Tags

TV 190

There are countless awesome tv series with female showrunners at the helm. Thus far, I've only covered "Gilmore Girls" in its entirety, but there's more TK! "My Brilliant Friend" is next.

Gilmore Girls 158

You'll find every episode of "Gilmore Girls" listed under this tag or on the dedicated "GG" page. It almost killed me, but I recapped all seven seasons along with "A Year in the Life."

Film 77

When I started this blog in 2016, I made a master list of all the films directed by women that I wanted to write about; after many years, I've only made the tiniest dent.

Interview 34

I've interviewed writers, directors, scholars, actors, festival organizers, podcasters, and basically anyone I find interesting who seems like they won't be an asshole.

Film Festivals 15

I'll probably never do it again but in the past, I've covered film festivals like Tribeca, NYFF, SXSW, Japan Cuts, Hot Docs, the Bentonville Film Festival, and Final Girls Berlin.

Documentary 13

There are many experimental documentaries I intend to write about by filmmakers like Su Friedrich, Agnès Varda, Chantal Akerman, Véréna Paravel, Waad Al-Kateab, and Sarah Polley.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 9

I love "Gilmore Girls" as much as the next person, but I think "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" is a better show in almost every way and I love what the Palladinos did with the final season.

Recommendations 9

Sometimes I send emails that are just big recommendation dumps of books, movies, tv shows, or podcasts that I think other people might like. You can find all of those here.

Jane Campion 8

Jane Campion is a New Zealand filmmaker who, for a long stretch, was the only woman director to have won the Palme d'Or (for "The Piano" in 1993) at Cannes. I enjoy her early work best.

Insecure 7

Idk how this happened, but I recapped S3 of "Insecure" minus the finale. I hate that it's incomplete but it also feels weird to go back and finish now. Maybe I'll eventually do the full series.

Essay 7

I occasionally spend a little more time on something I've written that goes beyond just review or recap. Sometimes it's a personal essay through the lens of film/tv or a deeper dive.

Top of the Lake 6

You'll find recaps for "Top of the Lake: China Girl" in this section. I wish I had done S1 with my beloved Holly Hunter instead, but I had no idea how much this second season would suck.

Books 5

I wish I had the time/energy to write regular book reviews or critical essays. For now, I'll keep doing it on the rare occasion when inspiration strikes and ambition outweighs laziness.

Year in Review 4

I try (and usually fail) to remember to post an end of year recap featuring my favorite books, movies, and tv shows. The last time I did one was 2019 which was... 5 years ago?! Jfc.

Maren Ade 3

Maren Ade is a German filmmaker with a philosophical approach that really speaks to my soul. She's also produced some excellent films by directors like Miguel Gomes and Marie Kreutzer.

Ava DuVernay 2

Ava DuVernay is a filmmaker, distributor, producer, and barrier-breaking powerhouse. She's worked across many genres in both film and tv but I'm partial to her documentary projects.

Celine Sciamma 2

French filmmaker Céline Sciamma is one of the all-time greats and it's a bummer that it took the industry over a decade to appreciate her. She's responsible for many feminist queer classics.

Elizabeth E. Schuch 2

Elizabeth E. Schuch is one of those people who does everything: directing, storyboards (for feature films, commercials, VFX), animation, production design, and specialist art.

Dee Rees 2

"Pariah" (2011) is still my favorite Dee Rees film after all of these years because of its gritty, cool, low-budget approach to a lesbian coming out/coming of age story.

Lynne Ramsay 2

Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay focuses on “the in-between spaces, the voids and vacuums where marginalized or inarticulate people try to understand the codes of a baffling world.”

Nora Ephron 2

Nora Ephron, AKA the patron saint of the romantic comedy, is responsible for writing and/or directing many 90s classics, including "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993) and "You've Got Mail" (1998).

Kier-La Janisse 2

Kier-La Janisse is a writer, publisher, and acquisitions executive for Severin Films. She's probably best known for her groundbreaking book, "House of Psychotic Women."

