FILMS ABOUT WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD

Shirley – Directed by Josephine Decker; Written by Sarah Gubbins

Towards the beginning of “Shirley,” an unwanted house guest tells Shirley Jackson (Elisabeth Moss) that one of the author’s stories made her feel “thrillingly horrible.” The same description can be applied to Shirley herself. She positively delights in shit-stirring. Her depression and agoraphobia play a major role in the film, but they never get in the way of her reveling in causing other people discomfort. Far from being a conventional biopic, and especially the type to canonize its subject, “Shirley” is merely a fascinating glimpse into a fascinating life, and a fictionalized one, at that. The psychological drama focuses on a relatively brief chapter of “The Lottery” and “The Haunting of Hill House” writer’s life. Shirley is nearly finished writing her masterpiece when Stanley (Michael Stuhlbarg), her husband, invites his teaching assistant and new bride to live with them, threatening to disrupt the fragile ecosystem of their home. After initially treating Fred (Logan Lerman) and Rose (Odessa Young) as pawns in her and Stanley’s dysfunctional relationship, Shirley eventually finds herself drawn to Rose. Both women are, in their own ways, struggling to make a name and forge an identity for themselves in a time and place that would prefer them to focus more on their husbands and household. Their evolving relationship ends up being the focus of the film. (Laura Berger)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Josephine Decker.

“Shirley” is now screening via virtual cinemas. It is also streaming on Hulu.

Judy & Punch – Written and Directed by Mirrah Foulkes 

“Judy & Punch”

Writer-director Mirrah Foulkes has described “Judy & Punch” as a “bat-shit crazy origin story about the Punch and Judy puppet show.” After seeing it, I’d attest to that, but would also liken her feature debut to a demented fairy tale. With its dark subject matter and rich sense of irony, it’s reminiscent of original Hans Christian Andersen and Brothers Grimm stories — but is presented through a decidedly feminist lens. Foulkes faces the odious realities of the Punch and Judy characters, as well as culture’s continued love for the show, head-on. Along with introducing us to Judy (Mia Wasikowska), Punch (Damon Herriman), and other classic characters from the puppet show, “Judy & Punch” deals directly with the historical persecution of women, such as stonings and witch hunts; social ostracism of anyone perceived as different; and society’s tendency to reward mediocre men, while ignoring or diminishing brilliant women. (Rachel Montpelier)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Mirrah Foulkes.

“Judy & Punch” is now available for rent or purchase on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon. Find more viewing info here.

A New Color: The Art of Being Edythe Boone (Documentary) – Directed by Marlene “Mo” Morris

“A New Color”

Long before Black Lives Matter became a rallying cry, Edythe Boone embodied that truth as an artist, an educator, and a great-grandmother. When a personal tragedy ignites a national outcry, everything that Edythe has worked so tirelessly for is at stake.

“A New Color: The Art of Being Edythe Boone” is now available for rent or purchase on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon. It’s also streaming on Amazon Prime. Find more viewing info here.

Advocate (Documentary) – Directed by Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche; Written by Rachel Leah Jones

“Advocate”

Lea Tsemel defends Palestinians: from feminists to fundamentalists, from non-violent demonstrators to armed militants. As a Jewish-Israeli lawyer who has represented political prisoners for five decades, Tsemel, in her tireless quest for justice, pushes the praxis of a human rights defender to its limits. As far as most Israelis are concerned, she defends the indefensible. As far as Palestinians are concerned, she’s more than an attorney, she’s an advocate.

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Rachel Leah Jones.

“Advocate” will be available on VOD platforms including Apple TV June 9.

Born in Evin (Documentary) – Directed by Maryam Zaree 

Exactly 40 years have passed since the monarchy of the Shah of Iran was toppled and the Islamic Republic declared. In the 1980s Ayatollah Khomeini, the so-called religious leader, had tens of thousands of political opponents arrested, persecuted, and murdered. Among them the filmmaker’s parents who, after years in prison, managed to seek asylum in Germany. The family never talked about their persecution and imprisonment. With “Born in Evin,” filmmaker Maryam Zaree faces the decades-long silence and explores her own questions about the place and the circumstances of her birth.

“Born in Evin” will be available on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon June 9.

