Weekly Update for February 7: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You

FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING

Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) – Directed by Cathy Yan; Written by Christina Hodson

You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho, and the mafia princess? Directed by Cathy Yan from a script by Christina Hodson, “Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ewan McGregor, and Ella Jay Basco also star.

Find screening info here.

The Lodge – Directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala; Written by Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, and Sergio Casci

A bone-chilling nightmare, “The Lodge” follows a family who retreat to their remote winter cabin over the holidays. When the father (Richard Armitage) is forced to abruptly depart for work, he leaves his children, Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh), in the care of his new girlfriend, Grace (Riley Keough). Isolated and alone, a blizzard traps them inside the lodge as terrifying events summon specters from Grace’s dark past.

Find screening info here.

Horse Girl – Written by Alison Brie and Jeff Baena (Also Available on Netflix)

“Horse Girl”: Sundance Institute

Sarah (Alison Brie), a socially isolated arts and crafts store employee, finds herself more content in the company of horses and supernatural crime shows than people. But when a series of strangely surreal dreams upend the simplicity of her waking life, Sarah struggles to distinguish her visions from reality.

To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You – Written by Sofia Alvarez and J. Mills Goodloe (Available on Netflix February 12)

“To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You”: Bettina Strauss/Netflix

It’s a new year and Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo) are no longer pretending to be a couple. They are a couple. And, as Lara Jean navigates a trove of official firsts with Peter — her first real kiss, her first real date, her first Valentine’s Day — she finds herself leaning more on Kitty and Margot (Anna Cathcart and Janel Parrish), Chris (Madeleine Arthur), and an unexpected new confidant, Stormy (Holland Taylor). But when John Ambros (Jordan Fisher), another recipient of one of Lara Jean’s old love letters, enters her life again she must rely on herself more than ever as she’s confronted with her first real dilemma: Can she love two boys at the same time?

FILMS MADE BY WOMEN OPENING

Mr. Jones – Directed by Agnieszka Holland; Written by Andrea Chalupa (Opens in the UK)

“Mr. Jones”

In March 1933, Welsh journalist Gareth Jones (James Norton) takes a train from Moscow to Kharkov in the Ukraine. He disembarks at a small station and sets off on foot on a journey through the country where he experiences firsthand the horrors of a famine. Everywhere there are dead people, and everywhere he goes he meets henchmen of the Soviet secret service who are determined to prevent news about the catastrophe from getting out to the general public. Supported by Ada Brooks (Vanessa Kirby), a New York Times reporter, Jones succeeds in spreading the shocking news in the West, thereby putting his powerful rival, the Pulitzer Prize-winning, pro-Stalin journalist Walter Duranty (Peter Sarsgaard), firmly in his place.

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Agnieszka Holland.

Wild: Life, Death and Love in a Wildlife Hospital (Documentary) – Directed by Danel Elpeleg and Uriel Sinai (Opens in NY February 12)

“Wild” visits an Israeli hospital where injured owls, snakes — including one with a “shoulder wound” — hyenas, and leopards are given medical care so they may be released back into the wild. But the hospital’s medical staff must also contend with parallel personal issues that take their toll.

Find screening info here.

After Parkland (Documentary) – Directed by Emily Taguchi and Jake Lefferman (Nationwide Screenings February 12 Only)

“After Parkland”: Tribeca Film Festival

In the aftermath of the February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 dead, filmmakers Emily Taguchi and Jake Lefferman traveled to Parkland and began filming with students who endured gunfire and the parents who lost their children in the crosshairs. “After Parkland” is an intimate chronicle of families as they navigate their way through the unthinkable: reckoning with unexpected loss, journeying through grief, and searching for new meaning.

Find screening info here.

Dream Round – Written by Lisa Huston and Michael Saquella

Joe Bona (Michael Saquella) struggles in life after the loss of his loving wife and two small children, who died in a car accident 15 years ago. The death of his family turned his life upside down. Fifteen years later, Joe meets a former pro golfer who appears out of nowhere to get him back on the course. Joe befriends his clever 10-year-old neighbor Sarah (Alexa Lohman) and a beautiful waitress Jennifer (Heidi Kaplan), who both have suffered tragedies of their own. Their commonality creates a bond, and Joe becomes inspired with a chance to play the dream round of his life.

TV PREMIERES

Into The Dark: My Valentine (TV Movie) – Written and Directed by Maggie Levin (Premieres February 7 on Hulu)

A pop singer’s songs and artistic identity have been stolen by her ex-boyfriend/manager, and shamelessly pasted onto his new girlfriend/protégé. Locked together in a small concert venue after hours, the three of them confront the emotional abuses of the past — until things turn violent.

Mo’Nique & Friends: Live From Atlanta (Comedy Special) (Premieres February 7 on Showtime)

Comedy legend Mo’Nique hosts an amazing night of comedy featuring her friends, who also happen to be amazing comedians.

My Holo Love (Premieres February 7 on Netflix)

Unexpected love finds a lonely woman when she forms a connection with a humanlike hologram who looks exactly like his prickly creator.

Cherish the Day – Created by Ava DuVernay (Premieres February 11 on OWN)

“Cherish the Day”

“Cherish the Day” chronicles the stirring relationship of one couple (Xosha Roquemore and Alano Miller), with each episode spanning a single day. The narrative will unfold to reveal significant moments in a relationship that compel us to hold true to the ones we love, from the extraordinary to the everyday.

F*%#ing Adelaide – Created by Sophie Hyde (Premieres February 13 on Topic)

“F*%#ing Adelaide”

A hilarious comedy drama told from the individual perspectives of six family members who reunite in Adelaide when mum plans to sell the family home. Any sense of togetherness quickly crumbles to reveal how f*cked and glorious it is to be home.

VOD/STREAMING RELEASES

“The Farewell”

Honey Boy – Directed by Alma Ha’rel (Amazon Prime, February 7)
Cupid (VOD, February 11)
Wild Nights with Emily – Written and Directed by Madeleine Olnek (VOD, February 11)
The Farewell – Written and Directed by Lulu Wang (Amazon Prime, February 12)
Where’d You Go, Bernadette – Written by Holly Gent, Richard Linklater, and Vince Palmo (Hulu, February 12)

ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL TICKETS/PASSES ON SALE NOW

Tickets and festival passes for the 2020 Athena Film Festival (AFF) are now available for purchase. The fest runs February 27-March 1 at Barnard College in NYC.

Click here to buy AFF tickets/passes or to find out more. Purchase options include individual tickets, all-access passes, student passes, and day passes.