Weekly Update for November 18: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You

Films About Women Opening This Week

The Edge of Seventeen — Written and Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig

A look at what it’s like to grow up as a young woman in today’s modern world. Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), who is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian (Blake Jenner) starts dating her best friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever, until the unexpected friendship of a thoughtful boy gives her a glimmer of hope that things just might not be so terrible after all. (Press materials)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Kelly Fremon Craig.

Moana — Co-Written by Pamela Ribon (Opens November 23)

In the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho), a born navigator, sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her incredible journey, she teams up with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui (Dwayne Johnson), to traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds, and ancient folklore. (Press materials)

Divines — Co-Written and Directed by Houda Benyamina (Also Available on Netflix)

The funny, suspenseful, and often emotional drama tells the story of Dounia (Oulaya Amamra), a tough but naive teenager who sees getting rich or dying trying as her most viable option in life. Set in a ghetto near Paris where drugs and religion reign supreme, Dounia is hungry for her share of power and success. Enlisting the help of her best friend (Déborah Lukumuena), she decides to follow the footsteps of a respected and successful neighborhood dealer (Jisca Kalvanda). But when Dounia meets a strong-willed and sensual dancer (Kevin Mischel), her life takes a surprising turn. (Press materials)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Houda Benyamina.

I Am Not Madame Bovary

Li Xuelian (Fan Bingbing) and her husband Qin Yuhe (Zonghan Li) stage a fake divorce to secure a second apartment in the city reserved for single people. Qin remarries six months later — as agreed — but to a different woman. Furious, Li files a lawsuit with the county court but loses the case. Refusing to accept the court’s findings, Li appeals to the chief justice, the county chief, and even the mayor, but fails at every turn. After Qin publicly accuses Li of being a “promiscuous woman” because she was not a virgin on their wedding night, Li is driven back to the courts to redeem her reputation. Ten years go by, and the cases of Li’s divorce and her ruined reputation have not been resolved. Li has continued to travel to Beijing every year but must face those who wish to quash her efforts every step of the way. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Daughters of the Dust (Re-Release) — Written and Directed by Julie Dash

“Daughters of the Dust” is a portrait of the women in the Peazant family, who belong to the creole Gullah culture: former slaves living in the coastal Carolinas who have been able to preserve much of their African cultural heritage. As they prepare to migrate, leaving their land and legacy for the promise of the North, conflict and struggles rise to the surface. The film unfolds over the course of their final picnic in their current home; saturating the audience with impressionistic colors, African symbolism, Geechee-Gullah rituals, cooking, dialect, and the sound of field cries, all expressing the complex resonances of the Lowcountry lifestyle. “Daughters of the Dust” is a post-slavery narrative about cultural memory, notions of home and belonging, and conflicts of Black female identity. Starring Cora Lee Day, Alva Rogers, Barbara-O, Trula Hoosier, Vertamae Grosvenor, and Kaycee Moore, “Daughters of the Dust” is a lost cultural connector between Charles Burnett’s “Killer of Sheep” and Beyoncé’s “Lemonade.” (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Little Miss Perfect — Written and Directed by Marlee Roberts (Also Available on iTunes)

“Little Miss Perfect” tells the story of an overambitious high school freshman (Karlee Roberts) who tries to control her life by controlling her weight. (Press materials)

Films About Women Currently Playing

Arrival
The Monster (Also Available on VOD)
The Love Witch — Written and Directed by Anna Biller
Elle
Shut In — Written by Christina Hodson
The Anthropologist
The Watermelon Woman (Theatrical Re-Release) — Written and Directed by Cheryl Dunye
The Eagle Huntress
The Handmaiden
Ouija: Origin of Evil
I’m Not Ashamed — Written by Bodie Thoene, Robin Hanley, Kari Redmond, and Philipa Booyens
Certain Women — Written and Directed by Kelly Reichardt
Christine
Aquarius
Miss Hokusai
The Girl on the Train — Written by Erin Cressida Wilson
American Honey — Written and Directed by Andrea Arnold
Denial
Sand Storm — Written and Directed by Elite Zexer
Queen of Katwe — Directed by Mira Nair
The Dressmaker — Written and Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse
Ixcanul
Equity — Directed by Meera Menon; Written by Amy Fox
Ghostbusters — Co-Written by Katie Dippold
Our Little Sister
Cameraperson (Documentary) — Directed by Kirsten Johnson
Finding Dory

Films Directed by Women Opening This Week

Blood on the Mountain (Documentary) — Co-Directed by Mari-Lynn C. Evans; Co-Written by Mari-Lynn C. Evans and Deborah Wallace (Opens in NY and LA)

