Weekly Update for March 3: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You

Films About Women Opening This Week

Before I Fall — Directed by Ry-Russo Young; Written by Maria Maggenti

What if you had only one day to change absolutely everything? Samantha Kingston (Zoey Deutch) has everything: the perfect friends, the perfect guy, and a seemingly perfect future. Then, everything changes. After one fateful night, Sam wakes up with no future at all. Trapped reliving the same day over and over, she begins to question just how perfect her life really was. As she begins to untangle the mystery of a life suddenly derailed, she must also unwind the secrets of the people closest to her, and discover the power of a single day to make a difference, not just in her own life, but in the lives of those around her — -before she runs out of time for good. (Press materials)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Ry-Russo Young.

The Last Word

In “The Last Word,” Shirley MacLaine is Harriet Lauler, a once successful businesswoman in tight control of every aspect of her life. As she reflects upon her accomplishments, she’s suddenly inspired to engage a young local writer, Anne Sherman (Amanda Seyfried), to pen her life’s story. When the initial result doesn’t meet Harriet’s high expectations, she sets out to reshape the way she is remembered, with Anne dragged along as an unwilling accomplice. As the journey unfolds, the two women develop a unique bond which alters not only Harriet’s legacy, but also Anne’s future. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Catfight (Also Available on VOD)

Two former college friends, who now find themselves in very different walks of life, meet up at a fancy cocktail party: Veronica (Sandra Oh) has become the entitled, wine-loving wife of a rich businessman, while Ashley (Anne Heche), along with her lover, Lisa (Alicia Silverstone), struggles to make ends meet as an artist. As the two women reconnect, long-buried hostilities, jealousy, and anger explode into a vicious, bloody fight that leaves both of them battered and bruised. (Press materials)

Table 19

Ex-maid of honor Eloise — having been relieved of her duties after being unceremoniously dumped by the best man via text — decides to hold her head up high and attend her oldest friend’s wedding anyway. She finds herself seated at the “random” table in the back of the ballroom with a disparate group of strangers, most of whom should have known to just send regrets. As everyone’s secrets are revealed, Eloise learns a thing or two from the denizens of Table 19. Friendships — and even a little romance — can happen under the most unlikely circumstances. (Press materials)

Find tickets and screening info here.

Lavender (Also Available on VOD)

Abbie Cornish stars in this thriller as Jane, a photographer who is forced to come to terms with her mysterious and tragic past after a horrendous car accident robs her of her memory. Along with her husband (Diego Klattenhoff, “Blacklist”) and daughter, Jane returns to her childhood home and reconnects with her estranged uncle (Dermot Mulroney). To take control of her life, Jane must confront a mysterious lurking force and grapple with a past that continues to haunt her. (Tribeca Film Festival)

The Institute — Co-Directed by Pamela Romanowsky (Also Available on VOD)

In 19th century Baltimore, Isabel Porter (Allie Gallerani), stricken with grief from her parents’ untimely death, voluntarily checks herself into the Rosewood Institute. Subjected to bizarre and increasingly violent pseudo-scientific experiments in personality modification, brainwashing, and mind control, she must escape the clutches of the Rosewood and exact her revenge. (Press materials)

Burlesque: Heart of the Glitter Tribe (Documentary)

“Burlesque: Heart of the Glitter Tribe” is a documentary feature about the passion and personalities at the heart of today’s new wave of burlesque. On stage and in candid conversation, 12 of today’s hottest performers reveal the naked truth about an exotic world where artifice is a route to authenticity and pretending to be someone else is the ultimate journey to becoming yourself. These burlesquers put it all on the line in performances that are sexy, funny, elegant, and outrageous — and they bare more than just their bodies as they discuss their artistic vision, their financial struggles, the misconceptions that infuriate them, and the community that sustains them. (Press materials)

The Women’s Balcony — Written by Shlomit Nechama (Opens in LA)

When the women’s balcony in an Orthodox synagogue collapses, leaving the rabbi’s wife in a coma and the rabbi in shock, the congregation falls into crisis. Charismatic young Rabbi David (Avraham Aviv Alush) appears to be a savior after the accident, but slowly starts pushing his fundamentalist ways and tries to take control. This tests the women’s friendships and creates an almost Lysistrata-type rift between the community’s women and men. (Press materials)

