FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING
Always in Season (Documentary) – Directed by Jacqueline Olive
Claudia Lacy wants answers. When her 17-year-old son, Lennon, was found hanging from a swing set in Bladenboro, North Carolina, the authorities quickly ruled his death a suicide. In light of suspicious details surrounding his death, and certain that her son would not take his own life, Claudia is convinced Lennon was lynched. Jacqueline Olive’s unwavering debut film puts Lacy’s pursuit for justice into a wider historical context, inspiring a powerful discussion about lynching across racial lines.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Jacqueline Olive.
Find screening info here.
Britt-Marie Was Here – Directed by Tuva Novotny; Written by Tuva Novotny, Anders Frithiof August, and Øystein Karlsen
“Britt-Marie Was Here”
Britt-Marie (Pernilla August), a woman in her 60s, decides to leave her husband and start anew. Having been a housewife for most of her life and living in the small backwater town of Borg, there aren’t many jobs available and soon she finds herself coaching a youth soccer team.
Send Me to the Clouds – Written and Directed by Congcong Teng
Diagnosed with ovarian cancer, iron-willed journalist Sheng Nan — “surpass men” in Chinese — is pressured to make a quick fortune and find mind-blowing sex before the costly surgery numbs her senses. Taking on a businessman’s biography writing job, she hikes into the misty mountains, where a chain of outbursts with her dysfunctional family, grumpy client, misogynistic co-worker, and dreamlike romantic interest hilariously unfold.
Find screening info here.
Ride Like a Girl – Directed by Rachel Griffiths; Written by Elise McCredie and Andrew Knight (Opens September 26 in Australia)
“Ride Like a Girl”
As a little girl, Michelle Payne (Teresa Palmer) dreams of the impossible: winning the Melbourne Cup — horse-racing’s toughest two-mile race. The youngest of 10 children, Michelle is raised by single father Paddy (Sam Neill). She leaves school at 15 to become a jockey and after early failures she finds her feet, but a family tragedy, followed by her own near fatal horse fall all but ends the dream. But with the love of her dad and her brother Stevie, Michelle will not give up. Against all the medical advice, and the protests of her siblings, she rides on, and meets the Prince of Penzance. Together they overcome impossible odds for a shot at the dream: a ride in the 2015 Melbourne Cup, at odds of 100 to 1. The rest is history.
Find screening info here.
Ms. Purple (Now Playing in Select Theaters)
“Ms. Purple”: Sundance
“Ms. Purple” is a poignant drama about a sister and brother, Kasie (Tiffany Chu) and Carey (Teddy Lee), who were raised and are now seemingly stuck in Koreatown. Abandoned by their mother and brought up by their father, the siblings continue to struggle with profound emotional wounds from the difficulty of the parental dynamic. Now, with their father on his death bed, the estranged Carey comes home to help Kasie care for him. Old ties are renewed and a relationship restored in this vibrant, deeply affecting portrait of Asian American siblinghood in Los Angeles.
Find screening info here.
Trauma Is a Time Machine – Written and Directed by Angelica Zollo (Opens in NY and LA) (Also Available on VOD)
“Trauma Is a Time Machine” explores a woman named Helen’s self destruction and healing from the traumatic aftereffects of rape within her relationship. She goes through many different steps including the taking on of her perpetrator in order to try and understand what happened to her.
The Zoya Factor – Written by Neha Sharma and Pradhuman Singh Mall
Zoya (Sonam Kapoor), who was born on the day that India won its first World Cup, became her father’s lucky charm. From there on she was the luck that made India win the matches — or so her father believed. Zoya grows up disliking cricket as a result of this obsession, till she comes at the romantic crossroads with the Indian cricket captain who is struggling to keep his team from losing. Enter Zoya and the team starts winning. The players believe she is their lucky charm — their 12th woman. What happens when the Lucky Charm of India romances the Indian cricket captain who leaves nothing to luck?
Coming Up For Air – Written by Deborah Staples and Roger Rapoport
When single mom Anna Russell (Deborah Staples), a ceramics artist, discovers that her son, Stan (Chase Yi), a star college athlete and academic star, is unraveling, she must act quickly to avoid tragedy. In denial and further and further out of reach, Stan suddenly disappears. Anna must find him on a journey that highlights the importance of mental health, high stakes athletics vs. academic excellence, and what it takes to be a loving and devoted parent.
