FILMS ABOUT WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
Miss Juneteenth – Written and Directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples
The mother-daughter drama follows Turquoise (Nicole Beharie), a former beauty queen whose life took unexpected twists and turns after she was named Miss Juneteenth. Turquoise never got to walk across the stage to crown her successor, nor attend college, despite scoring a full scholarship when she won the pageant. She got pregnant, and now she’s a single mom working two jobs and behind on her bills. While there are elaborate dresses, a talent show, and more than a couple of means girls — both young and old — “Miss Juneteenth” isn’t a typical beauty pageant pic. This particular pageant is designed to celebrate young Black women, and to recognize an important, overdue milestone in history. (Laura Berger)
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Channing Godfrey Peoples.
“Miss Juneteenth” is available on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon.
Babyteeth – Directed by Shannon Murphy; Written by Rita Kalnejais
“Babyteeth”
“Babyteeth” sees protagonist Milla (Eliza Scanlen) facing a cancer relapse. She feels like shit, her parents are driving her crazy, she’s depressed and angry. The only thing keeping her going is Moses (Toby Wallace), the 23-year-old drug addict and dealer she meets on the subway platform. Moses gives Milla a new lease on life; with him, she’s happy, excited, and passionate. It almost doesn’t matter that her love isn’t entirely requited. Being sick has made Milla wise beyond her years, but “Babyteeth” respects her character too much to turn her into the angelic, doomed archetype we’ve seen too many times before. As much as is possible, she’s reclaiming her life, and finding happiness wherever and however she can. Even when it means making self-destructive mistakes, that bravery is something to root for. (Rachel Montpelier)
“Babyteeth” is available on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon.
Athlete A (Documentary) – Directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk
In “Athlete A,” filmmakers Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk delve into the unchecked abuse inside the world of elite competitive gymnastics. Equal parts devastating and inspiring, the film follows the IndyStar reporters as they reveal the extensive cover-up and culture of cruelty that was allowed to thrive within elite gymnastics, the attorney fighting the institutions, and most importantly, the brave whistle-blowers who refuse to be silenced.
“Athlete A” will be available to stream on Netflix June 24.
Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy (Documentary) – Directed by Elizabeth Carroll
Featuring extensive interviews with Diana Kennedy and famed chefs José Andrés, Rick Bayless, Gabriela Camara, and Alice Waters, “Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy” provides an intimate look at the leading expert on Mexican cuisine. The author of nine acclaimed cookbooks and a two-time James Beard Award winner, Diana is called the “Julia Child of Mexico,” but the feisty cook prefers “The Mick Jagger of Mexican Cuisine.”
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Elizabeth Carroll.
“Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy” is available on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon.
Tape – Written and Directed by Deborah Kampmeier
Based on true events and set in New York City, “Tape” is the story of two aspiring actresses (Isabelle Fuhrman and Annarosa Mudd) who cross paths with the darker side of the entertainment industry. “Tape” addresses burning societal curiosities, taking the audience into the room where questionable behavior goes unseen, finally answering the question “how could this kind of thing happen?” The film is a visceral moment-by-moment unveiling of the way ambitious and everyday women are systematically coerced and taken advantage of.
“Tape” will be available on VOD platforms on June 23.
Feel the Beat – Directed by Elissa Down
When talented, self-centered dancer April (Sofia Carson) is banished from Broadway, she grudgingly moves back in with her dad (Enrico Colantoni) in her small Wisconsin hometown. Trying her best to avoid everyone in her tight-knit community, including her first love Nick (Wolfgang Novogratz), April is reluctantly recruited by her former dance teacher (Donna Lynne Champlin) to coach the town’s misfit group of young dancers. Initially believing she’s found the path back to Broadway, April gains so much more. A love letter to small towns, “Feel the Beat” is a heartwarming comedy about chasing your dreams.
“Feel the Beat” is now streaming on Netflix.
Queen of Lapa (Documentary) – Directed by Carolina Monnerat and Theodore Collatos
Larger-than-life actress, cabaret performer, activist, and proud sex professional since the age of eleven, Luana Muniz – arguably one of Brazil’s most recognizable transgender personalities, shapes a new reality for a new generation of transgender sex workers in her hostel by providing a safe working environment in the dangerous neighborhood of Lapa in Rio de Janeiro. Queen of Lapa explores the day-to-day lives, quests for love, housemate rivalries in a turbulent political climate under matriarch Muniz’s watchful and guiding eye.
“Queen of Lapa” is now screening via virtual cinemas.
