Read our most recent issue with stories that validate, inspire, and change the way we see— and make — film.
Upending an audience’s expectations has become one of the most joyous experiences to have in a movie theater, especially when...
Some films seem to find you when you’re finally ready for them. In 2023, I spoke with filmmaker and writer...
As a variation on our Femme Filmmaker Friday articles, our contributor Matt Fagerholm is offering his thoughts on three new...
This is a living record of underrepresented brilliance in film. Dive into our archive of stories and hear from bold voices that paving the industry forward.
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by Rebecca Martin
February 26, 2019
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by Rebecca Martin
February 25, 2019
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by Jaylan Salah
February 25, 2019
Illustration by Tavi Veraldi A Poem for the Mother Who lost her son… In a car crash In a dog fight Amid the dust mines of recessed memories A poem for the
7 min read
by Pamela Powell
February 25, 2019
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by Amy Wasney
February 25, 2019
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by Atavia Reed
February 25, 2019
When the lights in “Strong Island” (2017) begin to dim and the credits start to roll, the viewer is left with an echo of a scream ringing intensely in their
4 min read
by Jaylan Salah
February 25, 2019
It’s always the women, the queer, and the blacks. They are the ones who tell stories. They are the ones who dig deep into their families’ histories. They are the
9 min read
by Marjorie H. Morgan
February 25, 2019
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by Rebecca Martin
February 25, 2019
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by Rebecca Martin
November 8, 2019
When I turned thirty everything changed for me. My boyfriend of three years was not ready to make the kind of commitment I desired and was definitely not ready to
6 min read
by Pamela Powell
November 7, 2019
“Hope” is based upon filmmaker Maria Sødahl’s experiences as a working woman in a blended family whose life is forever changed when her cancer is no longer in remission. Over the
5 min read
by Pamela Powell
November 6, 2019
“Jojo Rabbit,” based on the book Caging Spies by Christine Leunens, pushes the boundaries in satirical storytelling in ways that only director Taika Watiti can do. His bold and daring satire about
5 min read
by Pamela Powell
November 5, 2019
Louise Archambault writes and directs the film “And the Birds Rained Down” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie is based on the novel by Jocelyne Saucier
11 min read
by Rebecca Martin
November 1, 2019
Mother and daughter power team, Patrice (daughter) and Susie (mother) Francois, are making an impact for women in the film community. Their annual international female-directed film festival and Girl Power
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by Rebecca Martin
October 29, 2019
I had the pleasure of speaking with Lauren Greenfield, the filmmaker who directed “The Queen of Versailles” (2012) and “Generation Wealth” (2018) about her latest documentary, “The Kingmaker,” during the
17 min read
by Rebecca Martin
October 21, 2019
“The Girls of Summer”, is a delightful gem of a film, starring and written by Tori Titmas, directed by John Hancock. Speaking with Tori about her film, I felt like
14 min read
by Rebecca Martin
October 18, 2019
When I started the film, I don’t think I had any wisdom to offer about being in your sixties. That’s why I started this film. I feel it’s hard because
16 min read
by Rebecca Martin
October 15, 2019
The Gene Siskel Film Center has the best programming of international films, diverse films, female-directed films, and independent films in Chicago. That is a fact. Earlier this year, Cinema Femme
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by Emily Jacobson
May 20, 2025
Hannah Welever is a queer filmmaker based in New York, but her roots are Midwestern. In her newest short, “Soirée,” Welever creatively holds space for women’s bodies, and how often
21 min read
by Anna Pattison
May 1, 2025
Samantha (Sam) Cole returns to her childhood home when her mother suddenly passes. In place of familiar spaces and memories, Sam finds only uneasiness and confusion. Things are missing, the
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by Anna Pattison
April 18, 2025
From writer and director Florence Bouvy, “Where We Stay” is a beautiful and touching examination of human connection and unspoken truths. The film was partially inspired by Florence’s own story
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by Peyton Robinson
April 15, 2025
Cheryl Dunye is best known for her iconic film “The Watermelon Woman” — a tale of an aspiring Black lesbian filmmaker (played by Dunye herself) who seeks to learn more
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by Davide Abbatescianni
March 6, 2025
After a successful festival run kicked off at San Sebastian and BFI London last year, Sylvia Le Fanu’s debut, titled “My Eternal Summer,” heads to the Göteborg Film Festival, one
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by Davide Abbatescianni
March 5, 2025
In her latest endeavor, “White Roses Fall!” (in Spanish: “¡Caigan las rosas blancas!”), Argentinian filmmaker Albertina Carri follows Violeta, a director known for her breakout amateur lesbian porn hit, as
29 min read
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
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by Matt Fagerholm
February 21, 2025
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
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by Matt Fagerholm
October 18, 2024
Valeria Golino was 18 years old when she filmed Italian director Francesco Maselli’s “Storia d’amore,” the movie that would make her an international star. She earned the Best Actress prize
3 min read
by cinemafemme
April 13, 2021
A CONVERSATION WITH ISABEL SANDOVAL, Wednesday, April 14th, at 4:00 PM EST, as part of our April Showcase. Join us as we pay tribute to filmmaker Isabel Sandoval (“Lingua Franca”) with a
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by Rebecca Martin
April 1, 2021
I was fortunate to see a rough cut of Jaclyn Bethany’s “Highway One” last year prior to my interview with the director. The film danced in my mind long after.
