This Was the Fight: Emily Sheskin on “JessZilla”
One of my favorite films I saw in 2024 is finally kicking off its limited theatrical run before arriving on VOD. Last year, I had the privilege of serving on the documentary nomination committee for Slamdance’s inaugural awards ceremony, The Indies. As a result, I screened numerous magnificent pictures, yet none delivered a knockout punch […]
An Aliveness Behind the Eyes: Shuchi Talati and Preeti Panigrahi on “Girls Will Be Girls”
I have always had a fondness for coming of age films that vividly recall how intense our emotions are during pivotal moments of growth and transition. In many ways, we as humans are coming of age throughout our entire lives. It is an experience not merely confined to our adolescence, and that is a truth […]
Cinema Femme’s Top 10 Films of 2024
This year started as it usually does for Cinema Femme with the Sundance Film Festival. Although we didn’t get the kind of coverage we’d like, as we were covering mostly remotely (we will be there in 2025!), we still found some of our favorite films of the year at the festival, including our #1, #3, […]
Sav Rodgers elevates the film that saved his life in “Chasing Chasing Amy”
“This movie that saved my life also holds a complicated and controversial history in the queer film canon. I’m not seeking to change anyone’s mind with this film, but to recognize the importance of engaging in dialogue around different perspectives and understanding where and why they come about–be it personal, cultural, or historical.” Sav Rodgers, […]
CIFF 2024: “Nightbitch,” “Grafted,” “We Were Dangerous,” “Toxic,” and “The Missile”
This past year has seen a wave of female directed movies – whether it be horror, drama, or comedy – fixed upon the female body. Unsurprisingly, with the political climate of the past few years surrounding women’s bodily autonomy, many of the films I saw at Chicago’s 60th International Film Festival carried these same interests. […]
Hannah Peterson on her powerful feature debut “The Graduates” and her invaluable mentors
When the Columbine school massacre happened, I was in my sophomore year of high school. I remember this vividly. It was the first time I’d heard of a mass shooting happening in a high school in my lifetime. The coverage on the media was intense, and I felt drawn to it as I was in […]
Shiori Ito’s “Black Box Diaries” is a Triumph
Sexual assault is sadly the most inclusive crime there is. I don’t know a single person, man or woman, who has not been somehow, whether they know it or not, affected by rape and sexual assault, and the impact of it is often intergenerational. Nancy Miller (Nancy Miller on “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark”, […]
Nora Fiffer on bringing postpartum to the screen in “Another Happy Day”
What if we had a world that catered to families rather than individuals? What if, in our artistic pursuits, we left room for care? There is so much regarding women’s health and motherhood that is not shared. We just assume it’s a part of life, and we should just be grateful. Yet a lot of […]
Natalie Erika James on “Apartment 7A,” starring Julia Garner and Dianne Wiest
With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it makes complete sense that 2024 has been loaded with not only horror prequels, but demonic thrillers brimming with feminist rage. On the heels of “Immaculate” and “The First Omen” comes “Relic” director Natalie Erika James’ precursor to the Roman Polanski’s masterwork, “Rosemary’s Baby,” chronicling the fate of […]
Femme Film Friday: “Apartment 7A,” “The Substance,” “My Old Ass,” “The Outrun,” and “A Mistake”
APARTMENT 7A – directed by Natalie Erika James With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it makes complete sense that 2024 has been loaded with not only horror prequels, but demonic thrillers brimming with feminist rage. On the heels of “Immaculate” and “The First Omen” comes “Relic” director Natalie Erika James’ precursor to the Roman […]
“Sweetheart Deal” is a rallying cry for care
Seattle’s Aurora Avenue is infamous for being an epicenter of prostitution. However, this generalized reputation fails to recognize the individuality and humanity of the sex workers who inhabit the area. This issue is a microcosm of the general ambivalence and disdain with which American society treats vulnerable communities. “Sweetheart Deal,” directed by Elisa Levine and […]
The Ugliness and the Beauty of Who We Are: Luna Carmoon on her feature debut “Hoard”
When you see it, you know it. When you see a film that is so timeless, beautiful, and raw like “Hoard,” you know that you have to share it with everyone. The film is now screening in limited release in the U.S. Loving the film so much made it so special to have the opportunity […]