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (Documentary)

“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”

At the height of unprecedented success, Linda Ronstadt, a restless and adventurous artist, turned away from pop music to explore an astonishing variety of musical styles, from American standards to country to classical operetta, before circling back to her family roots with traditional Mexican canciones. Withstanding constant pressure from a risk-averse industry, Ronstadt insisted on following her musical instincts. Today, Ronstadt has Parkinson’s disease, and her magnificent singing voice has been silenced. But rather than letting that voice be lost to history, “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice” tells Ronstadt’s story through her own words and music.

“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice” will screen via the BrightFocus Foundation’s At-Home Movie Night through June 10. Find more viewing info here.

Becky – Written by Lane Skye, Nick Morris, and Ruckus Skye

Spunky and rebellious Becky (Lulu Wilson) is brought to a weekend getaway at a lake house by her father (Joel McHale), in an effort to try to reconnect. The trip immediately takes a turn for the worse when a group of convicts on the run, led by the merciless Dominick (Kevin James), suddenly invades the lake house.

“Becky” is now available for rent or purchase on VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon.

Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai

A bank employee weighed down by her jobless husband’s debts — and her own broken dreams — finds a secret source of seemingly unlimited cash in her home.

“Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai” is now streaming on Netflix.

Here Awhile

Terminally ill Anna (Anna Camp) returns to Oregon to reconnect with her estranged brother, while simultaneously making the heart-wrenching choice to end her life using the Death with Dignity Act.

“Here Awhile” will be available on VOD platforms including Apple TV June 9.

FILMS ABOUT WOMEN CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON STREAMING/VOD

“Papicha”

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)
Joan of Arc (Virtual Cinemas)
I Will Make You Mine – Written and Directed by Lynn Chen (VOD)
Funny Pains (Documentary) (VOD)
Alice – Written and Directed by Josephine Mackerras (Virtual Cinemas)
Buffaloed – Directed by Tanya Wexler (VOD)
Seberg – Written by Anna Waterhouse and Joe Shrapnel (Amazon Prime)
Fourteen (Virtual Cinemas)
How to Build a Girl – Directed by Coky Giedroyc; Written by Caitlin Moran (VOD)
Clementine – Written and Directed by Lara Jean Gallagher (Virtual Cinemas)
Yeva – Written and Directed by Anahid Abad (Vimeo)
CRSHD – Written and Directed by Emily Cohn (Virtual Cinemas)
On a Magical Night (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)
Thousand Pieces of Gold (Restoration) – Directed by Nancy Kelly; Written by Anne Makepeace (Kino Marquee)
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)
Beyond the Visible – Hilma af Klint (Documentary) – Directed by Halina Dyrschka (Kino Marquee)
What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael (Documentary) (Film Forum)
Beanpole (VOD, Film Forum)
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)
Emma. – Directed by Autumn de Wilde; Written by Eleanor Catton (VOD)
Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) – Directed by Cathy Yan; Written by Christina Hodson (VOD)
The Invisible Man (VOD)

FILMS MADE BY WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD

Parkland Rising (Documentary) – Directed by Cheryl Horner McDonough

“Parkland Rising”

“Parkland Rising” follows the high school students and families who became fierce leaders of a national movement for gun reform following the shooting of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High. Cheryl Horner McDonough’s documentary goes behind the news headlines to share the personal and intimate stories of the students leading the movement, as well as the families of victims who are working together to create meaningful change.

“Parkland Rising” is now screening via virtual cinemas. 

FILMS MADE BY WOMEN CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON STREAMING/VOD

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 Social Ones – Written and Directed by Laura Kosann (VOD)
A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps (Documentary) – Directed by Alana DeJoseph; Written by Shana Kelly (Virtual Cinemas)
Endgame 2050 (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Sofia Pineda Ochoa (YouTube)
Ovid and the Art of Love – Written and Directed by Esmé von Hoffman (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)
Ordinary Love – Directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn (VOD)
Circus of Books (Documentary) – Directed by Rachel Mason (Netflix)

TV PREMIERES

Gina Brillon: The Floor is Lava (Comedy Special) – Written by Gina Brillon (Premieres June 5 on Amazon Prime Video)

“Gina Brillon: The Floor is Lava”

Gina Brillon has always had a unique approach to life’s ups and downs, handling them with a humor and sass that comes naturally to the Bronx born Latina. In her third stand up special, Brillon holds no punches when discussing her childhood, culture, and the transition from single to married life with her Midwestern husband.