Nancy Meyers 2

The queen of fancy kitchens and older lady rom coms needs no introduction. Love her or hate her, Nancy Meyers has been wildly successful/influential and I hope she never stops making films.

Mattie Do 2

Laotian American filmmaker Mattie Do has directed three feature films. She is Laos' first female director and has helped put the country back on the cinema map after moving there in 2010.

Karyn Kusama 2

Karyn Kusama is a bit hit or miss for me, but when she hits... watch out. "Jennifer's Body" (2009) is of course a queer horror classic, but "Yellowjackets" is on another level completely.

Coralie Fargeat 1

Coralie Fargeat is a French filmmaker whose first feature, "Revenge" (2017), reinvigorated the rape/revenge genre with the pissed off feminist perspective it deserves.

Geneviève Dulude-De Celles 1

Geneviève Dulude-De Celles is a Canadian filmmaker who has directed a narrative feature "A Colony" (2019) and a doc feature "Welcome to F.L." (2022).

Stella Meghie 1

Stella Meghie is a Canadian film and tv writer/director who you might know from "The Photograph" (2020) with Issa Rae or episodes of "Grown-ish," "Insecure," and "The First Wives Club."

Jenna Ricker 1

Jenna Ricker is a director/producer with a background in narrative film. She was inspired to make her first documentary after reading race car driver Janet Guthrie's memoir.

Elizabeth Carroll 1

Elizabeth Carroll is a queer director and producer with a passion for food. Her first feature documentary, "Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy" (2019), surprised and delighted me at SXSW.

Nijla Mu'min 1

Nijla Mu'min has written and directed for television on shows like "Insecure" and "Queen Sugar." In 2018, she made her feature film debut with "Jinn," a Black Muslim coming of age story.

Melanie Mayron 1

Melanie Mayron started as an actor — "Girlfriends" (1978), the oft-forgotten "Thirtysomething" on ABC — and moved into directing with "The Baby-Sitters Club" (1995) and made-for-tv movies.

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi 1

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi is a documentary filmmaker who made a name for herself in sports with "Meru" (2015) and "Free Solo" (2018).

Christina Choe 1

Christina Choe has directed for film and tv in both narrative and documentary genres. Her first feature film, "Nancy" (2018), has a cast of my favorites, including J. Smith-Cameron.

Patricia Rozema 1

Patricia Rozema is a Canadian filmmaker and one of the pioneers of the Toronto New Wave. Everything she makes is deeply feminist, original, and slightly strange in the best way.

My Brilliant Friend 1

Megan Park 1

Megan Park began as an actress and is probably best known for playing Grace Bowman in "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." She has since written and directed two features.

Marlo McKenzie 1

Documentary filmmaker Marlo Mckenzie directed her first feature, "Carol Doda Topless at the Condor" in 2024. Prior to that, she worked on "Butterfly Town USA" for PBS and other doc series.

Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet 1

French filmmaker Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet began her career in publishing. Her love of books def comes through in her first feature, "Anaïs in Love" (2021).

Josephine Decker 1

Josephine Decker makes films that blend documentary and fiction and often focus on artists and the creative process. They're often experimental, strange, and disconcerting.

Emerald Fennell 1

I'm sure Emerald Fennell has merits that I'm missing (I've heard she's good on "Call the Midwife'), but I must be honest: I've violently hated every project she's written and directed.

Clea DuVall 1

You likely know Clea DuVall from her roles in 90s favorites like "Girl, Interrupted" (1999) and "But I'm a Cheerleader" (1999), but she also wrote and directed "Happiest Season" (2020).

Elizabeth St. Philip 1

Elizabeth St. Philip is a Canadian producer/director who has worked for CTV National News TVO. "9/11 Kids" (2020) was her first feature-length documentary.

Hilary Brougher 1

Filmmaker Hilary Brougher teaches at Columbia University in the film MFA program. She wrote/directed three narrative feature films and is currently working on a documentary.

