Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
If you caught the SAG Awards last weekend, or even just the speeches from the SAG Awards last weekend, you’ll notice that women had big, bold voices with big, bold messages. It’s a strange time to be a woman, in any profession, not just the entertainment profession. But if one thing can most certainly unite all of us - it’s the notion that women are deserving of the spotlight. The work women are doing is not secondary to the work of men - it’s primary. It’s worthy of attention. And it’s worthy of EVERYONE’S attention.
That’s why I have a new challenge for you this month. If you know a little boy, or even a young man, take him to a movie that was written by, directed by or starring a woman this month. Start to help him understand his role by making him open to the stories of women. That is how we make small changes. That is how we help to make women’s stories EVERYONE’S stories.
FEBRUARY 10:
A United Kingdom (Directed by Amma Usante and Starring Rosamund Pike)
Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana causes an international stir when he marries a white woman from London in the late 1940s.
Running Wild (Starring Sharon Stone and Written by Christina Moore)
The story of a young widow trying to save her ranch following her husband’s fatal car crash. She creates a convict rehabilitation program, working with a herd of wild horses that have wandered onto her property. She did not anticipate the greed, bureaucracy and vanity that she must overcome to heal the convicts, the horses and ultimately herself.
Kedi (Directed by Ceyda Torun)
A profile of an ancient city and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious and beloved animal humans have ever known, the Cat.
FEBRUARY 17:
Everybody Loves Somebody (Directed by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta)
On the surface, the young and beautiful Clara Barron seems to have everything- a great job as an OB-GYN; a great house in LA; and a big fun-loving Mexican family. But, the one thing Clara doesn’t have figured out is her love life. Pressured by a family wedding in Mexico, Clara asks a co-worker to pose as her boyfriend for the weekend festivities - only to be caught by surprise when her ex- boyfriend suddenly shows up after disappearing from her life completely.
My Name is Emily (Starring Evanna Lynch)
A teenage girl runs away from a foster home with the boy who loves her. She searches for her visionary writer father who is locked up in a psychiatric institution. It is a story of redemption.
Lovesong (Directed by So Yong Kim)
When an emotionally neglected woman and her best friend go on an impromptu road trip, their bond deepens and intensifies until an abrupt farewell separates them.
American Fable (Directed by Anne Hamilton)
A dark, dreamlike mystery plays out amidst the expansive farmlands of the American Midwest in this wondrous, storybook thriller. With her family’s livelihood imperiled by the farm crisis of the 1980s, eleven-year-old Gitty loses herself in a world of fantasy and make believe. But she stumbles into her own fairytale when she makes a startling discovery: a well-dressed mystery man being held captive in her family’s silo. It’s the beginning of a labyrinthine journey that will turn Gitty’s world upside down and force her to question her loyalty to her own family.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
This time of year is an awkward thing: it’s when we are reminded that women don’t win awards in al the big ceremonies - but it’s not because women aren’t making movies - they just aren’t making as many as men. How do we move forward? By voting with our dollars to support the very few films that do feature, star and are written and directed by women at a time when blockbusters are getting all the attention. With that, here’s your December with ladies opening the weekend:
DECEMBER 2:
Things to Come (Directed and Written by Mia Hansen-Løve)
A philosophy teacher soldiers through the death of her mother, getting fired from her job, and dealing with a husband who is cheating on her.
Jackie (Starring Natalie Portman)
Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband’s historic legacy.
DECEMBER 9:
Miss Sloane (Starring Jessica Chastain)
In the world of political power-brokers, Sloane takes on the most powerful opponent of her career and will do whatever is required to win.
DECEMBER 16:
Rogue One (Starring Felicity Jones)
The Rebellion makes a risky move to steal the plans to the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow.
DECEMBER 23:
Julieta (Starring Emma Suárez and Adriana Ugarte)
After a casual encounter, a brokenhearted woman decides to confront her life and the most important events about her stranded daughter.
DECEMBER 30:
Toni Erdmann (Written and Directed by Maren Abe)
A father tries to reconnect with his adult daughter.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
The awards season is about to begin while we gorge ourselves on holiday eating. It’s like a double whammy. Endless movies. Endless office cookies. Whatever your gluttony of the day may be, things are looking up for women (slightly) at the box office this month.
NOVEMBER 4:
What Happened Last Night (Directed and Written by Candice Cain)
Two college students, Danny and Sarah, are strangers until they wake up together after a night of partying. Told in reverse time order, the story follows what happened the night before.
NOVEMBER 11:
National Bird (Directed by Sonia Kennebeck)
This documentary follows the dramatic journey of three whistleblowers who are determined to break the silence around one of the most controversial current affairs issues of our time: the secret U.S. drone war.
Arrival (Starring Amy Adams)
Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when humongous spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors.
NOVEMBER 18:
The Edge of Seventeen (Written and Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig)
Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine, who is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian starts dating her best friend Krista. All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever, until an unexpected friendship with a thoughtful teen gives her a glimmer of hope that things just might not be so terrible after all.
