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Read our most recent issue with stories that validate, inspire, and change the way we see— and make — film.
About a year ago, I sat down for what was probably my sixth movie of the day at the 2025...
As I spent twelve hours in the hospital last week, waiting for my dad to recover from his long-belated knee...
As someone who was born four decades ago, any fragments of home movie footage that exist from my childhood—most of...
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.
7 min read
by Emily Jacobson
March 20, 2026
About a year ago, I sat down for what was probably my sixth movie of the day at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. My eyes were burning, my brain was
22 min read
by Matt Fagerholm
March 13, 2026
As I spent twelve hours in the hospital last week, waiting for my dad to recover from his long-belated knee replacement surgery, I found a liberating mode of escapism in
14 min read
by Matt Fagerholm
March 9, 2026
As someone who was born four decades ago, any fragments of home movie footage that exist from my childhood—most of which was recorded on a cumbersome camcorder borrowed from my
9 min read
by Rebecca Martin
March 8, 2026
For me, movies and meaning are inseparable; I process my daily life through this art form. The cinema is not just entertainment—it’s a vital lens through which I understand the
17 min read
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
14 min read
by Rebecca Martin
March 3, 2026
In conversation with Elizabeth Stam, Wendy Robie, Brookelyn Hebert, Mary Tilden, and Heather Kuhlmann. Some films move like a straight line. “Hekla doesn’t. It rushes, swerves, collides—then bursts into color
8 min read
by Davide Abbatescianni
February 22, 2026
Premiering in the Big Screen Competition at IFFR (29 January–8 February), “Butterfly” marks Itonje Søimer Guttormsen’s return to feature filmmaking five years after “Gritt.” Set in Gran Canaria, the film
6 min read
by Anna Pattison
February 20, 2026
The logline, “A Mormon couple ties the knot,” already had me invested but reading the synopsis sealed the deal: “It’s wedding day at the Mormon Temple. For wide-eyed Sydney, it’s
17 min read
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
7 min read
by Rebecca Martin
September 12, 2025
When you walk into a screening of “The Roses,” you can’t help but notice how much the clothes tell the story. Written by Tony McNamara and directed by Jay Roach,
9 min read
by Rebecca Martin
September 4, 2025
A modern romance set against the rapidly changing landscape of Brooklyn, “Love, Brooklyn” follows a writer (André Holland, “Moonlight”) as he navigates complicated relationships with his ex, an art gallery
8 min read
by Rebecca Martin
August 29, 2025
In the heart of the Oregon wilderness, a reclusive Woodsman (Ivan Martin) stumbles upon a teenage runaway, Dani (Maddison Brown), barely clinging to life. What begins as a reluctant act
6 min read
by Rebecca Martin
August 29, 2025
This September, The Popcorn List—the annual survey spotlighting acclaimed films without U.S. distribution—takes its impact beyond the page and onto the screen. With the launch of The Popcorn List: Pop
18 min read
by Rebecca Martin
August 14, 2025
Premiering in competition at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival, “In Transit” is a tender, introspective queer drama that marks a major moment for its creative team. Directed by Jaclyn
8 min read
by Davide Abbatescianni
August 8, 2025
Norwegian helmer Nina Knag makes her feature debut with “Don’t Call Me Mama,” which world-premiered in the Crystal Globe Competition of this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (July 4-12).