Sonejuhi Sinha 1

Sonejuhi Sinha is an Indian American filmmaker who got her start as an editor. Her first feature film, "Stray Dolls" (2019) is currently being adapted into a Max series with Sarita Choudhury.

Annie Silverstein 1

Annie Silverstein is a filmmaker and media educator based in Austin, Texas. Her debut feature, "Bull," came out in 2019 and features an excellent performance by Rob Morgan.

Mati Diop 1

You might know French director/actress Mati Diop from Claire Denis's "35 Shot of Rum" (2008) or from her debut narrative feature, "Atlantics" (2019), which won the Grand Prix at Cannes.

Mo Scarpelli 1

Mo Scarpelli is an Italian-American filmmaker who works mostly on non-fiction cinema. Her production company, Rake Films, produces all of her films, along with many others.

Sophia Takal 1

Sophia Takal is a filmmaker who's interested in things like female friendship, aging, and jealousy. Her remake of "Black Christmas" (2019) was unfairly trashed on the internet.

Mitzi Peirone 1

Italian filmmaker Mitzi Peirone knows how to make a weird, visually beautiful horror film. Her first feature, "Braid" (2019), was funded with crypto, which I think is hilarious in retrospect.

Elizabeth Sankey 1

British musician and filmmaker Elizabeth Sankey is responsible for "Romantic Comedy" (2019), an excellent doc about the genre that is visually comprised of pre-existing clips.

Amy Goldstein 1

Filmmaker Amy Goldstein has done everything from short films, episodic tv, music videos (for Rod Stewart and Basement Jaxx), narrative features, documentaries, and musicals.

Alice Lowe 1

Alice Lowe is an English writer, actor, and filmmaker. You might know her from "The Mighty Boosh" or "Prevenge," a film she made and starred in while 7 months pregnant.

Patty Jenkins 1

At this point, everyone probably knows Patty Jenkins as the director of the Wonder Woman movies. She's also slated to become the first female director in the Star Wars franchise.

Anna Muylaert 1

Anna Muylaert is a Brazilian screenwriter and director for film and tv. She dropped out of film school and worked as a critic and reporter before focusing on her own projects.

Elaine May 1

Elaine May is a legendary filmmaker and comedienne. She's probably best-known for her partnership with Mike Nichols, but the films she wrote and/or directed are just as good.

Barbara Loden 1

Barbara Loden (1932-1980) was an actress and director in film and theater. "Wanda" (1970), her sole feature, was neglected at the time but is now considered a pillar of feminist cinema.

Julia Ducournau 1

French filmmaker Julia Ducournau became the second female director to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes for "Titane" in 2021. I still prefer her first feature, "Raw" (2017).

Penny Marshall 1

Penny Marshall (1943-2018) AKA Laverne DeFazio got her start directing on "Laverne & Shirley" before moving on to beloved films like "Big" (1988) and "A League of Their Own" (1992).

Claire Denis 1

French filmmaker Claire Denis was raised in colonial French Africa, which gave her an interesting perspective on imperialism that she explores in several of her early works.

Sally Potter 1

Whether she's working on film, tv, opera, or theater, English filmmaker Sally Potter puts her relationship with actors at the heart of her process and is known for directing great performances.

Catherine Breillat 1

Catherine Breillat is a French filmmaker who is certainly talented but also exploitative, contrarian, and kind of annoying. Despite her many faults, I enjoy some of her work.

Kelly Fremon Craig 1

I was nervous about Kelly Fremon Craig's adaptation of "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" but it pleasantly surprised me. "The Edge of Seventeen" (2016) is likewise solid.

Mia Hansen-Løve 1

I didn't really connect with French filmmaker Mia Hansen-Løve until I saw "Things to Come" (2016) with Isabelle Huppert. That film, along with "Bergman Island" (2021) made me a fan.

Anna Biller 1

Anna Biller directs, acts, creates costumes and sets, composes songs, and edits. She's made two films thus far: "VIVA" (2007), which she also stars in, and "The Love Witch" (2016).

