venice Film Festival to host Oscar hopefuls, controversy (AP News)
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE BLOG
Venice, TIFF, and San Sebastian Offering Childcare and Family-Friendly Services
All 10 of the 2019 WBTVG Directors’ Workshop Grads Have Booked Directing Gigs
September 2019 Film Preview
Quote of the Day: Channel 4’s Dorothy Byrne on How to Change TV and the World
Rotten Tomatoes Added Over 600 Critics in Past Year, 55% Are Women
BFI London Film Fest’s Competition Lineup Is 60 Percent Women-Directed
Apply Now: Ghetto Film School’s AT&T Mentorship Content Lab
Melina Matsoukas’ “Queen & Slim” Will Open AFI FEST 2019
Ava DuVernay to Be Honored with PEN America’s Voice of Influence Award
Latina Characters Missing from 70 of 2018’s Top 100 Films, Study Finds
Note: All descriptions are from press materials, unless otherwise noted.
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