11 min read
by Rebecca Martin
August 1, 2025
Jeffrey Epstein. Still making headlines. But the women impacted by his crimes—by his misogyny—are rarely named. Many choose to remain anonymous, but not all. So where are their stories? Writer
10 min read
by Rebecca Martin
July 31, 2025
Simona Susnea, the cinematographer behind four of the eight episodes of The Buccaneers Season 2—including the season premiere—brings a striking visual evolution to the Apple TV+ period drama. As the
9 min read
by Rebecca Martin
July 30, 2025
In an entertainment industry often dominated by tragic or incomplete narratives about women, Lisa D’Apolito’s documentary, “Shari & Lamb Chop,” offers a refreshing and comprehensive look at an inspiring woman
22 min read
by Matt Fagerholm
March 13, 2026
As I spent twelve hours in the hospital last week, waiting for my dad to recover from his long-belated knee replacement surgery, I found a liberating mode of escapism in
17 min read
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
17 min read
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
4 min read
by Matt Fagerholm
February 13, 2026
There is no filmmaking duo whose work I await with greater anticipation than Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson. In 2019, Thompson made his debut feature, “Saint Frances,” written by and
21 min read
by Veronica Miles
February 12, 2026
Yes, you can just go to Sundance. Yes, you will definitely have fun. Yes, you will see celebrities. Yes, you will see movies that may win Oscars or launch the
16 min read
by Matt Fagerholm
January 28, 2026
Sundance has always been a festival I had admired at a distance. How Robert Redford had gone about using his platform to launch the careers of countless filmmakers for over
13 min read
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
14 min read
by Anna Pattison
November 1, 2025
When a laid-off sex worker falls for a mail carrier in a world frozen by pandemic unknowns, it will take the help of an astrologer, cinema guru, cam model, retired dungeon owner,
14 min read
by Matt Fagerholm
October 25, 2025
With the 61st Chicago International Film Festival nearly in the rearview mirror, there are so many memories from the past several days that I know I will be cherishing for
6 min read
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
10 min read
by Rebecca Martin
December 5, 2019
5 min read
by Rebecca Martin
July 19, 2019
I am ready to share with the world that I am a freaky queer femme sex worker domme and I am also a fucking filmmaker. —Molly Hewitt/Glamhag June, 2019 Molly
16 min read
by Rebecca Martin
July 15, 2019
13 min read
by Rebecca Martin
May 28, 2019
I met filmmaker and Seed&Spark’s head of education and outreach Christina Raia in March at the 2019 Girl Power Film + Media Summit, where she gave a presentation about film
5 min read
by Emily Jacobson
January 25, 2024
On Friday, January 19th, the Utah House of Representatives voted to advance a restrictive anti-trans bill outlawing trans people from using bathrooms aligning with their gender identity. It will now
5 min read
by Emily Jacobson
January 23, 2024
The decade between 19 and 29 is perhaps the most tumultuous time of anyone’s life. Each year brings on great change as you transition from adolescence to a fully formed
5 min read
by Emily Jacobson
January 23, 2024
As children, there is little we perceive about the outside world that doesn’t directly impact our own inner world. Sacrifices made by parents go unnoticed. The danger we put ourselves
5 min read
by Peyton Robinson
January 20, 2024
Writer-director Josh Margolin’s feature debut, “Thelma,” is a splendid gem of hilarity and heart. Thelma (June Squibb) is a 90 year old woman, who after falling victim to a phone
8 min read
by Rebecca Martin
November 29, 2023
“We know that our rising tide lifts all boats. We are who we depend on, so we create spaces where we can uplift each other. This is not a place
4 min read
by Peyton Robinson
October 22, 2023
“Paradise is Burning” screened as part of The 59th Chicago International Film Festival on October 18, 2023, as part of the International Competition. Writer-director Mika Gustafson’s “Paradise is Burning” is
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.
5 min read
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
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About a year ago, I sat down for what was probably my sixth movie of the day at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. My eyes
As I spent twelve hours in the hospital last week, waiting for my dad to recover from his long-belated knee replacement surgery, I found a
As someone who was born four decades ago, any fragments of home movie footage that exist from my childhood—most of which was recorded on a
For me, movies and meaning are inseparable; I process my daily life through this art form. The cinema is not just entertainment—it’s a vital lens
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
In conversation with Elizabeth Stam, Wendy Robie, Brookelyn Hebert, Mary Tilden, and Heather Kuhlmann. Some films move like a straight line. “Hekla doesn’t. It rushes,
About a year ago, I sat down for what was probably my sixth movie of the day at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. My eyes
As I spent twelve hours in the hospital last week, waiting for my dad to recover from his long-belated knee replacement surgery, I found a
As someone who was born four decades ago, any fragments of home movie footage that exist from my childhood—most of which was recorded on a
For me, movies and meaning are inseparable; I process my daily life through this art form. The cinema is not just entertainment—it’s a vital lens
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
In conversation with Elizabeth Stam, Wendy Robie, Brookelyn Hebert, Mary Tilden, and Heather Kuhlmann. Some films move like a straight line. “Hekla doesn’t. It rushes,
About a year ago, I sat down for what was probably my sixth movie of the day at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. My eyes
As I spent twelve hours in the hospital last week, waiting for my dad to recover from his long-belated knee replacement surgery, I found a
As someone who was born four decades ago, any fragments of home movie footage that exist from my childhood—most of which was recorded on a
For me, movies and meaning are inseparable; I process my daily life through this art form. The cinema is not just entertainment—it’s a vital lens
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
In conversation with Elizabeth Stam, Wendy Robie, Brookelyn Hebert, Mary Tilden, and Heather Kuhlmann. Some films move like a straight line. “Hekla doesn’t. It rushes,