Disclosure (Documentary)
“Disclosure”
“Disclosure” is an unprecedented, eye-opening look at transgender depictions in film and television, revealing how Hollywood simultaneously reflects and manufactures our deepest anxieties about gender. Leading trans thinkers and creatives, including Laverne Cox, Lilly Wachowski, Yance Ford, MJ Rodriguez, Jamie Clayton, and Chaz Bono, share their reactions and resistance to some of Hollywood’s most beloved moments.
“Disclosure” is now streaming on Netflix.
Daddy Issues – Written and Directed by Laura Holliday
When her emotionally distant father dies and leaves her his company, a 20-something, hapless stand-up comic (Kimberley Datnow) must move from London to Los Angeles to take over the family business and try to win her father’s approval, even after his death.
“Daddy Issues” will be available on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon June 23.
Jack & Yaya (Documentary) – Directed by Jennifer Bagley and Mary Hewey
Jack and Yaya met at ages three and two through their shared backyard fence. They spent their childhood together, building forts and burning trash cans in their small hometown in South Jersey. From a young age, Yaya and Jack saw each other as they truly were, a girl and a boy, even though the rest of the world didn’t see them that way. As they grew older, they supported each other as they both came out as transgender. “Jack & Yaya” follows these two friends for a year and explores their unique relationship, drawing on home videos and conversations with their eclectic cast of friends and family.
“Jack & Yaya” is available on VOD platforms including Vimeo. Find more viewing info here.
Baby Mine (Short) – Written and Directed by Nour Wazzi
When her Middle Eastern husband (Alexander Siddig) kidnaps their sick child, Sarah (Rachael Stirling) blindly recruits a prejudiced neighbour (Alex Ferns) to hunt them down. A sense of dread slowly tightens its grip as a little girl’s life hangs in the balance and a volatile threat rears its head.
“Baby Mine” is available to view on Omeletto.
My Darling Vivian (Documentary)
“My Darling Vivian” traces the romantic, wrenching, and dizzying journey of Vivian Liberto, Johnny Cash’s first wife and the mother of his four daughters. “My Darling Vivian: has exclusive, unprecedented access to never-before-seen footage and photographs, as well as to Vivian and Johnny’s daughters themselves. Meet the first Mrs. Cash as her daughters — Rosanne Cash, Kathy Cash Tittle, Cindy Cash, and Tara Cash Schwoebel — share first hand, and for the first time, the entire story of love, isolation, fear, heartbreak, and survival.
“My Darling Vivian” is now screening via virtual cinemas.
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON STREAMING/VOD
“Marona’s Fantastic Tale”
The Short History of the Long Road – Written and Directed by Ani Simon-Kennedy (VOD)
My First and Last Film (Documentary) – Directed by Tracey Thomas (Virtual Cinemas)
Marona’s Fantastic Tale – Directed by Anca Damian; Written by Anca Damian and Anghel Damian (Virtual Cinemas)
My Father the Spy (Documentary) (VOD)
Hidden Orchard Mysteries: The Case of the Air B & B Robbery – Written by Joyce Marie Fitzpatrick and Brian Shackelford (VOD)
Driven – Written by Casey Dillard (VOD)
Shirley – Directed by Josephine Decker; Written by Sarah Gubbins (Hulu, Virtual Cinemas)
Judy & Punch – Written and Directed by Mirrah Foulkes (VOD)
A New Color: The Art of Being Edythe Boone (Documentary) – Directed by Marlene “Mo” Morris (VOD)
Advocate (Documentary) – Directed by Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche; Written by Rachel Leah Jones (VOD)
Born in Evin (Documentary) – Directed by Maryam Zaree (VOD)
Here Awhile (VOD)
The High Note – Directed by Nisha Ganatra; Written by Flora Greeson (VOD)
Papicha – Directed by Mounia Meddour; Written by Mounia Meddour and Fadette Drouard (Virtual Cinemas)
Ursula von Rydingsvard: Into Her Own (Documentary) (Virtual Cinemas)
The Price of Desire – Written and Directed by Mary McGuckian (VOD)
Feral – Written by Priscilla Kavanaugh, Jason Mendez, and Andrew Wonder (VOD)
On the Record (Documentary) – Directed by Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick; Written by Amy Ziering, Sara Newens, and Kirby Dick (HBO Max)
Military Wives – Written by Rachel Tunnard and Rosanne Flynn (VOD)
Lucky Grandma – Directed by Sasie Sealy; Written by Sasie Sealy and Angela Cheng (Virtual Cinemas)
Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy (Documentary) – Directed by Elizabeth Carroll (Virtual Cinemas)
Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl (Documentary) – Directed by Amy Goldstein (Virtual Cinemas)
I Will Make You Mine – Written and Directed by Lynn Chen (VOD)
Alice – Written and Directed by Josephine Mackerras (Virtual Cinemas)
Buffaloed – Directed by Tanya Wexler (VOD)
How to Build a Girl – Directed by Coky Giedroyc; Written by Caitlin Moran (VOD)