NOVEMBER 23:
Dear Zindagi (Directed by Gauri Shinde and Starring Alia Bhatt)
An unconventional thinker helps a budding cinematographer gain a new perspective on life.
Evolution (Written and Directed by Lucile Hadžihalilović)
In a hospital on an island populated solely by women and boys, Nicholas is subjected to a medical procedure. He senses everyone is lying to him, and with help from a young nurse, he learns the secret of what the women do on the beach at night.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
This is one of those depressing months that reminds me how much more work there is to do in terms of getting more women in leading roles. There is only ONE, ONE movie this entire month that stars a woman in the leading role and that woman is Meryl Streep. While I’m happy for Meryl, I’m a little depressed that this is the state of our cinema. The Intervention comes close, but ultimately, it’s an ensemble cast full of amazing women (and dudes) so it doesn’t reach the same threshold.
So let me make a plug for a movie I saw last weekend that had many great women in supporting roles: The Hunt for the Wilderpeople. While there was not a female lead, the women that served as supporting characters were funny, thoroughly thought out and talented beyond belief in their roles. So, if this list depresses you, go check that one out.
AUGUST 5TH:
Five Nights in Maine (Written and Directed by Maris Curran)
A young African American man, reeling from the tragic loss of his wife, travels to rural Maine to seek answers from his estranged mother-in-law, who is herself confronting guilt and grief over her daughter’s death.
AUGUST 12TH:
Florence Foster Jenkins (Starring Meryl Streep)
The story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice.
Disorder (Written and Directed by Alice Winocour)
Vincent is an ex-soldier with PTSD who is hired to protect the wife and child of a wealthy Lebanese businessman while he’s out of town. Despite the apparent tranquility on Maryland, Vincent perceives an external threat
AUGUST 26TH:
The Intervention (Written and Directed by Clea DuVall)
A weekend getaway for four couples takes a sharp turn when one of the couples discovers the entire trip was orchestrated to host an intervention on their marriage.
Black Songbird (Written by Raquel Deloatch)
Blinded by ambition to find the killers of her childhood friends and advance her career, rookie journalist Knight Daye is recruited by the FBI to go undercover as a party hostess at a club that fronts for organize crime. Knight enters there glamorous world, but learns that there is something more sinister lurking behind all the glamour.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
July is one of those months you really HOPE happens in the summer blockbuster season when women will get BOTH a big hit (here’s hope for Ghostbusters) and a serious drama (the smartly titled, Equity). But for a special bonus, we are also getting wider distribution in the US for a foreign winner in Our Little Sister.
JULY 1:
The BFG (Written by Melissa Mathison and Starring Ruby Barnhill)
Ten-year-old Sophie is in for the adventure of a lifetime when she meets the Big Friendly Giant. Naturally scared at first, the young girl soon realizes that the 24-foot behemoth is actually quite gentle and charming. As their friendship grows, Sophie’s presence attracts the unwanted attention of Bloodbottler, Fleshlumpeater and other giants. After traveling to London, Sophie and the BFG must convince Queen Victoria to help them get rid of all the bad giants once and for all.
Our Kind of Traitor (Directed by Susanna White)
A money launderer for Russian gangsters asks a couple vacationing in Marrakech, Morocco, to deliver incriminating evidence to an MI6 agent.
JULY 8:
Our Little Sister (Written by Akimi Yoshida and Starring Haruka Ayase and Masami Nagasawa)
After the death of their estranged father, three siblings (Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho) invite their half sister (Suzu Hirose) to live with them.
JULY 15:
Ghostbusters (Starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones)
Paranormal researcher Abby Yates and physicist Erin Gilbert are trying to prove that ghosts exist in modern society. When strange apparitions start to appear in Manhattan, they turn to brilliant engineer Jillian Holtzmann for help.
JULY 22:
Absolutely Fabulous (Directed by Mandie Fletcher, Written by Jennifer Saunders, and Starring Joanna Lumley and Jane Horrocks)
Edina and Patsy are still oozing glitz and glamor, living the high life they are accustomed to; shopping, drinking and clubbing their way around London’s trendiest hot-spots. Blamed for a major incident at an uber fashionable launch party, they become entangled in a media storm and are relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi.
Into the Forest (Directed by Patricia Rozema and Starring Ellen Page)
In the near future two young women living in a remote forest discover the world is on the brink of an apocalypse.
JULY 29:
Equity (Directed by Meera Menon, Written by Amy Fox and Starring Anna Gunn and Alysia Reiner)
An investment banker tries to work her way up the Wall Street ladder while a prosecutor keeps an eye out for corrupt practices. Senior investment banker Naomi Bishop is threatened by a financial scandal and must untangle a web of corruption.
Tallulah (Directed and Written by Sian Heder and Starring Ellen Page)
A dissatisfied Beverly Hills housewife tired of caring for her toddler hires a stranger to baby-sit.
Bad Moms (Starring Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell)
When three overworked and under-appreciated moms are pushed beyond their limits, they ditch their conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun, and comedic self-indulgence.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