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by cinemafemme
March 23, 2021
“How Is This The World”: A mother befriends a burnt-out hacker to help search for her son in virtual reality. Credits: Written & Directed by Sadie Rogers Produced by Grace
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by Rebecca Martin
March 19, 2021
With the atrocities that happened this week in Atlanta that resulted in the deaths of Asian American women, and with the hashtag #StopAsianHate streaming through social media, a film like
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by Rebecca Martin
February 28, 2021
Amina Maher is brave. Her short film “Letter to My Mother” is a triumph and a courageous way for the filmmaker to break her silence about the abuse she endured
12 min read
by Rebecca Martin
February 15, 2021
I am in love. I’m in love with Marion Hill’s ‘Ma Belle, My Beauty.’ This film is a romance that involves many people, but at the heart of it is
9 min read
by Rebecca Martin
August 28, 2020
“Every image or sound is a vessel for emotion: rapture, despair, sensuousness, fury, a combination of these. That makes cinema a kind of legerdemain: the art of sculpting such seemingly
13 min read
by Matt Fagerholm
June 29, 2020
“For many years, I had to confront the cruel system in my home country that does not tolerate people with a different mindset. People judged me for my ideas as
13 min read
Filmmaker Anna Kerrigan takes us on the heartfelt journey of a father and his trans son in “Cowboys”
by Rebecca Martin
May 6, 2020
I like that idea that when you’re in nature you can be your true self, and not influenced by the constructs of your society. It’s a really interesting way to
4 min read
by Emily Jacobson
October 19, 2023
“Departing Seniors” screened opening night of The 59th Chicago International Film Festival on October 11, 2023. The final week of senior year of high school can be full of surprises.
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by Peyton Robinson
October 19, 2023
“Sisterhood” screened as part of The 59th Chicago International Film Festival, learn more about this film! Nora El Hourch’s feature debut “Sisterhood” (french title: “HLM Pussy”) is an emboldened dossier
4 min read
by Emily Jacobson
October 17, 2023
“The Beautiful Summer” is screening this afternoon at AMC NEWCITY at 2:30 PM as part of the Women in Cinema and Outlook program. Adolescence is universal. No matter the time
7 min read
by Rebecca Martin
June 8, 2023
Filmmaker Celine Song had a unique moment when her childhood sweetheart and her husband met. This moment was very significant to her, and it became the seed of her film,
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by Peyton Robinson
May 9, 2023
Juli Del Prete and her short film “Caroline” was awarded the Critics’ Choice award for the 2023 Cinema Femme Short Film Festival. With their award recognition a review was written
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by Elena Rubashevskaja
February 14, 2023
The festival year started for me in a most unexpected way, on January 14, 2023, I landed in Bangladesh, a place I’d never been before and would not have normally
13 min read
by cinemafemme
February 1, 2023
Words from Managing Editor Rebecca Martin Fagerholm: When we watch films, we desire a connection that enlightens and represents who we really are as people. This year at Sundance, I
4 min read
by Peyton Robinson
January 29, 2023
A.V. Rockwell’s debut feature “A Thousand and One” is an earth-shattering revelation. Taking place in Harlem from the mid-1990s to mid-2000s, the film is not only a document of a
4 min read
by Peyton Robinson
January 28, 2023
One day every mother must come to terms with the fact that their little girls will grow into women. As those changes begin to take place, so does the realization
2 min read
by Anna Pattison
November 1, 2025
Dear Cinema Femme Readers, Let’s celebrate: our talents, passions, our goals, and dreams. Let’s support: to ensure these dreams are made a reality. Let’s thrive: in spaces where we
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Upending an audience’s expectations has become one of the most joyous experiences to have in a movie theater, especially when so many releases from mainstream
Some films seem to find you when you’re finally ready for them. In 2023, I spoke with filmmaker and writer Guinevere Turner about her memoir,
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
When I first watched “Go Fish,” Rose Troche’s 1994 film, it was in the middle of lockdown during 2020. I was watching at least three
When I sat down with director Nora Kirkpatrick, she described her latest feature, “Couples Weekend,” as “The Breakfast Club for adults.” It’s a comparison she
We are living in a culture right now where we are constantly feeding ourselves, and not only with food. The content constantly competing for our
Upending an audience’s expectations has become one of the most joyous experiences to have in a movie theater, especially when so many releases from mainstream
Some films seem to find you when you’re finally ready for them. In 2023, I spoke with filmmaker and writer Guinevere Turner about her memoir,
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
When I first watched “Go Fish,” Rose Troche’s 1994 film, it was in the middle of lockdown during 2020. I was watching at least three
When I sat down with director Nora Kirkpatrick, she described her latest feature, “Couples Weekend,” as “The Breakfast Club for adults.” It’s a comparison she
We are living in a culture right now where we are constantly feeding ourselves, and not only with food. The content constantly competing for our
Upending an audience’s expectations has become one of the most joyous experiences to have in a movie theater, especially when so many releases from mainstream
Some films seem to find you when you’re finally ready for them. In 2023, I spoke with filmmaker and writer Guinevere Turner about her memoir,
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
When I first watched “Go Fish,” Rose Troche’s 1994 film, it was in the middle of lockdown during 2020. I was watching at least three
When I sat down with director Nora Kirkpatrick, she described her latest feature, “Couples Weekend,” as “The Breakfast Club for adults.” It’s a comparison she
We are living in a culture right now where we are constantly feeding ourselves, and not only with food. The content constantly competing for our
