FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING
Poms – Directed by Zara Hayes
It is always nice to see women over 40 on-screen, as central characters. “Poms” takes us into a retirement community where there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to do. Martha (Diane Keaton) shows up, basically waiting to die. But she is brought back to life by the friends she makes in the cheerleading squad they create. The ladies of “Poms” are pretty lousy cheerleaders, but it’s not about the cheering: it’s about the friendships. Jacki Weaver plays the resident badass, convening night-time poker games and breaking pretty much all the rules. Pam Grier, Rhea Perlman, and Phyllis Somerville round out the group, while Celia Weston portrays the woman trying to shut them down. The film can be stilted and stereotypical at times, but it is a sweet reminder that being old doesn’t automatically mean giving up on your dreams. (Melissa Silverstein)
Find screening info here.
The Third Wife – Written and Directed by Ash Mayfair (Opens in NY)
“The Third Wife”
In 19th-century rural Vietnam, 14-year-old May becomes the third wife of wealthy landowner Hung. Soon, she learns that she can only gain status by asserting herself as a woman who can give birth to a male child. May’s hope to change her status turns into a real and tantalizing possibility when she gets pregnant. Faced with forbidden love and its devastating consequences, May finally comes to an understanding of the brutal truth: the options available to her are few and far between.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Ash Mayfair.
Read Women and Hollywood’s Under the Radar feature on “The Third Wife.”
Find screening info here.
Charlie Says – Directed by Mary Harron; Written by Guinevere Turner (Available on VOD May 17)
“Charlie Says”
Years after the shocking murders that made the name Charles Manson synonymous with pure evil, the three women who killed for him — Leslie Van Houten (Hannah Murray), Patricia Krenwinkel (Sosie Bacon), and Susan Atkins (Marianne Rendón) — remain under the spell of the infamous cult leader (Matt Smith). Confined to an isolated cellblock in a California penitentiary, the trio seem destined to live out the rest of their lives under the delusion that their crimes were part of a cosmic plan until empathetic graduate student Karlene Faith (Merritt Wever) is enlisted to rehabilitate them. Convinced the prisoners are not the inhumane monsters the world believes them to be, Karlene begins the arduous process of breaking down the psychological barriers erected by Manson. But are the women ready to confront the horror of what they did?
The Hustle – Written by Jac Schaeffer
“The Hustle”
Josephine Chesterfield (Anne Hathaway) is a glamorous, seductive Brit with a sprawling home in Beaumont-sur-Mer and a penchant for defrauding gullible wealthy men from all corners of the world. Into her well-ordered, meticulously moneyed world bursts Penny Rust (Rebel Wilson), an Aussie who is as free-form and fun-loving as Josephine is calculated and cunning. Where Penny amasses wads of cash by ripping off her marks in neighborhood bars, Josephine fills her safe with massive diamonds after ensnaring her prey in glitzy casinos. Despite their different methods, both are masters of the art of the fleece so they con the men that have wronged women.
Find screening info here.
Origin Story (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Kulap Vilaysack (Opens in LA) (Also Available on Amazon Video On Demand)
When Kulap Vilaysack was 14, she took her father’s side in an argument and her mother replied, “Why are you defending him? He’s not your real dad.” Twenty years later, she’s finally ready to learn what that means. “Origin Story” is a feature-length, international quest with stops in Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Laos to meet the biological father she never knew. On the road, unforeseen revelations strike as hilarious or heartbreaking, rarely in between.
Find screening info here.
Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen (Documentary) (Currently Playing in Select Cities) (Available on Netflix May 12)
“Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen”: Sundance Institute
A documentary portrait of the pioneering indigenous filmmaker and activist Merata Mita, “Merata” is an intimate tribute from a son about his mother that delves into the life of the first woman from an Indigenous Nation to solely direct a film anywhere in the world. Known as the grandmother of Indigenous cinema, Merata’s independent political documentaries of the ‘70s and ‘80s highlighted injustices for Māori people, and often divided the country. Mita was fearless in her life, her activism, and her art. Chronicling the director’s journey to decolonize the film and television screens of New Zealand and the world, the film documents her work, her early struggles with her family, and her drive for social justice that often proved personally dangerous.
Find screening info here.
Good Sam – Directed by Kate Melville; Written by Teena Booth and Dete Meserve (Available on Netflix May 16)
When a mysterious good samaritan, aka “Good Sam,” leaves $100,000 cash on seemingly random doorsteps, New York City TV news reporter Kate Bradley (Tiya Sircar) sets out discover Good Sam’s true identity and motive, turning her personal life upside down.