Find screening info here.
Ambition – Written by Jenna Lyn Wright and John Rocco (Also Available on VOD)
In the gripping, suspenseful thriller “Ambition,” Jude (Katherine C. Hughes) is an intense, driven musician preparing for the biggest performance of her life — but her ambition could end up killing her. As her competitors begin to die bizarre deaths, she recognizes a pattern that seems to connect her. Is she next?
The Wedding Year (Also Available on VOD)
Meet Mara (Sarah Hyland). She’s a carefree aspiring photographer who just started dating Jake (Tyler James Williams), an aspiring chef. After wedding invitations pour in, Mara and Jake embark on a year-long adventure that puts their new relationship to the test.
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN OPENING
Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (Documentary) – Directed by Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, and Edward Burtynsky (Opens September 25)
“Anthropocene: The Human Epoch”: Anthropocene Films Inc. © 2018
“Anthropocene: The Human Epoch” follows the research of an international body of scientists, the Anthropocene Working Group which, after nearly 10 years of research, is investigating how the Holocene Epoch gave way to the Anthropocene Epoch in the mid-20th century as a result of the profound and lasting changes humankind has made to the Earth. From concrete seawalls in China that now cover 60 percent of the mainland coast to the biggest terrestrial machines ever built in Germany, to psychedelic potash mines in Russia’s Ural Mountains, to metal festivals in the closed city of Norilsk, to the devastated Great Barrier Reef in Australia and massive marble quarries in Carrara, the film traverses the globe using state of the art camera techniques to document the evidence and experience of human planetary domination.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Jennifer Baichwal.
Find screening info here.
Dirty Bomb (Short) – Written and Directed by Valerie McCaffrey (One Week Only in LA)
Signing his own death warrant, a concentration camp prisoner (Ido Samuel) sabotages the construction of the Nazis’ V-2 bomb while American soldiers struggle to advance against the Germans.
Bloodline – Written by Avra Fox-Lerner, Henry Jacobson, and Will Honley (Also Available on VOD)
Evan (Seann William Scott) values family above all else, and anyone who gets between him, his wife, and newborn son learns that the hard way. But when it comes to violent tendencies, it seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
TV PREMIERES
Team Kaylie – Created by Tracy Bitterolf (Premieres September 23 on Netflix)
After another run-in with trouble, selfie-obsessed teen celebrity Kaylie Konrad (Bryana Salaz) is sent to serve her community as the leader of an after-school wilderness club for preteens. Kaylie’s idea of roughing it is braving a wrinkle on the red carpet, so this punishment seems like an absolute disaster. But being pushed out of her comfort zone will prove that she has so much more to offer than just a pretty face.
All Rise (Premieres September 23 on CBS)
“All Rise” is a courthouse drama that follows the chaotic, hopeful, and sometimes absurd lives of its judges, prosecutors, and public defenders, as they work with bailiffs, clerks, and cops to get justice for the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal process. Among them is newly appointed Judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick), a highly regarded and impressive deputy district attorney who doesn’t intend to sit back on the bench, but instead leans in, immediately pushing the boundaries and challenging the expectations of what a judge can be.
Emergence – Created by Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas (Premieres September 24 on ABC)
“Emergence”: Virginia Sherwood/ABC/NBCUniversal Media
A police chief (Allison Tolman) takes in a young child she finds near the site of a mysterious accident and the investigation draws her into a conspiracy larger than she ever imagined.
Mixed-ish (Premieres September 24 on ABC)
“Mixed-ish”: ABC
Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross) recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the ’80s, and the constant dilemmas they had to face over whether to assimilate or stay true to themselves.
Birders (Documentary Short) – Directed by Otilia Portillo Padua (Premieres September 25 on Netflix)
A diverse number of migratory birds travel thousands of miles back and forth across the US-Mexico border each year. They have no regard for man-made laws and barriers. Dedicated Birders on both sides of the border, and all sides of the political spectrum, share a passion for these creatures and for their perilous journey. “Birders” celebrates those who observe, record, monitor, and fight for the rights and habitats of these species, demonstrating another way to think about the passage for survival that is migration.
