16 Films Directed by Women at The 2023 Woodstock Film Festival
With the 24th annual Woodstock Film Festival just around the corner, it’s important to highlight the spectacular filmmakers included, especially extraordinary women in film.
According to The SDSU Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, “In 2022-23, the U.S. festivals considered in this study streamed and/or screened more narrative films directed exclusively by men than with at least 1 woman director”. This statistic shows improvement from the previous year (2021-22) in which it was 10-to-6, male-to-female directors. But, “for the first time since women’s representation at festivals has been tracked, fests streamed and/or screened equal numbers of documentaries directed by women and men in 2022-23”.
45% of the films at The Woodstock Film Festival this year are directed by women, which might be too many to be able to watch all in one weekend! To celebrate the growth of women in independent filmmaking, we have made a boiled-down list, to show some of our picks for female-directed films to catch at this year’s festival.
I USED TO BE FUNNY | Directed by Ally Pankiw | New York Premiere Starring Rachel Sennott, Olga Petsa, Caleb Hearon, Jason Jones
II Used To Be Funny is written and directed by Ally Pankiw, starring Rachel Sennott (Bottoms, Shiva Baby) following a stand-up comedian as she navigates PTSD as the girl she used to nanny goes missing. This film takes a very real perspective on trauma, instead of making it into a revenge piece. Sennott stated in an interview she “felt like [she] had never read a script that handled trauma and PTSD in this way that was… what it is in real life... It was just so nuanced and real and [she] related to the material and connected with it. The vision [Pankiw] has for this movie is so clear and [she] was lucky to be a part of telling this story.” (The Hollywood Reporter).
“Ally Pankiw’s work ranges from commercial and music video directing all the way to television and movie directing/writing. Pankiw directed the entire first season of “Feel Good” for Netflix And has written for “Schitt’s Creek”. Aside from her career talents, Pankiw has also spent time joining the organization Women in Film and their program ReFrame Rise to help mentor other female filmmakers.’
I USED TO BE FUNNY is a must-see at this year’s festival. You can catch a showing Thursday, September 28th at 10:15 am at Woodstock Playhouse, or Sunday, October 1st at 5:30 pm at Upstate Films, The Orpheum Theatre 2, in Saugerties.
PARACHUTE | Directed by Brittany Snow | New York Premiere Starring Courtney Eaton, Thomas Mann, Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi)
A love story about Riley (Courtney Eaton) as she’s out of rehab for body image and eating issues, and Ethan (Thomas Mann) who has co-dependency issues (The Hollywood Reporter). The Hollywood Reporter calls it an “astute, impressively honest portrait of a complicated relationship”.
Parachute is Brittany Snow’s director/writer debut, as she’s previously known for her outstanding roles in “Pitch Perfect”, “Hairspray”, “Guiding Light” and more. Brittany has won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress and was nominated for two other Young Artist Awards and a Soap Opera Digest Award for “Guiding Light”. She was also nominated for a Young Artist Award and three Teen Choice Awards for “American Dreams”.
PARACHUTE can be viewed Saturday, September 30th, 5:30 PM at Woodstock Playhouse or Sunday, October 1st, 1:00 PM at Rosendale Theatre.
THREE BIRTHDAYS | Directed by Jane Weinstock | World Premiere Starring Josh Radnor, Annie Parisse, Nuala Cleary
Three Birthdays in an outstanding period piece following a nuclear family as they each celebrate their birthdays. Kent State protests and changing times become more prominent in their white, middle-class lives, as two college professors struggle to raise their rebellious 16-year-old daughter.
Jane Weinstock is a critically acclaimed indie film director and writer. “Her first feature EASY, which she wrote and directed, received high praise from the Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan) and the New York Times (Anita Gates) and was shown at Sundance, Toronto, and numerous other festivals” (janeweinstock.net).
THREE BIRTHDAYS will be shown Saturday, September 30th, at 10:45 AM at Upstate Films, The Orpheum Theatre 2, in Saugerties, and Sunday, October 1st, at 12:45 PM at Tinker Street Cinema. It will also be available September 27, 9:00 AM - October 1, 11:59 PM, 2023 to stream online.
