Cinema Femme’s Top 10 Films of 2025
I often think about a particular scene from the second series of “Fleabag” as the year draws to a close. Kristin Scott Thomas’s character, Belinda, is at a bar with the show’s titular heroine (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) after winning an award. Their discussion, however, steers away from her esteemed accomplishment and instead focuses on menopause, celebrating […]
“Holding Two Truths at Once”: A Conversation with Lauren Melinda on “Before You” and the Mission of Simbelle Productions
In the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (June 2022) decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, Lauren Melinda’s “Before You” emerges as an intimate, unflinching, and profoundly human film. Drawing from her own experience, Melinda tells a story of love, loss, and the complexities of women’s health with both cinematic elegance and […]
Attracted to Abstraction: Lucile Hadžihalilović on “The Ice Tower”
“If you can’t play with the language, you are not reinventing the language.” This is what Argentine director Gaspar Noé told me when I interviewed him fifteen years ago about his 2009 masterpiece, “Enter the Void.” There is perhaps no filmmaker who has crafted more visceral portrayals of primal human experiences, particularly sex, violence and […]
A Profound Experience of Rewriting: Eva Victor on “Sorry, Baby”
As annoyed as I was about Barry Jenkins, one of the greatest filmmakers working today, recently helming a prequel to the worst Disney remake in history, the Oscar-winning director of “Moonlight” has also been helping launch some of the most exciting careers in modern cinema over the past few years. I’m thinking specifically of Charlotte […]
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 […]
Producer Tara Sheffer on her timely Academy Award nominated short film “A Lien”
I had the great pleasure of speaking with producer Tara Sheffer on her timely Academy Award nominated short film “A Lien.” The film is directed by Sam and David Cutler-Kreutz, and is nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Live Action category. WILLA is leading the impact campaign and creative distribution. Tara is an […]
FYC: Cinema Femme speaks with filmmaker Mateusz Balcerek and producer Pinar Binay about their short film “Sunflower”
I got the opportunity to speak with the director Mateusz Balcerek and producer Pinar Binay about their live action short film “Sunflower,” which is now in the competition for an Oscar nomination. Learn more about the film by visiting https://soundsbetter.co/sunflower-short, and follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunflower_themovie/. The film is a personal one, as it is based on the […]
Vietnam’s Dương Diệu Linh Unpacks the Making of Her Venice Critics’ Week-Winning Drama “Don’t Cry, Butterfly”
Tam (Lê Tú Oanh), a diligent wedding venue staffer, discovers her husband’s affair on live TV. Rather than confronting him, she enlists a powerful spell master to win back his love. Tam’s daughter, Ha (Nguyễn Nam Linh), pours her frustration into vivid fantasies of a brighter future abroad. Meanwhile, a mysterious house spirit, visible only […]
Interview with 2024 Chicago Spotlight Award Recipient Jewells Santos on her vulnerable short “Fatfish”
On the eve of her graduation from DePaul’s MFA Film and Directing program, I had the pleasure of speaking with emerging filmmaker Jewells Santos about her short film “Fatfish.” Jewells is the recipient of the Chicago Spotlight award for this year’s Cinema Femme Short Film Festival, for it’s 6th edition. This award is given to […]
“[subtext]” spins the rom-com genre with refreshing tension
“[subtext]” is the recipient of the Critic’s Choice Award for the 2024 Cinema Femme Short Film Festival. This award is given by a film critic, and this year, the film was chosen by Peyton Robinson, film critic for RogerEbert.com, and contributor to Cinema Femme magazine. As innocuous as a first date may seem, there are […]
2024 Cinema Femme Short Film Festival Awards
On Thursday, May 2nd, at 2:00 PM Central, Festival Director Rebecca Martin Fagerholm and festival collaborators announced the award winners for the 2024 Cinema Femme Short Film Festival, starting with the new award coined for an emerging filmmaker who has a first-time film that shows a lot of promise. The recipient of the inaugural Filmmaker on the Rise Award […]
Lila Avilés shows us how a young girl experiences the world in her award-winning sophomore feature, “Tótem”
Like Jonathan Demme did seamlessly, respectively in “Rachel Getting Married,” Lila Avilés (“The Chambermaid”) immerses us in a specific time and space full of people that resemble a family, which promises to connect universally with audiences all over the world. But what is unique about Lila’s film “Tótem” is that we are brought into this […]