Films About Women Currently Playing

The Girl with All the Gifts (Also Available on VOD)
VooDoo (Also Available on VOD)
Year by the Sea (Florida)
XX (Anthology) — Directed by Roxanne Benjamin, Sofia Carrillo, Karyn Kusama, Annie Clark (St. Vincent), and Jovanka Vuckovic; Co-Written by Roxanne Benjamin and Jovanka Vuckovic (Also Available on VOD)
Lovesong — Co-Written and Directed by So Yong Kim
Everybody Loves Somebody — Written and Directed by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta
Rings
The Lure — Directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska
Sophie and the Rising Sun — Written and Directed by Maggie Greenwald (Also Available on VOD)
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
20th Century Women
Underworld: Blood Wars — Directed by Anna Foerster
Hidden Figures — Co-Written by Allison Schroeder
Toni Erdmann — Written and Directed by Maren Ade
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Julieta
Jackie
Moana — Co-Written by Pamela Ribon
Arrival
Elle
The Eagle Huntress
The Handmaiden
The Love Witch — Written and Directed by Anna Biller

Films Directed by Women Opening This Week

Uncertain (Documentary) — Co-Written and Co-Directed by Anna Sandilands (Opens in Limited Release March 6) (Available on VOD March 17)

“Uncertain” is a visually stunning and disarmingly funny portrait of the literal and figurative troubled waters of Uncertain, Texas. In a 94-resident town so tucked away “you’ve got to be lost to find it,” three Uncertain men make their own bids for survival, looking to find a more certain future. An ex-convict obsessed with Mr. Ed, a gigantic boar he hunts in order to stay on the straight and narrow. A young idealist with big plans but few prospects is looking for a bigger life. An aging fisherman learning to let go of his youthful ways, and making peace with a fateful moment thirty years ago. All the while Uncertain’s vast, swampy lake is being choked by an aquatic weed, upsetting the natural balance and the town’s only source of livelihood. (Press materials)

Read Women and Hollywood’s Interview with Anna Sandilands.

Finding screening info here.

Kushuthara: Pattern of Love — Written and Directed by Karma Deki (Also Available on VOD)

While on assignment to document traditional textile production, Charlie (Emrhys Cooper), a photographer from Los Angeles, finds himself in a small village high in the mountains of Eastern Bhutan. From the very first, Charlie has a strange feeling that he has been in the place before. While taking photographs, one girl in particular, Chomiko (Kezang Wangmo), catches his eye and he feels immediately drawn to her. Chokimo is a very skilled weaver, the best in the village, but she also embodies the memories of a past life. The relationship between the two becomes entangled and then untangled through realization of the causes and conditions that created it. (Press materials)

Water & Power: A California Power Heist (Documentary) — Directed by Marina Zenovich (Opens in NY and LA)

“Water & Power: A California Heist” uncovers the alarming exploits of California’s most notorious water barons, who profit off of the state’s resources while everyday citizens, unincorporated towns, and small farmers endure debilitating water crises. The film peels back the layers of a manipulative, backroom rewrite of California’s water contracts in the 1990s, and investigates today’s rise of luxury crops and illicit water transfers, all in the face of record drought. As the divide between the water haves and have-nots grows, we face a humbling reality: water is the new oil, and as it becomes less accessible, it is rapidly growing more valuable. (Press materials)

The Last Laugh (Documentary) — Directed by Ferne Pearlstein (Opens in NY; Opens in LA March 17)

Is the Holocaust funny? Director Ferne Pearlstein (“Sumo East and West,” “Imelda”) doesn’t shy away from the taboo topic of humor, delving deep into pop culture to find out where to draw the line, and whether that is a desirable — or even possible — goal. “The Last Laugh” pairs clips from films, performances, and interviews with top comedians and prominent Jewish leaders (including Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman, Joan Rivers, Chris Rock, Abraham Foxman, Shalom Auslander, and Louis C.K.) with an intimate portrait of Auschwitz survivor Renee Firestone, and rare archival footage of cabarets in concentration camps. (Tribeca Film Festival)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Ferne Pearlstein.

Find screening info here.

Fair Haven — Directed by Kerstin Karlhuber (Opens in LA) (Available on VOD March 7)

A young man (Michael Grant) returns to his family farm after a long stay in ex-gay conversion therapy, and is torn between the expectations of his emotionally distant father (Tom Wopat), and the memories of a past, loving relationship he has tried to bury. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Nakom — Directed by T. W. Pittman and Kelly Daniela Norris; Co-Written by T. W. Pittman

An intimate narrative from northern Ghana, “Nakom” follows Iddrisu (Jacob Ayanaba), a talented medical student who returns to his home village after his father’s sudden death. Faced with a debt that could destroy his family, Iddrisu has no choice but to turn their farm and fortunes around. Over the course of a growing season, Iddrisu confronts both the tragedy and beauty of village life, and must finally choose between two very different futures. (Press materials)

Viceroy’s House — Directed by Gurinder Chadha; Co-Written by Moira Buffini (Opens in the UK)

After 300 years, British rule of India was coming to an end. For six months in 1947, Lord Mountbatten (Hugh Bonneville), great-grandson of Queen Victoria, assumed the post of the last Viceroy, charged with handing India back to its people. Mountbatten lived upstairs together with his wife and daughter. Downstairs lived their 500 Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh servants. As the political elite took their seats to wrangle over the birth of independent India, conflict erupted throughout the House and a catastrophic decision was taken with global repercussions. Partition — the decision to divide India and create the new Muslim homeland of Pakistan — led to the largest mass migration in human history. (Press materials)