Andrea Arnold 1

Andrea Arnold is an English filmmaker who primarily makes films about emotionally labile people who struggle to find happiness within the confines of their circumstances.

Anna Rose Holmer 1

Anna Rose Holmer has made two feature films, "The Fits" (2015) and "God's Creatures" (2022, with Saela Davis). She also directed that James Blake video with Natalie Portman.

Kelly Reichardt 1

Kelly Reichardt is an indie filmmaker known for her collaborations with people like actress Michelle Williams and writer Jon Raymond. She is the anthesis of a Hollywood asshole.

Nicole Holofcener 1

Nicole Holofcener is probably best known for working with actresses Catherine Keener and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, along with directing episodes of popular tv shows, including "GG."

Leslie Harris 1

After "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T." (1992) won a special jury prize at Sundance, Leslie Harris struggled to get another film made, which is beyond fucked up.

Melissa Haizlip 1

Melissa Haizlip went from performing on Broadway to working bts in the film industry. Social justice/activism and female empowerment are at the core of her work.

Jenn Wexler 1

Jenn Wexler is a writer/director with two great horror films currently streaming on Shudder: "The Ranger" (2018) and "The Sacrifice Game" (2023). She has also directed for TV.

Debra Granik 1

Debra Granik is a filmmaker interested in stories about strength, willpower, and fighting for the life you want. She's probably best known for putting Jennifer Lawrence on the map.

Agnes Varda 1

Agnès Varda (1928-2019 😿) was a Belgian-born badass film director and crucial part of the French New Wave. If you're new to her work, I recommend starting with "Le Bonheur" (1964).

Issa López 1

Before "True Detective: Night Country," Mexican filmmaker Issa López made "Tigers Are Not Afraid," which won her the Best Horror Director Award at Fantastic Fest in 2017.

Kaouther Ben Hania 1

Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania has received Oscar nominations for her narrative feature, "The Man Who Sold His Skin" (2020), and her documentary feature, "Four Daughters" (2023).

Liz Garbus 1

Liz Garbus is a documentary filmmaker with many big and small screen credits to her name, including "Bobby Fischer Against the World" (2011) and the HBO series, "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" (2020).

Gina Prince-Bythewood 1

Every millennial probably knows Gina Prince-Bythewood from the iconic "Love & Basketball" (2000), but her career doesn't stop there.

Bridey Elliott 1

Bridey Elliott has acted in films like "Fort Tilden" (2014) and "Battle of the Sexes" (2017). She also wrote, directed, and starred in "Clara's Ghost" (2018), her feature-length debut.

Greta Gerwig 1

Greta Gerwig has been a badass since her Joe Swanberg mumblecore days, but she has gone on to write and/or direct some true classics, like "Frances Ha" (2012) and "Barbie" (2023).

Lucile Hadžihalilović 1

Filmmaker Lucile Hadžihalilović grew up in Morocco to Bosnian immigrant parents. Along with husband Gaspar Noé, she founded the production company, Les Cinémas de la Zone.

Mary Harron 1

Mary Harron is a Canadian filmmaker who is solely responsible for helping me see Bret Easton Ellis's work in a new way. Her adaptation of "American Psycho" (2000) is sacrosanct.

Ana Lily Amirpour 1

Ana Lily Amirpour is an English-born Iranian-American filmmaker. She's probably still best known for her beloved debut feature, "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" (2014).

Nina Menkes 1

Experimental, low-budget, indie feminist filmmaker Nina Menkes creates dreamlike films about lonely people on the fringes of society who can't catch a break but somehow persist.

Janicza Bravo 1

Jewish/Latina filmmaker Janicza Bravo understands the weirdos of the world and the humor that often comes with extreme discomfort. She's written and directed for film & tv.

Naomi Kawase 1

Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase was the youngest person to ever win the Camera d’Or in 1997 for "Suzaku," her first feature film. Kirin Kiki described her as "unusual" in a good way.