Cannes 2023: Lillah Halla on her directorial debut “Levante (Power Alley)” and the beautiful team-process of filmmaking

I had the opportunity to speak with Lillah Halla (she/her/them) about her beautiful film “Levante,” which centers on a promising 17-year-old volleyball player named Sofia, who is faced with an unwanted pregnancy. The film takes place in Brazil where abortion is against the law. She […]

Asian Pop-Up Cinema Film Fest Season 15: Hoi Yeung on Hong Kong’s “The First Girl I Loved,” co-directed with Candy Ng

Last week Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema Film Festival wrapped up its 15th season showing eight Hong Kong productions. I was fortunate to interview one of the filmmakers behind one of these movies, Hoi Yeung, about the coming-of-age gem “The First Girl I Loved”, which he […]

Sundance 2022 Interview: Alli Haapasalo, Eleonoora Kauhanen, Linnea Leino and Aamu Milonoff on Girl Picture

Bringing back our Sundance interview for the film’s theater release today. One of my favorite movies I’ve seen at this year’s Sundance Film Festival is easily the Finnish coming-of-age drama, “Girl Picture,” directed by Alli Haapasalo. It is an unflinchingly honest, deeply moving and often […]

A Look Back: Luchina Fisher’s “Mama Gloria” brings a hopeful outlook to the young trans community

For Women’s History Month and Trans Visibility Day approaching on March 31, we bring back our interview from the Chicago International Film Festival in October 2020. We are proud to support “Mama Gloria” – an intimate profile of Chicago’s trailblazing Black transgender icon and activist […]

Elizabeth Rakhilkina’s horror short “New Flesh for the Old Ceremony” captures queer women onscreen in a fresh way

Watching “New Flesh for the Old Ceremony”, the Audience Award-winner for narrative shorts at this year’s Reeling Film Festival, I was pleasantly surprised that it opened with a passionate love scene. Usually that is something that is thrown in towards the middle of a romance […]

Filmmaker Hellin Kay explores the complexity of relationships in her short “Abby and Emily Go to Palm Springs”

Following The Chicago LGBTQ+ Reeling International Film Festival in October 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with three female filmmakers behind three selections in the Revolutions of the Heart shorts program. These shorts explore lesbian love across all stages of relationships. With an emphasis […]

Cinema Femme interview with “The Novice” star Isabelle Fuhrman and director Lauren Hadaway

Cinema Femme “The Novice” interview with star Isabelle Fuhrman and director Lauren Hadaway “The Novice” comes to digital and theaters Friday, December 17th! Moderated by Cinema Femme managing editor Rebecca Martin Isabelle Fuhrman (“Orphan”) plays Alex Dall, a queer college freshman who joins her university’s […]

“Eighth Grade” Star Emily Robinson on Her Directorial Efforts “Hearsay” and “Virgin Territory”

Emily Robinson is, without question, one of the most gifted and promising talents of her generation. She earned a Young Artist Award and Young Entertainer Award, as well as a Screen Actors Guild nomination, for her work on Joey Soloway’s landmark Amazon series, “Transparent,” where she […]

Lauren Hadaway, master of cinematic sound, on her directorial debut “The Novice” starring Isabelle Fuhrman

“The Novice” is the feature directorial debut from accomplished sound artist Lauren Hadaway. The film follows college student Alex (Isabelle Fuhrman), who finds herself obsessing over whatever she puts her mind toward. Her new focus becomes being a collegiate rower and wanting to move up […]