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2026 Films, Comedy, Coming of Age, Directing, Drama, Film Discussion, Horror, Indie Films, Now Playing, Television, TV

6 min read

The Women Shine in “Obsession,” “Backrooms,” “Off Campus” and “An Autumn Summer”

by Matt Fagerholm

May 29, 2026

As a variation on our Femme Filmmaker Friday articles, our contributor Matt Fagerholm is offering his thoughts on three new male-directed films (plus one new female-directed series) all bolstered by

2025 Films, Berlinale, Cinematographer, Comedy, Coming of Age, Directing, Drama, Film Editing, Film Festivals, Indie Films, Interviews, Now Playing, producer, Sexual Assault Awareness, Short Films

24 min read

Transcend the Trauma: Giovanna Molina on “Quaker,” “Hickey,” and Her Upcoming Film, “Kismet”

by Matt Fagerholm

April 29, 2026

It’s a special kind of thrill when the greatness of an emerging filmmaker’s work hits you like a thunderbolt. That’s precisely what happened to me upon discovering the sublimely nuanced

2026 Films, Books, Directing, Drama, Film Festivals, Indie Films, Interviews, LGBTQ+, Now Playing, Queer Stories, Womxn supporting Womxn

25 min read

Loosening the Knots: Madison Young on “By the Roots”

by Matt Fagerholm

April 13, 2026

After seeing Chicago’s BDSM community turn out in huge numbers for a euphoric preview screening of Harry Lighton’s acclaimed movie “Pillion” earlier this year, it’s clear that Madison Young’s equally

2026 Films, Coming of Age, Directing, Film Editing, Film Festivals, Indie Films, Interviews, Now Playing, Screenwriting, Short Films, SXSW

17 min read

Pushing the Boundaries: Emily Robinson on “Ugly Cry” and “Consumed”

by Matt Fagerholm

March 8, 2026

If she could, Amber would be a wall painted nondescript grey. Paint isn’t like wallpaper. It can’t be removed completely. No matter how much sanding down, they would still be

2026 Films, Cinematographer, Directing, Drama, Film Festivals, Indie Films, Interviews, Now Playing, Slamdance, Uncategorized

17 min read

Slamdance 2026: Jessica Barr and Ryan Simpkins on Their Stunning Single-Take Film, “The Plan”

by Matt Fagerholm

February 19, 2026

The sun is just beginning to set as the twenty-something characters in Jessica’s Barr’s mesmerizing new film, “The Plan,” start to congregate in an East LA apartment. The calmness of

2025 Films, Chicago International Film Festival, Comedy, Directing, Film Festivals, Indie Films, Interviews, Now Playing

13 min read

A Call for Peace and Human Connection: Hikari on “Rental Family”

by Matt Fagerholm

November 17, 2025

As I sat in my favorite movie palace, the Music Box Theatre, waiting for my wife—Cinema Femme founder Rebecca Martin—to arrive for that evening’s eagerly awaited Chicago International Film Festival

2025 Films, Awards, Coming of Age, Cult Classic, Directing, Drama, Horror, Indie Films, International Films, Interviews, Now Playing

11 min read

Attracted to Abstraction: Lucile Hadžihalilović on “The Ice Tower”

by Matt Fagerholm

September 30, 2025

“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

2025 Films, Cinematographer, Coming of Age, Directing, Drama, Film Editing, Indie Films, Interviews, Now Playing, Screenwriting

12 min read

It Was All a Miracle: Embeth Davidtz on “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight”

by Matt Fagerholm

July 8, 2025

I was ten years old when Danny DeVito’s euphoric screen adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel Matilda arrived in theaters. I had read the book so many times that the

2025 Films, Awards, Comedy, composer, Directing, Drama, Film Editing, Indie Films, Interviews, Now Playing, producer, Queer Stories, Screenwriting, Sexual Assault Awareness, Sundance

14 min read

A Profound Experience of Rewriting: Eva Victor on “Sorry, Baby”

by Matt Fagerholm

June 24, 2025

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

2024 Films, 2025 Films, Awards, Coming of Age, Directing, Documentaries, Film Editing, Film Festivals, Indie Films, Interviews, Now Playing, producer, Short Films

29 min read

This Was the Fight: Emily Sheskin on “JessZilla”

by Matt Fagerholm

February 24, 2025

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

2024 Films, Chicago, Film Festivals, Indie Films, Interviews, Now Playing

18 min read

This is Our Family: Tara Mallen, Keith Kupferer and Katherine Mallen Kupferer on “Ghostlight”

by Matt Fagerholm

June 10, 2024

When it comes to monumentally euphoric moviegoing experiences in 2024, Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson have set a mightily high bar with their latest crowd-pleaser, “Ghostlight.” Five years after helming

Now Playing, Sexual Assault Awareness, Stream Short

1 min read

Look back: “Travis” – Melissa Stephens

by cinemafemme

September 9, 2022

A man tries to make amends to a woman he believes he sexually assaulted in college. Our 2020 interview with Melissa Stephens, who directed and stars in “Travis”

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