FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING
Booksmart – Directed by Olivia Wilde; Written by Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, Katie Silberman, and Emily Halpern
“Booksmart” is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. Best friends Molly and Amy — played by Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever — are attending their last day of high school. They have spent the past four years working their butts off to get into great colleges, sacrificing parties and exciting social lives. Then Molly and Amy discover that the kids who they thought were just partying and not studying got into the same colleges they did. The friends realize they have made a big mistake and want to fit four years of fun into the last night before graduation. Feldstein is hysterical, and a truly gifted performer. This movie is so funny, heartfelt, smart — just great. Do yourself a favor and see it. (Melissa Silverstein)
Find screening info here.
The Proposal (Documentary) – Directed by Jill Magid (Opens in NY; Opens in LA May 31)
“The Proposal”
“The Proposal” follows director/film subject/conceptual artist Jill Magid as she prepares an art exhibition about Mexico’s most famous architect, the late Luis Barragán. An obstacle to — and eventual facet of — her work is the accessibility of Barragán’s archives. His professional collection is owned by a corporation in Switzerland. One woman, Federica Zanco, is the gatekeeper of this archive. When she first acquired it in the late ‘90s, she said a museum would be set up in a few years’ time. It still hasn’t materialized. Zanco and the corporation Vitra trademarked Barragán’s name and control his architectural legacy, even its visual depictions. They’ll occasionally share the archive with others — for a price. Throughout the doc, Magid and her film are respectful of both Barragán and those who have claimed ownership of his professional archive. But “The Proposal” has a specific point of view, and makes a convincing argument in favor of the democratization of art. No spoilers, but the way Magid conveys that point in her exhibition is gutsy, slightly irreverent, and quite sardonic. It’s also why “The Proposal” needs to be seen. (Rachel Montpelier)
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Jill Magid.
Find screening info here.
Barbara Rubin & The Exploding NY Underground (Documentary) (Opens in NY; Opens in LA and San Francisco June 12)
In the 1960s, Dylan, Ginsberg, Warhol, and other mostly male icons inspired an entire generation of musicians, poets, filmmakers, and artists — but who inspired them? Through the story of Barbara Rubin’s life, this film redefines and restores the role that a few creative women played in NYC’s influential avant garde. From her beginnings working with Jonas Mekas and the Filmmaker’s Cooperative to her tragic death at the age of 35, Barbara Rubin was a creative catalyst for some of the 1960s’ most influential happenings and ideas.
Find screening info here.
Joy – Written and Directed by Sudabeh Mortezai (Available on Netflix)
“Joy”
Joy (Anwulika Alphonsus), a young Nigerian woman caught in the vicious cycle of sex trafficking, is instructed by her exploiter Madame (Angela Ekeleme) to supervise Precious (Mariam Sanusi), a teenage girl who is not ready to accept her fate.
The Perfection – Written by Nicole Snyder, Richard Shepard, and Eric C. Charmelo (Available on Netflix)
“The Perfection”
When troubled musical prodigy Charlotte (Allison Williams) seeks out Elizabeth (Logan Browning), the new star pupil of her former school, the encounter sends both musicians down a sinister path with shocking consequences.
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN OPENING
The Spy Behind Home Plate (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Aviva Kempner (Opens in Washington, D.C.)
In this first ever feature-length documentary about the enigmatic Morris “Moe” Berg, award-winning filmmaker Aviva Kempner again focuses her camera on a little-known Jewish hero. From the streets of Newark to five major league teams during baseball’s Golden Age to his secret life spying for the OSS during WWII, Berg’s improbable story is told with rare historical footage and revealing interviews with family and an All-Star roster from the worlds of history, sports, and spycraft.
Find screening info here.
TV PREMIERES
After Maria (Documentary Short) – Directed by Nadia Hallgren (Premieres May 24 on Netflix)
“After Maria”
Strong Puerto Rican women forced to flee the island after Hurricane Maria have bonded like family in a FEMA hotel in the Bronx. They seek stability in their new life as forces try to pull them apart.
High Seas – Created by Gema R. Neira and Ramón Campos (Premieres May 24 on Netflix)
Two sisters discover disturbing family secrets after a string of mysterious deaths occur on a luxury ship traveling from Spain to Brazil in the 1940s.
