Cineme Femme is about amplifying the voices of underrepresented filmmakers and those who support them. During the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, in addition to our own original interviews, we will be posting excellent content from other media outlets and platforms to make sure you know about the best from around the globe.
Our social media Sundance 2020 campaign is called #KnowMyWork where we feature female filmmakers and womxn in film and their work. All of the featured are connected to Sundance in some way. Follow this post for updates throughout the festival and follow us on our socials (FB, Instagram, Twitter)
These media amplification partnerships are also in alignment with the Sundance Film Festival’s Press Inclusion Initiative which aims to expand access for a more inclusive pool of writers, critics, and publication.
Sundance 2020 Wrap Up
I’m Olivia Wilde, I’m an actor, director, and activist, and now you know my work.
Gotham and Indie Spirit nominated director Olivia Wilde (Booksmart) debuts her new short film Wake Up at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Pam Powell, film critic and co-host of Reel Talk with Chuck and Pam captures the film’s Q&A with the director, see featured piece on FF2 Media
Sundance Day Six! January 28, 2020
I’m Ashley Shelton, I’m an Actor and Director, and now you know my work.
Ashley Shelton (Magnolia & Clementine) chats with Cinema Femme managing editor Rebecca Martin about her new film “The Evening Hour” that premiered at Sundance on Monday, January 27 2020, she also talks about her upcoming projects, and gives inspiration to womxn in film “celebrating our milestones”. Learn more at cinemafemme.com in the “Know My Work: Sundance Day Six” feature.
I’m Julie Taymor, I’m a filmmaker, and now you know my work.
Julie Taymor’s films include Oedipus Rex (Emmy), starring Jessye Norman; Titus, starring Anthony Hopkins; Frida (Academy Award), starring Salma Hayek; Across the Universe (Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations); The Tempest, starring Helen Mirren; and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Her theatre includes The Lion King (two Tonys); M. Butterfly, starring Clive Owen; and Grounded, starring Anne Hathaway. Her operas include The Magic Flute (Metropolitan Opera). She is a recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. (Sourced from Sundance.org)
Film critic, Carla Renata (The Curvy Film Critic) says in her review about Julie’s film The Glorias that premiered at Sundance 2020 on Sunday, January 26, 2020, and is based on Gloria Steinem’s book My Life On the Road: “True to form Julie Taymor makes her own rules exploring the importance of forging your own path and embracing the challenge of the open road. An ideology shared by her cinematic counterpart. At the Q&A, which followed the Sundance World Premiere, Taymor sums it up best. “Feminism is humanism….when I think about the word icon I think about something that is wooden and stoic. Gloria Steinem is not that. She is the most living being there is.” Read full review here.
I’m Patricia Vidal Delgado, I’m a filmmaker, and now you know my work.
Patricia Vidal Delgado is the writer and director of short films Bué Sabi, Isa, Ico, 88, The Hood, and Caroline. Her work has screened at both national and international film festivals—including the Raindance Film Festival, Crown Heights Film Festival, Curtas Vila do Conde International Film Festival, and IndieLisboa International Film Festival—and it has garnered a total of 8 wins and 27 nominations. La Leyenda Negra is her feature film debut. (Sourced from sundance.org)
Le Leyena Negra premiered at Sundance on Monday, January 27,2020. Rebecca Martin, managing editor of Cinema Femme, says: “Usually when you’re a teenager, the worst thing that can happen to you is an acne breakout or not getting a date to prom, in La Leynda Negra, we see the harsh reality of what our government is doing to immigrants, and taking away the future opportunities just because they weren’t born in the country. Taking place in Compton, the rage of the main character, teenager Aleteia, is warranted, and her character is heartbreaking. This is one of the gems that I discovered at Sundance this year, and hope it’ll get the distribution it deserves. A very powerful film.”
Sundance Day Five! January 27, 2020
I’m Thuc Nguyen, I’m a Screenwriter, and now you know my work.⠀
Interview in full with Managing Editor Rebecca Martin. Following up with her about #KnowMyWork feature.
Thuc Nguyen is currently in Round 2 The Sundance Institute Development Labs with a drama feature with a Vietnamese-American woman lead (@scentofthedelta). She’s also a finalist in the InnovAsian screenwriting contest with a comedy: #MindyWuTranVersusSiliconBeach. (Sourced from “Success: Thuc Nguyen Makes Sundance Second Round”)⠀
I’m Izzy, a Video Essayist, and now you know my work.
Fostered from her passion for watching classic cinema “all day every day,” Izzy debuted her first “Be Kind Rewind” video in 2018 and has amassed 116k subscribers since then. Her video series explores the struggles and triumphs of Hollywood’s leading ladies with non-sensationalized narratives that erase tabloid exploitation and reveal how women and other marginalized groups have navigated the entertainment industry. A lot of these women have produced great work here at Sundance. Follow her YouTube series “Be Kind Rewind” and watch her latest:
I’m Susanne Regina Meures, I’m a Documentary filmmaker, and now you know my work.
Susanne Regina Meures is a German filmmaker who gained attention with her debut film, Raving Iran, which premiered in 2016, has been shown at over 130 film festivals worldwide, won numerous awards, and went on to be a success in the cinemas. Saudi Runaway is her second feature-length documentary. (sourced from Sundance.org)
Cinema Femme editor in chief Rebecca Martin says ” ‘Saudi Runaway’ is a must see, for any woman, or any human being. We see Muna, a strong and independent woman born in a country where she does not get the opportunity of choice without a man by her side. She risks everything for herself and for other Saudi women. She’s blazing trails, it’s inspiring and riveting.” (full review by Rebecca Martin coming soon!)