Films Directed by Women Currently Playing

Namour — Written and Directed by Heidi Saman (Limited Release) (Available on Netflix March 15)
Kiki (Documentary) — Co-Written and Directed by Sara Jordenö (Also Available on VOD)
Jasper Jones — Directed by Rachel Perkins (Australia)
Kedi (Documentary) — Written and Directed by Ceyda Torun
A United Kingdom — Directed by Amma Asante

Films Written by Women Opening This Week

None.

Films Written by Women Currently Playing

My Life as a Zucchini — Written by Céline Sciamma
As You Are — Co-Written by Madison Harrison
From Nowhere — Co-Written by Kate Ballen
A Dog’s Purpose — Written by Cathryn Michon
The Red Turtle — Co-written by Pascale Ferran
Sleepless — Co-Written by Andrea Berloff
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — Written by J.K. Rowling

TV Premieres This Week

Custody (TV Movie) (Premieres March 4 on Lifetime)

“Custody” revolves around three women brought together when hard-working single mother, Sara Diaz (Catalina Sandino Moreno), has her children taken from her after she is suspected of injuring her son. Ally Fisher (Hayden Panettiere), a recent law school graduate, is assigned to represent her case before Judge Martha Schulman (Viola Davis), a veteran of the Family Court System. (Press materials)

Feud: Bette and Joan (Anthology) (Premieres March 5 on FX)

“Feud: Bette and Joan,” the first installment of the new FX anthology series from Ryan Murphy, tells the story of the legendary rivalry between Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) during their collaboration on the Academy Award-nominated thriller “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?,” and well after the cameras stopped rolling. The series explores how the two women endured ageism, sexism, and misogyny while struggling to hang on to success and fame in the twilight of their careers. (Press materials)

The Arrangement (Premieres March 5 on E!)

Many Hollywood stars and starlets seem to have perfect lives, with loving partners on their arms as the A-listers walk down the red carpet. But there is often a darker side of celebrity, which is explored in this drama series. Actress Megan Morrison (Christine Evangelista) lands a Cinderella-esque date with movie star Kyle West (Josh Henderson) while auditioning for her dream role. As the relationship progresses, she realizes it comes with a $10 million marriage contract and membership into Kyle’s secretive self-help organization, The Institute of the Higher Mind, which has a retreat-like campus in Malibu. Kyle credits the institute — and its creator, Terence (Michael Vartan), a close confidante — with his success. Megan, though, has a mysterious past she is trying to keep hidden and has to decide how far she is willing to go to help launch her career. (Press materials)

Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards & Gala (Awards Special) (Premieres March 5 on OWN)

This year marks the 10th anniversary of ESSENCE’s Black Women in Hollywood Awards, an annual event that celebrates groundbreaking and superbly talented black women in Hollywood. Honorees at this year’s event are “Insecure’s” Issa Rae, musician and “Hidden Figures” star Janelle Monaé, “How To Get Away With Murder’s” Aja Naomi King, and “Black-ish” star Yara Shahidi. (Press materials)

Amy Schumer: The Leather Special (Comedy Special) (Premieres March 7 on Netflix)

Comic sensation Amy Schumer riffs on sex, dating, and the absurdities of fame in a bold and uncensored stand-up set at Denver’s Bellco Theater. (Press materials)

Victorian Rebel: Marianne North (Documentary) (Premieres March 8 on Smithsonian)

Marianne North is one of the few female Victorian explorers to travel the world and is perhaps one of the greatest female explorers of all time. Her motivation to explore was fired by a passion for painting plants, and her documentation of rare species led to her forming a close relationship with Charles Darwin, discovering four plants that were named after her, meeting the emperor of Brazil, and traveling to undiscovered territory in Borneo — ultimately leaving behind an extraordinary artistic legacy of over a thousand paintings. “Victorian Rebel: Marianne North” follows the intrepid adventurer’s footsteps and relives her jaw-dropping experiences. (Press materials)

VOD/DVD Releasing This Week

The Eyes of My Mother (DVD/VOD, March 7)
I Am Michael — Co-Written by Stacey Miller (DVD/VOD, March 7)
Jackie (DVD/VOD, March 7)
Miss Hokusai — Written by Miho Maruo (DVD/VOD, March 7)
Moana — Co-Written by Pamela Ribon (DVD, March 7)
New Life — Co-Written by Erin Bethea and Candice Irion (DVD/VOD, March 7)
The Red Pill (Documentary) — Directed by Cassie Jaye (DVD/VOD, March 7)
Tanna (DVD/VOD, March 7)

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