With the beginning of October, unfortunately, marks the end of Woman Director Awareness Month. However, while the official celebration may be over, we can all continue to celebrate and appreciate female filmmakers and their work—and it certainly won't hurt to start planning for next year!
What were some of your favorite social media posts from this year? Did you watch any films for Female Filmmaker Friday, or were you able to watch women-directed content every day of the month? Regrettably, I didn't have as much time to devote to WDAM this year as I did last year, but I'm hoping to be able to post more content and participate more next year (as I said, never hurts to start early).
Down below is a collection of the women directors I researched and the films I watched for this year's WDAM celebration. You take a look back at 2017's collection here.
Many thanks to Directed by Women for hosting their fourth annual Worldwide Film Viewing Party, for establishing Woman Director Awareness Month, and supporting women in film! Hopefully, next year will shine an even brighter light on women directors and their work!
WORDS OF WISDOM
Director, producer, and writer best known for WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (1989), YOU’VE GOT MAIL (1998), BEWITCHED (2005), and JULIE AND JULIA (2009).
Director, producer, and screenwriter best known for MONSTER (2003), ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (2004), THE KILLING (2011-2012), and WONDER WOMAN (2017), as well as its sequel WONDER WOMAN 1984 (2019).
Actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Jen Soska, who, along with her filmmaking partner and twin sister Sylvia, is best known for AMERICAN MARY (2012), SEE NO EVIL 2 (2014), and HELLEVATOR (2015-2016).
Director, producer, and writer best known for GIRLFIGHT (2000), ÆON FLUX (2005), JENNIFER’S BODY (2009), and THE INVITATION (2015). Karyn’s latest film DESTROYER (2018), starring Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany, and Sebastian Stan, is currently making its rounds on the film festival circuit, premiering at the Telluride Film Festival this past August before its wide theatrical release on December 25.
Director, director, producer, and founder of Film Powered best known for CONFESSIONS OF A LATE BLOOMER (2005), TOUCH (2010), and SXSW Gamechanger Award-winning KELLY & CAL (2014).
Actor, director, and producer best known for DESPERADO (1995), FRIDA (2002), THE MALDONADO MIRACLE (2003), UGLY BETTY (2006-2007), SAVAGES (2012), and BEATRIZ AT DINNER (2017).
Director and writer best known for I SHOT ANDY WARHOL (1996), AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000), THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE (2005), and ALIAS GRACE (2017).
Director, producer, and writer best known for GILMORE GIRLS (2000-2007; 2016), BUNHEADS (2012-2013), and THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL (2017-2018). Amy made Emmy history by becoming the first woman to win Emmys for both her writing and directing the MRS. MAISEL pilot. Overall, MRS. MAISEL won 8 Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Lead Actress for Rachel Brosnahan, and Supporting Actress for Alex Borstein.
Director, producer, and writer best known for NEAR DARK (1987), POINT BREAK (1991), STRANGE DAYS (1995), THE HURT LOCKER (2008), ZERO DARK THIRTY (2012), and Detroit (2017). Kathryn also has the distinction of becoming the first (and, so far, only) woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director for THE HURT LOCKER.
Director, producer, and writer best known for her Academy Award-nominated short DOWN ON THE WATERFRONT (1993), THE LAST SUPPER (1995), LET THE DEVIL WEAR BLACK (1995), and THE BYE BYE MAN (2017).
Director, producer, and writer best known for PARIAH (2007; 2011), BESSIE (2015) & MUDBOUND (2017), for which Ree became the first Black woman nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2018 Academy Awards.
Actor, director, producer, and writer best known for THE VIRGIN SUICIDES (1999), LOST IN TRANSLATION (2003), MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006), SOMEWHERE (2010) THE BLING RING (2013), and THE BEGUILED (2017), for which Sofia won the Best Director prize at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, making her the second woman director to win in the festival’s history.
THURSDAY THOUGHTS
FEMALE FILMMAKER FRIDAYS
Directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s documentary dives deep into the life, legal legacy and unexpected pop culture icon status of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader.
Director Kitty Green’s experimental Netflix documentary covers 15 months of responses, reflections and performances from JonBenet Ramsey's Colorado hometown community.
Director Lauren Miller Rogen's directorial debut, starring Kristen Bell, Kelsey Grammer, and Seth Rogan, follows a workaholic woman who is left at the altar takes her honeymoon trip anyway, joined by her overachieving father, who left her mother because he believed his family was holding back his career.
Director Jerusha Hess' romantic comedy, starring Kerri Russell, JJ Feild, Bret McKenzie, Jennifer Coolidge, and Jane Seymour, follows a 30s-something woman, obsessed with Pride and Prejudice, as she travels to a Jane Austen theme park in search for her perfect gentleman.