Clementine – Written and Directed by Lara Jean Gallagher (Virtual Cinemas)
CRSHD – Written and Directed by Emily Cohn (Virtual Cinemas)
The Half of It – Written and Directed by Alice Wu (Netflix)
South Mountain – Written and Directed by Hilary Brougher (VOD)
Becoming (Documentary) – Directed by Nadia Hallgren (Netflix)
Saint Frances – Written by Kelly O’Sullivan (VOD)
The Assistant – Written and Directed by Kitty Green (VOD)
The Photograph – Written and Directed by Stella Meghie (VOD)
Selah and The Spades – Written and Directed by Tayarisha Poe (Amazon Prime)
Fleabag Live (Taped Theater Production) – Directed by Vicky Jones; Written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Amazon Prime, Soho Theatre On Demand)
Never Rarely Sometimes Always – Written and Directed by Eliza Hittman (VOD)
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
Mr. Jones – Directed by Agnieszka Holland; Written by Andrea Chalupa
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.
“Mr. Jones” is available on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon.
Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn – Directed by Ivy Meeropol
“Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn” offers an unflinching look at the infamous attorney who prosecuted Ivy Meeropol’s grandparents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and later argued persuasively for their execution in what became known as the “atomic spies” case. The film examines Cohn’s life as chief counsel to Senator Joseph McCarthy in the late 1950s and then through the 1980s when he became a darling of the Reagan White House, a rabid anti-homosexuality activist and political mentor to Donald J. Trump before dying from AIDS in 1986. The film draws from extensive, newly unearthed archival material, recorded at the height of Cohn’s career as a power broker in the rough and tumble world of New York City business and politics.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Ivy Meeropol.
“Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn” is now streaming on HBO GO, HBO NOW, and on HBO via HBO Max.
Dads (Documentary) – Directed by Byrce Dallas Howard
“Dads” is a heartfelt and humorous documentary that celebrates the joys and challenges of parenting in today’s world. Featuring six extraordinary fathers from across the globe, this film offers a firsthand glimpse into the trials and tribulations of modern-day parenting through revealing interviews, rare home-movie footage, viral videos, and hilarious and thoughtful testimonials from some of Hollywood’s funniest celebrities, including Judd Apatow, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris, Ron Howard, Ken Jeong, Jimmy Kimmel, Hasan Minhaj, Conan O’Brien, Patton Oswalt, Will Smith and more. Making her feature directorial debut, Bryce Dallas Howard also offers an intimate look at the dads in her own family, including remarkable interviews with her late grandfather Rance, her father Ron and her brother Reed.
“Dads” is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Father Soldier Son (Documentary) – Directed by Leslye Davis and Catrin Einhorn
This intimate documentary from The New York Times follows one military family over the course of ten years, becoming an intergenerational exploration of the meaning of sacrifice, purpose and American manhood in the aftermath of war.
“Father Soldier Son” is now streaming on Netflix.
The Dead and the Others (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Renée Nader Messora and João Salaviza (Available in UK)
“The Dead and the Others”
There are no spirits or snakes tonight and the forest around the village is quiet. Fifteen year old Ihjãc has nightmares since he lost his father. He is an indigenous Krahô from the north of Brazil. Ihjãc walks into darkness, his sweaty body moves with fright. A distant chant comes through the palm trees. His father’s voice calls him to the waterfall: it´s time to organize the funerary feast so the spirit can depart to the dead´s village. The mourning must cease. Denying his duty and in order to escape a crucial process of becoming a shaman, Ihjãc runs away to the city. Far from his people and culture, he faces the reality of being an indigenous in contemporary Brazil.
“The Dead and the Others” will be available to stream on Mubi UK June 23.
Yummy – Written by Eveline Hagenbeek and Lars Damoiseaux
Yummy is an orgy of blood, violence and fun in which a young couple travel to a shabby Eastern European hospital for plastic surgery. The young woman wants a breast reduction. Her mother comes along for yet another face-lift. Wandering through an abandoned ward the boyfriend stumbles upon a young woman, gagged and strapped to an operating table; she is the result of an experimental rejuvenation treatment. He frees her, but does not realize he just caused the outbreak of a virus that will change doctors, patients, and his mother-in-law into bloodthirsty zombies.
