FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING
Too Late to Die Young – Written and Directed by Dominga Sotomayor (Opens in NY; Opens in LA June 7)
“Too Late To Die Young”
Set in post-Pinochet Chile in the summer of 1999, “Too Late to Die Young” tells the story of Sofía (Demian Hernández), a 16-year-old who finds herself on the brink of major change. Her commune is debating whether or not to move forward with a generator that would bring them electricity. Sofía’s focus, however, is elsewhere: she’s desperate to leave rural life — and her father’s home — behind and move in with her mother, a successful singer who lives in the city. Sweetening the prospect of getting out of town is the fact that an older guy she’s fallen for (Matias Oviedo) is headed in the same direction. “Too Late to Die Young” is more concerned with establishing an immersive atmosphere — one that writer-director Dominga Sotomayor describes as “full of expectations” — rather than plot. Sotomayor is instead offering a naturalistic portrait of a pivotal moment in its young protagonist’s life, and her country’s. (Laura Berger)
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Dominga Sotomayor.
Find screening info here.
Ma
“Ma”
Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer stars as Sue Ann, a loner who keeps to herself in her quiet Ohio town. One day, she is asked by Maggie (Diana Silvers), a new teenager in town, to buy some booze for her and her friends, and Sue Ann sees the chance to make some unsuspecting, if younger, friends of her own. She offers the kids the chance to avoid drinking and driving by hanging out in the basement of her home. But there are some house rules: One of the kids has to stay sober. Don’t curse. Never go upstairs. And call her “Ma.” But as Ma’s hospitality starts to curdle into obsession, what began as a teenage dream turns into a terrorizing nightmare, and Ma’s place goes from the best place in town to the worst place on earth.
Find screening info here.
Mouthpiece – Directed by Patricia Rozema; Written by Patricia Rozema, Amy Nostbakken, and Norah Sadava (Opens in NY; Opens in LA June 7)
“Mouthpiece”
“Mouthpiece” is a powerful, amusing, and highly original look into the conflicted psyche of Cassandra Haywood, a fiercely independent millennial woman. Cass is a single writer who lives by her own rules. She’s also a bit of a disaster. Following the sudden death of her mother (Maev Beaty), she finds herself in crisis, unable to think straight with a debate raging inside her head. This movie makes that invisible conflict visible: Cassandra (Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava) battles it out while figuring out what to say at her mother’s funeral. What unfolds is a wild careening through grief, anger, hypocrisy, sex, and self-sabotage in an exploration of the messy contemporary lives of women from both generations. Raucous jokes, musical numbers, and heartbreaking memories add up to a deeply moving and political portrait of a mother and a daughter as seen through the eyes of one conflicted young woman.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Patricia Rozema.
Find screening info here.
Freedom Fields (Documentary) – Directed by Naziha Arebi (Opens in the UK)
“Freedom Fields”
Emboldened by the Arab Spring, the Libyan women’s soccer team is dreaming of playing their first international game. However, their sport faces huge opposition in Libya; so when news of a possible cap is released, media attention ends up playing in the hands of those who want to thwart their ambitions.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Naziha Arebi.
Find screening info here.
For the Birds (Documentary) (Opens in NY; Opens June 14 in LA)
In Richard Miron’s surprising and empathetic “For the Birds,” we follow an unusual woman named Kathy who lives with 200 pet chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. What starts as a story seemingly about Kathy’s battle with local animal advocacy groups slowly transforms into an intimate drama about her relationship with her husband, Gary, and the toll the birds have taken on their marriage and her well-being. Filmed over the course of five years, this sensitive tale of one woman’s world breaking down — poignant and absorbing in equal measure — is ultimately one of hope about the possibility of regaining one’s life.
Find screening info here.
Alles ist gut – Written and Directed by Eva Trobisch (Available on Netflix June 6)
“Alles Ist Gut”
Eva Trobisch’s poised and formally restrained feature directorial debut poses questions about how one can resist victimization following sexual assault. Does one attempt to move past it or confront the crime and trauma head on? Aenne Schwarz delivers a gut-wrenching performance as a woman trying to stay composed as she deals with the aftermath of a nightmarish evening that leaves an unerasable scar and affects all aspects of her life. (MoMA)
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN OPENING
Always Be My Maybe – Directed by Nahnatchka Khan; Written by Ali Wong, Randall Park, and Michael Golamco (Also Available on Netflix)
Childhood sweethearts have a falling out and don’t speak for 15 years. They reconnect as adults when Sasha (Ali Wong), now a celebrity chef opening a restaurant in San Francisco, runs into Marcus (Randall Park), a happily struggling musician still living at home and working for his dad.
Renegade Dreamers (Documentary) – Directed by Karen Kramer (Opens in NY)
“Renegade Dreamers,” a timely new documentary by Karen Kramer, chronicles the artists of today carrying on the tradition of the Beat poets and radical folk singers of New York City’s legendary Greenwich Village who challenged the status quo.
Find screening info here.
Leto – Written by Lily Idova, Kirill Serebrennikov, Ivan Kapitonov, and Mikhail Idov (Opens in LA; Opens in NY June 7)
“Leto”
Leningrad, in the summer, early ‘80s. Smuggling LP’s by Lou Reed and David Bowie, the underground rock scene is boiling ahead of the Perestroika. Mike (Roman Bilyk) and his beautiful wife, Natasha (Irina Starshenbaum), meet with young Viktor Tsoï (Teo Yoo). Together with friends, they will change the trajectory of rock ‘n roll music in the Soviet Union.
