Here we are once again. I literally salivate at the mouth at the prospect of spending hours and hours in a darkened room with all these women. Women directors, and their marvelous work, as we fast approach the Directed By Women Worldwide Film Viewing Party. Following the success of last year’s online viewing event, Femme Filmmakers Festival, with great responses to terrific films like Mustang and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, have dug even deeper this year.
The 10 day event running from Friday 1st September until Sunday 10th September will be showcasing a whopping 50 films – 20 features, 30 shorts – all directed by females, and available to stream online. As I am sure you are all familiar with the likes of Amazon, iTunes, Netflix, Google Play, YouTube, and Vimeo, joining in to see as many of them as possible shouldn’t be too tricky. In addition I’ll be interviewing a select few female filmmakers, there’ll be a podcast too.
I implore you to participate (I mean, watching fine films is a piece of cake), celebrating the great work of so many talented women. The main scheduled screening for each film is of course flexible, a daily selection of innovative, diverse, compelling films can be viewed online in your own leisure. I’m sure you don’t have to reach far for your laptop / phone / iPad. Watch them in solitude, while having your dinner (I hear popcorn is a good movie appetizer), gather others to join in – hell, organize your own viewing party. Wherever you in the world.
I also encourage vast discussion, the comments section below ought to be a real help here, but also stay close to the event on Facebook, on Twitter via the #FemmeFilmFest hashtag, and wherever else you see fit. A preview will be published each day starting at the end of the week. Please have a good, good scan below at the extensive line-up in preparation (streaming platforms to follow). Believe me, a lot of work went into this, but it was a pleasure, and these ladies are worth it. Any questions at all, please ask.
Friday 1st September
The Danish Poet (2006) – Torill Kove – 15 mins
I Just Said That (2017) – Stefanie Davis – 3 mins
Lick the Star (1998) – Sofia Coppola – 14 mins
Elena (2013) – Petra Costa – 80 mins
All This Panic (2017) – Jenny Gage – 79 mins
Saturay 2nd September
The Dresser (2014) – Mary Neely – 13 mins
Touch (2010) – Jen McGowan – 11 mins
Mano a mono (2015) – Saranne Bensusan – 12 mins
Marie Antoinette (2006) – Sofia Coppola – 123 mins
Toni Erdmann (2016) – Maren Ade – 162 mins
Sunday 3rd September
A Portrait of Ga (1952) – Margaret Tait – 4 mins
A Million Miles Away (2014) – Jennifer Reeder – 28 mins
Speed Dating (2014) – Meghann Artes – 11 mins
The Bling Ring (2013) – Sofia Coppola – 90 mins
Circumstance (2012) – Maryam Keshavarz – 107 mins
Monday 4th September
Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) – Maya Deren – 14 mins
After Sophie (2017) – Minhal Baig – 9 mins
Hala (2016) – Minhal Baig – 14 mins
Afghan Star (2009) – Havana Marking – 87 mins
The Love Witch (2017) – Anne Biller – 120 mins
Tuesday 5th September
Empire of Ache (1996) – Lisa Hammer – 9 mins
Fangirl (2016) – Liza Mandelup – 5 mins
Hot Seat (2017) – Anna Kerrigan – 13 mins
Sleeping with Other People (2015) – Leslye Headland – 101 mins
Que Horas Ela Volta? / The Second Mother (2015) – Anna Muylaert – 112 mins
Wednesday 6th September
Tinder Will Understand (2016) – Sofija Sztepanov – 5 mins
Lonely Planet (2014) – Alex Burunova – 24 mins
160 Characters (2015) – Victoria Mapplebeck – 11 mins
Whale Rider (2003) – Niki Caro – 101 mins
Un amour de jeunesse / Goodbye First Love (2011) – Mia Hansen-Løve – 110 mins
Thursday 7th September
Sugar Water (2006) – Billimarie Robinson – 9 mins
Corrugated Hearts (2010) – Billimarie Robinson – 7 mins
Strange Beasts (2017) – Magali Barbe – 6 mins
Suffragette (2015) – Sarah Gavron – 106 mins
Hævnen / In a Better World (2010) – Susanne Bier – 119 mins
Friday 8th September
Keep the Change (2013) – Rachel Israel – 16 mins
3-Way (Not Calling) (2016) – Molly McGlynn – 11 mins
Salut les Cubains (1971) – Agnès Varda – 30 mins
Lovesong (2017) – So Yong Kim – 84 mins
Maryland / Disorder (2015) – Alice Winocour – 98 mins
Saturday 9th September
When You Find Me (2011) – Bryce Dallas Howard – 29 mins
Mythopolis (2014) – Alexandra Hetmerová – 11 mins
My Stuffed Granny (2014) – Effie Pappa – 9 mins
Bright Star (2009) – Jane Campion – 119 mins
Cléo de 5 à 7 / Cléo from 5 to 7 (1961) – Agnès Varda – 90 mins
Sunday 10th September
Five (2015) – Katina Mercadante – 5 mins
Chinti (2012) – Natalia Mirzoyan – 8 mins
Sierra (2013) – Chelsea Christer – 18 mins
Selma (2014) – Ava DuVernay – 128 mins
Toit ni Loi / Vagabond (1985) – Agnès Varda – 105 mins
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What do you think? Are you as excited as me? Comment below. Look out for the detailed day-by-day schedules coming soon.