What/If (Premieres May 24 on Netflix)
“What/If”: Netflix
Neo-noir social thriller “What/If” explores the ripple effects of what happens when acceptable people start doing unacceptable things. The first season of the Netflix original series focuses on a mysterious woman’s (Renée Zellweger) lucrative, but dubious, offer to a cash-strapped pair of San Francisco newlyweds.
Game of Thrones: The Last Watch (Documentary) – Directed by Jeanie Finlay (Premieres May 26 on HBO)
Go behind-the-scenes of the creation of “GoT’s” final season with this original HBO documentary from filmmaker Jeanie Finlay.
The Hot Zone (Miniseries) (Premieres May 27 on National Geographic)
Based on the eponymous international best-seller by Richard Preston, “The Hot Zone,” starring Golden Globe and Emmy award winner Julianna Margulies, is inspired by a true story about the origins of Ebola, a highly infectious virus from the central African rainforest and its arrival on U.S. soil in 1989.
30 for 30: Qualified (Documentary) – Directed by Jenna Ricker (Premieres May 28 on ESPN)
“Qualified”
In 1977, a 39-year-old aerospace engineer attempted to qualify for the world’s most famous race, the Indianapolis 500. Overcoming sexism, skepticism, and subpar equipment, Janet Guthrie shocked the racing world when the reluctant feminist-turned-trailblazer became the first woman to earn a place on the starting grid at Indy, among 33 of the world’s greatest drivers. But just as Guthrie’s career should have rocketed forward, it suddenly, inexplicably stalled. “Qualified” chronicles the mercurial rise of this barrier-breaking auto racer and her equally rapid decline.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Jenna Ricker.
The InBetween – Created by Moira Kirland (Premieres May 29 on NBC)
Cassie Bedford (Harriet Dyer) was born with a rare ability. She has visions — whether she likes it or not. Sometimes Cassie sees events that have previously occurred or will happen in the future. Sometimes she encounters unsettled spirits who need her help. When her father, Detective Tom Hackett (Paul Blackthorne), and his new partner, former FBI agent Damien Asante (Justin Cornwell), need assistance solving a dark and puzzling murder, Cassie reluctantly agrees to use her abilities and helps solve some of the city’s most challenging cases.
VOD/STREAMING RELEASES
“Captain Marvel”: Marvel Studios
Five Feet Apart – Written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis (VOD, May 24)
Captain Marvel – Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck; Written by Anna Boden, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and Ryan Fleck (VOD, May 28)
General Commander – Written by Lisa Gabriel and Philippe Martinez (VOD, May 28)
Greta (VOD, May 28)
In the Last Days of the City – Written by Rasha Salti and Tamer El Said (VOD, May 28)
Starfish (VOD, May 28)
To a More Perfect Union: U.S. v. Windsor (Documentary) – Directed by Donna Zaccaro (VOD, May 28)
A Vigilante – Written and Directed by Sarah Daggar-Nickson (VOD, May 28)
WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD IN THE NEWS
Cannes Says It’s Making Strides for Equality. Some Women See Backward Steps. (The New York Times)
PICKS OF THE WEEK FROM WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD
Quote of the Day: “Port Authority’s” Leyna Bloom on Being the First Trans WOC to Lead a Cannes Pic
Watch: Busy Philipps and ACLU Fight Back Against Abortion Bans with #YouKnowMe Campaign
Here & Queer: Crowdfunding Picks
Jill Soloway Shares Topple List, an Inclusive Collection of Working Culture Creators
Jokha Alharthi Makes History as the First Arabic Winner of the Man Booker International Prize
Reed Morano and Kristen Wiig Pull Projects from Georgia in Protest of Abortion Ban
Women Dominate Off-Broadway’s Obie Awards
New Database of Women Working Above & Below the Line in Film Introduced at Cannes
Quote of the Day: Mindy Kaling on “Late Night” and the Stigma of Being a “Diversity Hire”
Under the Radar: Diane Paragas’ “Yellow Rose” Puts the American Dream to Music
Watch: A Woman Gets a Text from Her Missing Lover in Clips of Mati Diop’s Cannes Pic “Atlantics”
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.