Rich Boy, Rich Girl – Directed by Judy San Roman and Andrew Damon Henriques; Written by Judy San Roman and Michael Wolfe (Also Available on VOD)
A front-desk clerk and shampoo girl both pretend to be who and what they’re not while acting on their mutual attraction. When the truth is revealed, however, they have to decide whether to attempt to become who they pretended to be.
Oh, Ramona! – Directed by Cristina Jacob; Written by Cristina Jacob, Alex Cotet, and Andrei Ciobanu (Available on Netflix June 1)
Awkward 16-year-old Andrei (Bogdan Iancu) is infatuated with his alluring but aloof schoolmate Ramona (Aggy K. Adams) — until he meets stunning hotel clerk Anemona (Holly Horne) while on vacation.
TV PREMIERES
“When They See Us”
When They See Us (Miniseries) – Created and Directed by Ava DuVernay (Premieres May 31 on Netflix)
On the night of April 19, 1989, a white woman was brutally beaten and sexually assaulted in Central Park. Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise had the misfortune of being in the park that same night and being young men of color. But that’s enough for the police and DA. For no other reason besides the Five’s relative proximity to the rape, law enforcement pins the crime on the teenagers — and coerces false confessions from them with violence, intimidation, and lies. “When They See Us” is very much the story of the Central Park Five, but creator/director Ava DuVernay uses the four-part series to draw parallels between that moment in time and 2019. The criminal justice system is still a disgrace. Trump is still a racist fearmonger who dominates the media. And, to paraphrase one “When They See Us” character, people of color are still lied on, locked up, and killed by the police every day. The miniseries leans into the fury, horror, and sorrow it provokes. It also seems to argue that we, the viewers, should embrace those emotions and make sure what happened to the Central Park Five never happens again. (Rachel Montpelier)
Swamp Thing (Premieres May 31 on DC Universe)
“Swamp Thing” follows Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed) as she investigates what seems to be a deadly swamp-born virus in a small town in Louisiana but soon discovers that the swamp holds mystical and terrifying secrets. When unexplainable and chilling horrors emerge from the murky marsh, no one is safe. (TheWrap)
Killer Ratings (Docuseries) – Created by Dinah Lord and Eamonn Matthews (Premieres May 31 on Netflix)
Brazilian TV personality and politician Wallace Souza faces accusations of masterminding the violent crimes he reported on and rallied against.
Arthdal Chronicles – Written by Kim Young-hyun and Park Sang-yeon (Premieres June 1 on Netflix)
“Arthdale Chronicles” depicts the birth of civilization and nations in ancient times. It is a story of mythical heroes, their struggle, unity, and love of people living in a virtual land called Arth.
American Princess – Created by Jamie Denbo (Premieres June 2 on Lifetime)
“American Princess”
When Amanda (Georgia Flood), an Upper East Side socialite, runs away from her own dream wedding, she realizes that the life she thought she wanted wasn’t actually right after all. After impulsively joining a Renaissance Faire, Amanda experiences an unexpected awakening that leads her to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about the pursuit of happiness. She quickly develops new friendships, rivalries, and romances that, much to the confusion of her family, opens her eyes to new beginnings.
NOS4A2 – Created by Jami O’Brien (Premieres June 2 on AMC)
“NOS4A2”: Zach Dilgard/AMC
Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto), a seductive immortal who feeds off the souls of children, has his whole world threatened when a young woman in New England (Ashleigh Cummings) discovers she has a dangerous gift.
Miranda Sings Live…Your Welcome (Comedy Special) (Premieres June 4 on Netflix)
Viral video star Miranda Sings and her real-world alter ego Colleen Ballinger share the stage in a special packed with music, comedy, and “magichinry.”
VOD/STREAMING RELEASES
“Woman at War”
Ask Dr. Ruth (Documentary) (Hulu, June 1)
The Bastards’ Fig Tree – Written and Directed by Ana Murugarren (VOD, June 4)
The Brink (Documentary) – Directed by Alison Klayman (VOD, June 4)
The Cleaning Lady – Written by Alexis Kendra and Jon Knautz (VOD, June 4)
Gloria Bell (VOD, June 4)
The Haunting of Sharon Tate (VOD, June 4)
Mapplethorpe – Directed by Ondi Timoner; Written by Ondi Timoner and Mikko Alanne (VOD, June 4)
The Odds (VOD, June 4)
The Possession Diaries (VOD, June 4)
Woman at War (VOD, June 4)
WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD IN THE NEWS
“Sibyl”, a film that finally shows women in all their complexity (Slate)
Endeavor IPO Filing Shows What the Firm Is Missing: Women (Fortune)
PICKS OF THE WEEK FROM WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD
“Atlantics”
Edinburgh Film Fest’s 2019 Lineup Includes “Go Back to China,” “The Black Forest,” & More
Thumbs Down Report 2019: Women Critics Still Outnumbered by Men Two to One
Disney and Netflix Speak Out Against Georgia’s New Abortion Law
Apply Now: Chicken & Egg Pictures’ 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab
Karlovy Vary Film Fest’s 2019 Main Competition Lineup Is 25% Women-Directed
Our Bodies, Our Choice: VOD and Web Series Picks
Cannes 2019 Winners Include “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” “Atlantics,” and “For Sama”
Cannes: “Bull” Director Annie Silverstein on Rodeo Culture and the Realities of On-Set Childcare
Louise Courvoisier’s “Mano a Mano” Takes Home Cannes Cinefondation Top Honor
Cannes: Rebecca Zlotowski’s “An Easy Girl” Named Best French-Language Film at Directors’ Fortnight
Quote of the Day: Gina Prince-Bythewood on Changing the Narrative About Women Directors
Note: All descriptions are from press materials, unless otherwise noted.
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