FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING
My Days of Mercy – Directed by Tali Shalom-Ezer (Also Available on VOD)
Two sisters, Lucy and Martha, regularly protest capital punishment at state executions. Lucy (Ellen Page) meets Mercy (Kate Mara) attending that day’s execution in support of lethal injection. Despite their moral differences, they feel an obvious connection to one another.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Tali Shalom-Ezer.
Vita & Virginia – Written and Directed by Chanya Button (Opens in the UK; Opens July 19 in Canada)
“Vita & Virginia”
Set amidst the bohemian high society of 1920s England, “Vita & Virginia” tells the scintillating true story of a literary love affair that fueled the imagination of one of the 20th century’s most celebrated writers. Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton) is the brash, aristocratic wife of a diplomat who refuses to be constrained by her marriage, defiantly courting scandal through her affairs with women. When she meets the brilliant but troubled Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki), she is immediately attracted to the famed novelist’s eccentric genius and enigmatic allure. So begins an intense, passionate relationship marked by all-consuming desire, intellectual gamesmanship, and destructive jealousy that will leave both women profoundly transformed and inspire the writing of one of Woolf’s greatest works.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Chanya Button.
Skin in the Game
Abducted off the sidewalk of suburban America, 15-year-old Dani (Sammi Hanratty) finds herself submerged in a horrific human trafficking ring run by Eve (Angélica Celaya). With no initial assistance from the police, Dani’s mother (Elisabeth Harnois) and an ex-prostitute (Erica Ash) take to the streets in an effort to find her before it is too late.
Find screening info here.
TV PREMIERES
“I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth vs. Michelle Carter”
Sins of the Father (TV Movie) – Written by Katrina O’Gilvie (Premieres July 7 on TV One)
“Sins of the Father” follows Clarence Burnett, a pastor in Atlanta who’s happily married to Karen. The couple’s world is torn apart when Karen is brutally murdered outside their Atlanta home, sending shock waves through their close-knit community. As police delve deeper into the Burnetts’ inner circle, they discover secret lives filled with lust and cruelty, and unearth a sinful conspiracy of biblical proportions.
I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter (Two-Part Documentary) – Directed by Erin Lee Carr (Premieres July 9 on HBO)
This two-part documentary about the texting suicide case that captured national interest raises difficult questions about technology, mental health, and whether or not one teenager can be held responsible for the suicide of another. While many believe that Michelle Carter’s texts urging boyfriend Conrad Roy to end his own life are immoral, the film asks: “Is it criminal?” With unprecedented access to the families, friends, and communities that were forever changed by the Commonwealth vs. Michelle Carter case, this series follows a story that has wider implications for society at large, online and IRL.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Erin Lee Carr.
Family Reunion – Created by Meg DeLoatch (Premieres July 10 on Netflix)
When the McKellan family moves from Seattle to small-town Georgia, life down South — and traditional grandparents — challenge their big-city ways.
Florida Girls – Created by Laura Chinn (Premieres July 10 on Pop TV)
“Florida Girls”
Inspired by creator Laura Chinn’s real life growing up on the West Coast of Florida, “Florida Girls” follows four women who are forced to confront their stagnant lives when their only ambitious friend moves away to follow her dreams.
VOD/STREAMING RELEASES
“Little”: Eli Joshua Ade/Universal Pictures
Elevate – Written and Directed by Angela Matemotja (VOD, Available Now)
Sarah Plays a Werewolf – Directed by Katharina Wyss; Written Katharina Wyss and Josa Sesink (MUBI, Available Now)
After – Directed by Jenny Gage; Written by Susan McMartin, Tamara Chestna, Jenny Gage, and Tom Betterton (VOD, July 9)
Little – Directed by Tina Gordon; Written by Tina Gordon and Tracy Oliver (VOD, July 9)
The Most Dangerous Year (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Vlada Knowlton (VOD, July 9)
PICKS OF THE WEEK FROM WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD
Machado in “One Day at a Time”
Susan Meiselas Will Receive Kering’s First Women in Motion Photography Prize
BlackStar Film Fest Announces 2019 Lineup, Will Honor Marcia Smith
Apply Now: Walt Disney TV Launches Inclusive Behind the Scenes Initiatives
Academy Invites 842 New Members, 50% Are Women and 29% POC
Women-Created Podcast Network Earios’ Inaugural Slate Features Shows from Margaret Cho & More
Shonda Rhimes and Dove Launch Inclusive Image Database #ShowUs
Justina Machado to Make Directorial Debut in Season 4 of “One Day at a Time”
Home Away from Home: VOD and Web Series Picks
51Fest Announces Inaugural Lineup: “After the Wedding,” “For Sama,” & More
July 2019 Film Preview
Note: All descriptions are from press materials, unless otherwise noted.
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