“Blood on the Mountain” is a searing investigation into the economic and environmental injustices that have resulted from industrial control in West Virginia. This feature documentary details the struggles of a hard-working, misunderstood people, who have historically faced limited choices and have never benefited fairly from the rich, natural resources of their land. “Blood On the Mountain” delivers a striking portrait of a fractured population, exploited and besieged by corporate interests, and abandoned by the powers elected to represent them. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Ne Me Quitte Pas (Documentary) — Co-Written and Co-Directed by Sabine Lubbe Bakker (U.S. Premiere) (Opens in NY)

Left by his wife for another man, Marcel falls into alcoholism and a deep depression, with only his friend Bob, also an alcoholic, to look after him. The friendship between the two men captures the frailty of the male ego and the natural comedy borne from their candid conversations. “Ne Me Quitte Pas” follows this downward spiral of mid-life crisis in a tender, often humorous, sometimes disturbing examination of the “crisis of masculinity,” alongside a mesmerizing exploration of mundane rural existence. (Tribeca Film Festival)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Sabine Lubbe Bakker.

Find screening info here.

Films Directed by Women Currently Playing

National Bird (Documentary) — Directed by Sonia Kennebeck
What Happened Last Night — Written and Directed by Candice T. Cain
Don’t Call Me Son — Written and Directed by Anna Muylaert
The Uncondemned (Documentary) — Written and Co-Directed by Michele Mitchell

Films Written by Women Opening This Week

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — Written by J.K. Rowling

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” opens in 1926 as Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident…were it not for a No-Maj (American for “Muggle”) named Jacob (Dan Fogler), a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds. (Press materials)

Bad Santa 2 — Co-Written by Shauna Cross (Opens November 23)

America’s favorite anti-hero, Willie Soke (Billy Bob Thornton), returns to the screen in “Bad Santa 2.” Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed, and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox), to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. Along for the ride is “the kid” — chubby and cheery Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly), a 250-pound ray of sunshine who brings out Willie’s sliver of humanity. Mommy issues arise when the group is joined by Willie’s horror story of a mother, Sunny Soke (Kathy Bates). A super butch super-bitch, Sunny raises the bar for the gang’s ambitions, while somehow lowering the standards of criminal behavior. Willie is further burdened by his lust for the curvaceous and prim Diane (Christina Hendricks), the charity director with a heart of gold and libido of steel. You better watch out: “Bad Santa 2” is coming to town. (Press materials)

A Street Cat Named Bob — Co-Written by Maria Nation

This film tells the moving and life-affirming true story of the unlikely friendship between a young homeless busker, James Bowen (Luke Treadaway), and the stray ginger cat named Bob who changed his life. (Press materials)

Magnus (Documentary) — Co-Written by Linn-Jeanethe Kyed

As a young boy, Magnus Carlsen was very different from his peers. Bullied by the other children, he usually sat by himself, lost in thought. But when a strong interest in numbers led him to the game of chess at the age of five, he quickly started to climb the ranks of the chess world. At 13, he decided that he would become the World Chess Champion. Magnus is now known as the “Mozart of Chess” — combining the skill and intellect of chess with unrivaled originality and instinct. Through an extensive amount of archival footage and home movies, the filmmakers follow Magnus’s meteoric rise to the top in this unique coming-of-age story. The film invites audiences to not only experience the fascinating world of competitive chess, but also peek into the mind of a modern genius. (Press materials)

Films Written by Women Currently Playing

El Jeremías — Written by Ana Sofia Clerici
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life — Co-Written by Kara Holden
Being 17 — Co-Written by Céline Sciamma
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children — Written by Jane Goldman
Masterminds — Co-Written by Emily Spivey

TV Premieres This Week

Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing (Documentary) — Directed by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (Premieres November 21 on HBO)

“Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing” recounts the dramatic story of the Boston Marathon terrorist attacks through the emotional experiences of individuals whose lives were forever changed by them. Ranging from the events of the day to the death-penalty sentencing of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the documentary features surveillance footage, news clips, home movies, and exclusive interviews with survivors and their families, as well as first responders, investigators, government officials, and reporters from the Boston Globe, which won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage. (Press materials)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg.

Search Party — Co-Created by Sarah-Violet Bliss (Series Premieres November 21 on TBS)

Dory (Alia Shawkat) becomes obsessed with finding a missing girl she barely knew in college with reluctant help from her boyfriend, Drew (John Reynolds), her narcissist friend Elliott (John Early), and her actress friend Portia (Meredith Hagner). (Press materials)

Anne of Green Gables (TV Movie) — Written by Susan Coyne (Premieres November 24 on PBS)

“Anne of Green Gables” tells the story of Anne Shirley (Ella Ballentine), a precocious young girl taken from an orphanage and placed in the care of the uptight Marilla Cuthbert (Sara Botsford), and her brother Matthew (Martin Sheen). The conservative Marilla has a profound effect on the adventurous Anne and creates a journey of learning and personal engagement that has resonated with generations since L.M. Montgomery first published “Anne of Green Gables” in 1908. (Press materials)