“Yummy” will begin streaming on Shudder June 25.
Penguin
The spine-chilling crime thriller stars Keerthy Suresh as a pregnant mother who sets out on a dangerous and physically demanding journey to unravel a mystery from her past and save her loved ones.
“Penguin” is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON STREAMING/VOD
“Seahorse”: Danny Burrows
Seahorse: The Dad Who Gave Birth (Documentary) – Directed by Jeanie Finlay (VOD)
The Etruscan Smile – Directed by Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun; Written by Sarah Bellwood, Michal Lali Kagan, and Michael McGowan (VOD)
Vampire Dad – Directed by Frankie Ingrassia; Written by Frankie Ingrassia and Kathryn M. Moseley (VOD)
Scare Package (Anthology) – Directed by Emily Hagins, Hilary Andujar, Courtney Andujar, Chris McInroy, Noah Segan, Baron Vaughn, Anthony Cousins, and Aaron B. Koontz; Written by Emily Hagins, Hilary Andujar, Courtney Andujar, Cameron Burns, Anthony Cousins, Ben Fee, Frank Garcia-Hejl, John Karsko, Aaron B. Koontz, Chris McInroy, Noah Segan, and Baron Vaughn (Shudder)
Tell Me I Love You – Written and Directed by Fiona Mackenzie (VOD)
Parkland Rising (Documentary) – Directed by Cheryl Horner McDonough (Virtual Cinemas)
Stage: The Culinary Internship (Documentary) – Directed by Abby Ainsworth (Virtual Cinemas)
Searching Eva (Documentary) – Directed by Pia Hellenthal (VOD)
The Infiltrators (Documentary) – Directed by Cristina Ibarra and Alex Rivera (Virtual Cinemas, VOD)
The Roads Not Taken – Written and Directed by Sally Potter (VOD)
The Dalai Lama: Scientist (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Dawn Gifford Engle (VOD)
Tokyo Godfathers – Written by Keiko Nobumoto and Satoshi Kon (VOD)
The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital (Documentary) – Directed by Joyce Marie Fitzpatrick and Brian Shackelford (VOD)
Graves Without a Name (Documentary) – Written by Agnès Sénémaud and Rithy Panh (VOD)
Bull – Directed by Annie Silverstein; Written by Annie Silverstein and Johnny McAllister (VOD)
TV PREMIERES
Love, Victor — Created by Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker (Available now on Hulu)
“Love, Victor”
Set in the world of the original 2018 film “Love, Simon,” the series follows Victor, a new student at Creekwood High School on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city, and struggling with his sexual orientation. When it all seems too much, he reaches out to Simon to help him navigate the ups and downs of high school.
Lucy Worsley’s Royal Myths & Secrets (Docuseries) (Premieres June 20 on PBS)
“Lucy Worsley’s Royal Myths & Secrets”: PBS
Historian Lucy Worsley travels across Britain and Europe visiting the incredible locations where Royal history was made. In beautiful palaces and castles and on dramatic battlefields she investigates how Royal history is a mixture of facts, exaggeration, manipulation and mythology.
Lifetime Presents Variety’s Power of Women: Frontline Heroes (Premieres June 25 on Lifetime and Facebook)
“Lifetime Presents Variety’s Power of Women: Frontline Heroes” will celebrate the courageous women on the frontlines of the pandemic — including doctors, nurses, teachers, researchers, among others — who are putting themselves at risk to make a difference and working towards finding a solution in this crisis. The special will take a look at ways women are confronting domestic violence, changes to the way children are educated, mental health, homelessness and other areas that affect our daily lives. The special will be broadcast from Variety’s Facebook page, and cross-posted on Lifetime’s. As part of this event, viewers on Facebook will be able to contribute directly to the Equal Justice Initiative using the Facebook donate button in the livestream.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK
Abrams in Untitled Voting Rights documentary
Connections and Conversations: Crowdfunding Picks
Submit Now: The Athena Film Festival
Voting Rights Doc from Stacey Abrams, Liz Garbus, and Lisa Cortés Acquired by Amazon Studios
Future and Fantasy: VOD and Web Series Picks
Academy Announces Inclusion Standards for Oscars Eligibility
Remembering Lynn Shelton
Amma Asante, Julie Taymor, & More to Speak at Carla Conference 2020 on Diversity & Inclusion
Note: All descriptions are from press materials, unless otherwise noted.
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