Stumptown (Premieres September 25 on ABC)
Based on the “Stumptown” graphic novel series, “Stumptown” follows Dex Parios (Cobie Smulders) — a strong, assertive, and sharp-witted army veteran with a complicated love life, gambling debt, and a brother to take care of in Portland, Oregon. Her military intelligence skills make her a great PI, but her unapologetic style puts her in the firing line of hardcore criminals and not quite in alliance with the police.
Carol’s Second Act – Created by Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins (Premieres September 26 on CBS)
Emmy Award-winner Patricia Heaton stars in a new comedy about a woman who embarks on a unique second act after raising her children, getting divorced, and retiring from teaching: pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor. At age 50, Carol is a medical intern and must sink or swim with peers who are half her age. It’s her enthusiasm, perspective, and yes, even her age, that may be exactly what will make her second act a great success.
Evil – Created by Michelle King and Robert King (Premieres September 26 on CBS)
“Evil”: CBS
“Evil” is a psychological mystery that examines the origins of evil along the dividing line between science and religion. The series focuses on a skeptical female psychologist who joins a priest-in-training and a carpenter as they investigate the Church’s backlog of unexplained mysteries, including supposed miracles, demonic possessions, and hauntings. Their job is to assess if there is a logical explanation or if something truly supernatural is at work.
Perfect Harmony – Created by Lesley Wake (Premieres September 26 on NBC)
When former Princeton music professor Arthur Cochran (Bradley Whitford) unexpectedly stumbles into choir practice at a small-town church, he finds a group of singers who are out of tune in more ways than one. Despite the ultimate clash of sensibilities, Arthur and his newfound cohorts may just be the perfect mix of individuals to help each other reinvent and rediscover a little happiness, just when they all need it most.
VOD/STREAMING RELEASES
“A Bread Factory”
Toss It – Written and Directed by Michele Remsen (VOD, Available Now)
Anna (VOD, September 24)
A Bread Factory (VOD, September 24)
Quartet – Written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and James Ivory (VOD, September 24)
JOIN THE W&H COMMUNITY AT THE 2019 POWER WOMEN SUMMIT
Eva Longoria will provide the keynote address: TheWrap
Women and Hollywood is proud to be on the Advisory Board for TheWrap’s 2019 Power Women Summit, which will be held on October 24 and 25 in Los Angeles. The summit will provide two days of education, mentorship, workshops, and networking to promote the goal of greater women’s leadership in this industry, and gender balance in media, entertainment, and technology overall.
Women and Hollywood has 25 tickets to offer for FREE to members of our community.
If you would like to be considered for one of the tickets, we need you to send a short essay by 11:59pm EST on September 30 on why coming to this summit will be beneficial to your life and your work.
Some things to keep in mind:
1. Please keep the essay under 500 words. Please submit it in a Word doc or a PDF to whleadershipsummit@gmail.
2. The ticket will cover attendance to the summit and meals during the summit. It does not cover travel or accommodations.
This promises to be a special event for members of the Women and Hollywood community. Eva Longoria will deliver the keynote address and the other confirmed speakers include Chrissy Metz, Stephanie Beatriz, Mayim Bialik, Diane Guerrero, and designer Rachel Zoe. Please check out the draft schedule on the event’s website.
The Women and Hollywood group will have a dinner together on the evening of October 24, and we will also gather together at the end of the summit to have a group closing discussion.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE BLOG
The Athena Lab in action
Cynthia Nixon, Kathy Najimy, & More Team Up for “Jane: Abortion and the Underground” Benefit Reading
Laura Dern, Olivia Wilde, and Kasi Lemmons Among Mind the Gap’s 2019 Participants
The Family Complex: VOD and Web Series Picks
Jennifer Aniston, Brie Larson, Awkwafina, & More to Be Honored at Variety’s Power of Women LA Event
Guest Post: Why I Work in Film Exhibition, and How the Industry Is Changing
Submit Now: Athena Lab for Women Writers
Theater Survey: Discrimination & Lack of Maternity Leave Feed Offstage Gender Gap
Annie Silverstein’s “Bull” Wins Top Honor at Deauville Film Festival
Margaret Trudeau Tackles Feminism, Mental Health, and Her Time as Canada’s First Lady in “Certain Woman of an Age”
“The Chambermaid” is Mexico’s Pick for International Feature Film Oscar
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.
