‘Booksmart’: Class of Gen Z
Throw a reunion if you’ve graduated within the last ten years because “Booksmart” is the most accurate depiction of what it’s like to be a high schooler in the 2010s.
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Filmmaker Christina Raia is creating empathy through film
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 distribution. Hearing Christina talk about her passion for helping filmmakers get their projects funded and […]
CherryPicks founder and ‘Being Frank’ director Miranda Bailey is paving the way for women in film
Miranda Bailey is not just one thing—she is Miranda Bailey, the producer, director, actor, founder of CherryPicks, mother, and inspiration to women in the industry.
Cinema Femme Comedy Issue — Editor’s Letter
With our fifth issue, the Comedy issue, we wanted to honor and celebrate iconic films and TV shows that have changed the face of comedy. There has been so many strong, hilarious, and female-led films that have come out recently, including “Booksmart,” “Family,” “Being Frank,” […]
‘A League of Their Own’ Issue Cover Artist: Gabrielle Riscanevo
Our cover artist for Cinema Femme’s fourth issue, “A League of Their Own” edition, is Gabrielle Riscanevo. I first came across artist Gabrielle Riscanevo‘s work when she posted in the Facebook Group Freelancing Females. I was drawn to her work because it reminded me of […]
Producer Mahak Jiwani’s ‘Yume’ explores our secret selves and gender stereotypes
I met producer Mahak Jiwani at the 2019 Girl Power Film + Media Summit in Brooklyn, New York, where the short film she produced, “Yume,” was screened.” Yume” is about a Japanese student, played by actress Atsuko Kikuchi, who lives a double life as a […]
Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss’s ‘The Red Line’ explores a police shooting and its aftermath
“The Red Line” follows three Chicago families after a tragedy causes them all to consider how race and racial biases affect their lives. It begins after a white cop shoots and kills an unarmed African American doctor. “The Red Line” is based on their 2011 Chicago hit play “A Twist from Water.”
Anya Camilleri’s powerful short film ‘A Girl of No Importance’ brings awareness to human trafficking and sex slavery
In March, I had the opportunity to interview British filmmaker Anya Camilleri. Camilleri’s award-winning short film “A Girl of No Importance,” made in partnership with agency Stella’s Voice, brings awareness to human trafficking and sex slavery. “A Girl of No Importance” is about a teenage prostitute who escapes from her traffickers but finds herself lost in Rome. Camilleri has also written the feature film “Highway of Love,” also based on true stories.
Two sets of rules
When men participate, it’s an event. When women participate, it’s a show. In video games, male characters wear full suits of armor; female characters wear metal bikinis. In comic books and superhero movies, men wear tactical suits and are featured in fight scenes; women wear outfits designed to show off their breasts and are featured posing in impossible yoga positions. In sports, boys play the game; girls play the game too but they have to do it while wearing a skirt and looking pretty. It doesn’t seem to matter what the actual activity is—there seems to always be a double standard when it comes to men’s and women’s activities.
Sisters, doing it for themselves
Everybody loves an underdog story, and everybody loves a sports story. “A League of Their Own” (1992) is a combination of both genres. The underdog is this case is the average American woman left behind as the ravages of World War II has stripped the country of its fit and healthy young men.
Pamela B. Green’s documentary honors filmmaking pioneer Alice Guy-Blaché
Meeting Pamela, I could feel the force of nature of Alice Guy-Blaché through her passionate words and her film. It’s like Alice called out to Pamela to introduce her to our modern-day world, and she answered the call. The film gave me and the rest of the viewers of the screening such a gift to meet Alice and fall in love with her during the process.
“The systemic failures drive this story”: Juliana Roth on Title IX and sexual assault
Juliana Roth and I spoke on the phone in February 2019 about her first feature film currently in development, “What We Know.” The film is based on “Middlebrook,” an educational web series Roth wrote that covers the aftermath of sexual assault on a college campus.