Sundance Day Four! January 26, 2020
I’m Janicza Bravo, I’m a Director, and now you know my work.
Janicza Bravo directed “Zola”, the film premiered at Sundance on Friday, January 24th. Film critic and Film Inquiry Editor in Chief Manon de Reeper says: “Bravo was soon announced to replace Franco, and I’m glad. I am glad this story, the experience of a black woman, was translated to the screen by a black female filmmaker. Zola as a character feels genuine; the story has heart, it is funny, it’s definitely crazy, and it portrays Zola and Stefani’s world with empathy.”
Read Manon’s full review here.
I’m Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, I’m a Director, Actor, and Producer, and now you know my work.
Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre is a French director, actress, and producer living in Paris and the U.S.A. Her first two short films, Atlantic Avenue and Rabbit, played at major festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival. Clermont-Tonnerre developed the latter short into her debut feature, The Mustang, which won the 2015 Sundance Institute/NHK Award. She is currently directing the pilot and two additional episodes of Hulu’s series The Act. (sourced from sundance.org)
“When I started to direct, I didn’t know anything about the techniques. I knew a lot about acting. I knew how to talk to actors and how to collaborate with them because I grew up in a cinephile family. I was very often on set, observing everyone’s work. I have a lot of empathy for actors. They’re so vulnerable and so I always make sure I can create a safe space for them to be able to create. That’s really a priority for me.” Excerpt from our interview with Laure talking about her film “The Mustang”, which led to her Breakthrough Gotham award last year. Contributing writer Pamela Powell conducted the interview. See link–
Sundance Day Three! January 25, 2020
I’m Radha Blank, I’m a Director and a Playwright, and now you know my work.
Radha Blank is the director of “The 40-Year Old Version”, produced by Lena Waithe’s production company. In The CherryPicks feature Beandrea July writes: “Stories by women about the inner lives of women in general, and Black women in particular, are required viewing for me. Having actually seen the film ahead of the premiere, I can definitely say this funny, thought-provoking movie has a real shot at signaling a breakout for Blank, who is a true triple-threat.”
Beandrea July recommends “The 40-Year Old Version” and other great films at Sundance 2020, see link.
I’m Kris Rey, I’m a Director, and now you know my work.
Kris Rey began her film career at Southern Illinois University where she studied documentary film production. Using naturalistic techniques and often working with non-actors, Rey went on to focus her career in narrative film. Her first feature, “It was great, but I was ready to come home” played in competition at the SXSW Film Festival in 2009, followed by her next feature, “Empire Builder” (2012) and short film “Baby Mary” (2014). Her third feature “Unexpected” premiered in competition at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Rey lives in Chicago and teaches film production at Northwestern University. She just wrapped her new feature film “I Used To Go Here” starring Gillian Jacobs and Jemaine Clement premiering at SXSW this year. (Bio pulled from link)
Read more about Kris Rey and her thoughts about pregnancy representation onscreen and her Sundance experience with her film “Unexpected”. See link.
Sundance Day Two! January 24, 2020
I’m Anne Sewitsky, I’m a Director, and now you know my work.
Anne studied directing at the Norwegian Film School. Her feature-film debut came in 2010 with the comedy “Happy, Happy”, which was awarded the World Cinema Dramatic Jury Prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Cineuropa interviewed Anne about her Sundance film “Sonja: The White Swan” in 2019 and is featured on cinemafemme.com today.
We are proud to announce our media partnership with Cineuropa
I’m Hilda Somarriba, I’m a Publicist, and now you know my work.
Hilda Somarriba graduated from Williams College with a degree in Political Science and Sociology and started her career as an assistant at MTV Networks before turning her skills to Publicity at PMK/HBH. In 2008, Somarriba created Prism Media Group to work on Marketing and PR for both general & Latin market media. She has represented over 50 films in top International film festivals: Sundance, Berlin, Cannes & Toronto and works with filmmakers, directors & film production companies to create awareness of their projects in the media. Clients included James Wan (creator of Saw & Insidious), Alister Grierson (Sanctum), Lightning Entertainment, Emmett / Furla Films, and supervised the unit publicity on their titles (The Prince, Vice, Freelancers, End of Watch, Broken City, 2 Guns, Lone Survivor). From 2011–2015, she handled the red carpet for TheWrap’s exclusive Pre-Oscar party attended by nominated filmmakers and top Hollywood industry executive and done outreach for foundations to celebrity spokespersons.
Hilda Somarriba is back at Sundance 2020 representing films like LUXOR directed by Zeina Durra and POSSESSOR directed by Brandon Cronenberg. Read more about Hilda featured here.
Sundance Day One! January 23, 2020
I’m Thuc Nguyen, I’m a Screenwriter, and now you know my work.
Thuc Nguyen is currently in Round 2 The Sundance Institute Development Labs with a drama feature with a Vietnamese-American woman lead. She’s also a finalist in the InnovAsian screenwriting contest with a comedy: #MindyWuTranVersusSiliconBeach. (Sourced from Success: Thuc Nguyen Makes Sundance Second Round)
I’m Laura Moss, I’m a Director and Production Designer, and now you know my work.
She was named one of FILMMAKER MAGAZINE’S 25 NEW FACES OF INDEPENDENT FILM, an IFP emerging storyteller. Her work has screened at Tribeca, SXSW, Rotterdam, Sundance and Cannes.
She is currently a fellow at the Sundance Screenwriting Labs with her first feature screenplay, an all-female modern day redux of the Frankenstein story. (sourced from https://lauramoss.nyc)
To learn more about Laura and her work, read our feature from back in November 2018.
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