Female Film Directors Put Together a List of Must-See Movies Made By Women
Last month, I put together a podcast about systemic sexism in the film in industry. You probably know the stats: Although women make up over half of the movie-going audiences in America, this past year less than five percent of the top-grossing box office films were directed by women.
After the show came out, a couple listeners had the same question: So, what are some recent female-directed films we should be seeking out? To put together a list of current women-directed films, I turned to Film Fatales, a collective of women film directors who support each other and collaborate on projects. The Film Fatales asked their members in New York and LA for their recent favorite films helmed by a female director and for older films that have inspired their work.
“At a time when audiences are hungry for a diversity of stories on screen, we’ve compiled a list of recent films directed by women that everyone should see, as well as a selection of older titles which continue to inspire us,” explains Film Fatales founder Leah Meyerhoff, who directed Twitch and I Believe in Unicorns.
Here’s the list. Summer film club, anyone?
Recent Women-Directed Films That Everyone Should See:
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night by Ana Lily Amirpour
A Teacher by Hannah Fidell
Advantageous by Jennifer Phang
Apartment Troubles by Jess Weixler & Jennifer Prediger
Appropriate Behavior by Desiree Akhavan
Belle by Amma Asante
Beyond the Lights by Gina Prince-Bythewood
Caught by Maggie Kiley
Concussion by Stacie Passon
Diary of a Teenage Girl by Marielle Heller
Honeytrap by Rebecca Johnson
I Believe in Unicorns by Leah Meyerhoff
It Felt Like Love by Eliza Hittman
Kelly & Cal by Jen McGowan
Little Accidents by Sara Colangelo
Lucky Them by Megan Griffiths
Obvious Child by Gillian Robespierre
Pariah by Dee Rees
Selma by Ava Duvernay
She’s Lost Control by Anja Marquardt
Sleeping with Other People by Leslye Headland
Stray Dog by Debra Granik
The Midnight Swim by Sarah Adina Smith
There Is A New World Somewhere by Li Lu
Vessel by Diana Whitten
Your Sister’s Sister by Lynn Shelton
Women-Directed Films That Inspired the Work of Film Fatales:
American Psycho by Mary Harron
Beau Travail by Claire Denis
Boys Don’t Cry by Kimberly Peirce
But I’m a Cheerleader by Jamie Babbit
Cleo from 5 to 7 by Agnes Varda
Daisies by Vera Chytilova
Daughters of the Dust by Julie Dash
Down to the Bone by Debra Granik
Fat Girl by Catherine Breillat
Fish Tank by Andrea Arnold
Gas Food Lodging by Allison Anders
Go Fish by Rose Troche
High Art by Lisa Cholodenko
In A Better World by Susanne Bier
Jesus Son by Alison Maclean
La Cienega by Lucrecia Martel
Me and You and Everyone You Know by Miranda July
Monsoon Wedding by Mira Nair
Monster by Patty Jenkins
Near Dark by Kathryn Bigelow
Ratcatcher by Lynne Ramsay
Salaam Bombay by Mira Nair
Stories We Tell by Sarah Polley
Suburbia by Penelope Spheeris
Sweetie by Jane Campion
The Arbor by Andrea Dunbar
Thirteen by Catherine Hardwicke
Vagabond by Agnes Varda
Variety by Bette Gordon
Virgin Suicides by Sofia Coppola
Wadjda by Haifaa al-Mansour
Wendy and Lucy by Kelly Reichardt