In Family I Trust – Directed by Patricia Font (Available on Netflix)
After she learns her boyfriend was unfaithful with a famous TV reporter, Bea (Clara Lago) moves back in with her family to find herself.
Daughter of the Wolf
An ex-military specialist receives a big inheritance from her late father only to see her son kidnapped and held for ransom. Rather than pay for his return, she abducts one of the kidnappers and forces him to lead her to her son.
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN OPENING
“General Magic”: Tribeca
General Magic – Directed by Sarah Kerruish and Matt Maude; Written by Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude, and Jonathan Key
The ideas that dominate the tech industry and our day-to-day lives were born at General Magic, a secretive Silicon Valley start-up that shipped the first handheld personal communicator — or “smartphone” — in 1994. While the device and company ultimately failed, the team behind General Magic has gone on to change the lives of billions. Featuring legendary members of the original Macintosh team, along with the creators of the iPod, iPhone, Android, and eBay, the film combines rare archival footage with contemporary stories of the “Magicians” today. This is the story of what happens when those who have a dream to change the world fail, fail again, fail better, and ultimately succeed.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Sarah Kerruish.
Find screening info here.
My Son – Written by Laure Irrmann and Christian Carlon
A man leaves no stone unturned as he attempts to find out what really happened to his child after he suddenly disappeared.
Just Say Goodbye – Written by Layla O’Shea (Opens in LA)
After enduring years of abuse from his alcoholic father and the school bully, Jesse Peterson (Max MacKenzie) tells his best friend Sarah (Katerina Eichenberger) that he plans on committing suicide. After promising to tell no one, Sarah finds it upon herself to try to stop him, taking any means necessary.
Find screening info here.
TV PREMIERES
“L.A.’s Finest”: Sony TV
The Daily Show Presents: Desi Lydic: Abroad (Comedy Special) (Premieres May 13 on Comedy Central)
In her first one-hour special, “The Daily Show’s” Desi Lydic is setting out on a global expedition — exploring how and why the U.S. has fallen so far behind much of the world when it comes to women and education, economics, health, and politics.
L.A.’s Finest (Premieres May 13 on Spectrum)
“L.A.’s Finest” follows Syd Burnett (Gabrielle Union), last seen in Miami taking down a drug cartel, who has seemingly left her complicated past behind to become an LAPD detective. Paired with a new partner, Nancy McKenna (Jessica Alba), a working mom with an equally complex history, Syd is forced to confront how her unapologetic lifestyle may be masking a greater personal secret. Taking on the most dangerous criminals in Los Angeles while skirting the rules, and speed limits, Syd and Nancy become a force to be reckoned with — on the streets, and in each other’s lives. (Deadline)
VOD/STREAMING RELEASES
“Fighting with My Family”
Her Smell (VOD, May 10)
Birds of Passage – Directed by Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra; Written by Maria Camila Arias and Jacques Toulemonde Vidal (VOD, May 14)
Fighting with My Family (VOD, May 14)
Happy Death Day 2U (VOD, May 14)
Silencio – Written and Directed by Lorena Villarreal (VOD, May 14)
WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD IN THE NEWS
“Game of Thrones” mishandles “Little Bird” Sansa and Missandei, sparking backlash (Newsweek)
Cannes to Go Ahead With Award for Alain Delon Despite His Controversial Statements (Variety)
PICKS OF THE WEEK FROM WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD
Nantucket Film Festival Announces All-Female Lineup for 2019 Screenwriters Tribute
Embracing the Surreal: Crowdfunding Picks
Sheila Nevins Is Launching MTV’s Documentary Films Unit
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez & Rachel Lears May Reunite for Green New Deal Doc
Writer to Watch: Katie Silberman of “Booksmart” and “Set It Up”
Submit Now: Firelight’s Documentary Lab for Filmmakers of Color
Apply Now: Women and Hollywood Internship
Amy Poehler, Issa Rae, and More Will Be Honored at Women In Film Annual Gala
Tribeca 2019 Awards: “House of Hummingbird” and “Scheme Birds” Land Top Honors
You Have to Laugh: VOD and Web Series Picks
Note: All descriptions are from press materials, unless otherwise noted.
Follow Women and Hollywood on Twitter @WomenaHollywood and Melissa Silverstein @melsil.
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