Esther Povitsky: Hot for My Name (Comedy Special) – Written by Esther Povitsky (Premieres June 5 on Comedy Central)

In Esther Povitsky’s debut special, “Hot for My Name,” Povitsky goes home to Skokie, Illinois, to understand why her unique relationship with her parents motivated her to become a comedian. Documentary footage is intercut with Povitsky’s sharp stand-up, giving audiences a hilarious look into her origin story.

Yvonne Orji: Momma, I Made It! (Comedy Special) – Written by Yvonne Orji (Premieres June 6 on HBO)

“Yvonne Orji: Momma, I Made It!”

Interspersed with vibrant, personal footage shot in Nigeria, Yvonne Orji’s native home, during a milestone trip in early January, “Yvonne Orji: Momma, I Made It!” takes an intimate, hilarious look at what being Nigerian-American means to Yvonne — from her international haggling addiction and having her phone tapped by her parents as a kid, to the fine line between cursing people out and putting curses on them.

I May Destroy You – Created and Written by Michaela Coel (Premieres June 7 on HBO)

“I May Destroy You”: HBO

Set in London, where gratification is only an app away, the story centers on Arabella (Michaela Coel), a carefree, self-assured Londoner with a group of great friends, a boyfriend in Italy, and a burgeoning writing career. But when her drink is spiked, she must question and rebuild every element of her life.

Lenox Hill (Docuseries) – Directed by Adi Barash and Ruthie Shatz (Premieres June 10 on Netflix)

An intimate look at the lives of four doctors — two brain surgeons, an emergency room physician, and a Chief Resident OB-GYN — as they navigate the highs and lows of working at the renowned Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. With extraordinary access and an unflinching eye, the series shows each physician’s struggle to balance their personal and professional lives, and delves into each patient’s personal journey. From birth to brain surgery, each case offers a rare inside look at the complex, fascinating, and emotional world of medicine.

A MESSAGE TO THE WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD COMMUNITY

This was a hard week for all of us, especially people living here in the United States. The disease of white supremacy and the anti-Black abuse of the police have been on stark display and it is heartbreaking to watch.

As a person who has white privilege, I must do more than just watch. I must speak out and stand up. To the women of color who are a part of the Women and Hollywood community, I want to offer my allyship in any way that you need.

Women and Hollywood is not immune from issues of racism, as we are part of the world and racism is everywhere. It is incumbent on white women to remember their privilege and to do the work with fellow white women to support women of color and work to end institutional systemic racism.

Women and Hollywood and the Girls Club will continue to put this at the forefront of our work. Come join us.

If you have the funds, please consider donating to many, many worthy causes and organizations. Examples of where to donate include Black Lives Matter and Campaign Zero. More ideas about where to donate can be found over at The Cut.

BLM offers free educational resources such as #TalkAbout Trayvon: A Toolkit for White People, and a Healing Justice Toolkit. Please use them.

Standing in solidarity,

Melissa Silverstein
Founder and Publisher of Women and Hollywood

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK

“True Mothers” is part of the Cannes lineup

Kelly Sallaway, Meghan Duffy, and Sharon Houston Named Propelle Accelerator Finalists
Inclusive Perspectives: Crowdfunding Picks
Contrary to Reports, Cannes’ 2020 Lineup Does Not Mark a Historic High for Women Directors
Tyler English-Beckwith Wins Leah Ryan’s Fund For Emerging Women Writers
Julia Bacha and Leslie Tai Among Keep The Lights On COVID-19 Doc Fund Recipients
Salima Koroma Directing Black Wall Street Documentary
Victoria Mahoney in Talks to Helm Paramount’s Adaptation of “Kill Them All”
“Surviving R. Kelly’s” dream hampton to Direct and EP Tulsa Race Massacre Docuseries
“Antigone” and “The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open” Win Big at Canadian Screen Awards

Note: All descriptions are from press materials, unless otherwise noted.

Follow Women and Hollywood on Twitter @WomenaHollywood and Melissa Silverstein @melsil. 

To contact Women and Hollywood, email melissa@womenandhollywood.com.