THE KILL ROOM | Directed by Nicol Paone | World Premiere Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Maya Hawke with Filmmaker Q&A
The Kill Room is a dark comedy/crime-thriller about a hitman (Joe Manganiello), his boss (Samuel L. Jackson), and an art dealer (Uma Thurman) whose money-laundering scheme accidentally turns the hitman into an overnight, avant-garde sensation, forcing the art dealer to play the art world against the underworld.
Director, writer, and comedian Nicol Paone got her start at Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Funny or Die and was nominated for an Environmental Media Award for her work on Climate Change with the Obama administration. Her first feature, Friendsgiving, produced by Ben Stiller and Nicholas Weinstock, enjoyed the number-one spot on iTunes, Redbox, and Fandango. Her new film, The Kill Room, starring Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Joe Manganello, and Maya Hawk, is being released by Shout! Studios domestically and Universal Studios worldwide.
THE KILL ROOM will be shown Wednesday, Sep 27th, 9:30 PM at Woodstock Playhouse and Thursday, September 28th, 7:15 PM @ Upstate Films (Saugerties): Orpheum Theatre 2
IRENA’S VOW | Directed by Louise Archambault | US Premiere Starring Sophie Nélisse, Dougray Scott, Andrzej Seweryn with Filmmaker Q&A
In 1939, when the Nazis invaded and occupied Poland, the 17-year-old Irish Catholic Irena Gut witnessed a German soldier killing an infant. That moment transformed her life. Irena’s Vow is the true story of how Gut sheltered 12 Jews and attempted to keep them safe. —Peter Wortmann
Screenwriter and director Louise Archambault made her feature film debut in 2005 with Familia, which won Best Canadian First Feature Film at TIFF. In 2013, Louise created a world sensation with her second feature film, Gabrielle, Canada’s entry for the 2014 Oscars and Golden Globes. As prolific as she is talented, Louise is also a very sought-after director with several TV series for Radio-Canada and CBC to her credit. In 2019, she released two feature films: Il Pleuvait Des Oiseaux (And the Birds Rained Down), an intense drama which premiered at TIFF; and Merci Pour Tout (Thanks for Everything), a girls’ road movie. Louise’s recent film work includes Irena’s Vow (2022), a World War II drama shot in English in Poland; and the 2023 film Le Temps d’un été (For A Summer), set on the shores of the St. Lawrence River and already a bona fide success in Quebec.
IRENA’S VOW will be shown Thursday, September 28th, 2:45 PM at Upstate Films (Saugerties): Orpheum Theatre 1 and Saturday, September 30th, 7:30 PM at Rosendale Theatre.
NO RIGHT WAY | Directed by Chelsea Bo | New York Premiere Starring Ava Acres, Chelsea Bo, Eliza Coupe-Marks with Filmmaker Q&A
In this buddy movie, when a sunny, disciplined career woman (Chelsea Bo) is made the temporary guardian of her spirited 13-year-old half-sister Georgie (Ava Acres), she takes an increased interest in the girl’s well-being. But could her best attempts at helping only make a tricky family situation all the more complicated? - Ben Rendich
Chelsea Bo is a writer/director with a theater and improv background. She graduated from Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film & Television and was selected for both Film Independent’s Incubator Lab and Village Roadshow’s Emerging Talent Program. Chelsea co-founded the production company Paxeros with her husband/producing partner Sean Drummond, and together they have produced three feature films, including Joshua Leonard’s Fully Realized Humans (Tribeca, 2020) and Sarah Adina Smith’s The Drop (Tribeca, 2022). No Right Way is her feature directorial debut.
NO RIGHT WAY will bow shown Thursday, September 28th, 1:15 PM at Woodstock Playhouse and Friday, September 29th, 2:45 PM at Rosendale Theatre.
TÓTEM | Directed by Lila Avilés Starring Naíma Sentíes, Monserrat Marañón, Marisol Gasé
Seven-year-old Sol spends the day at her grandfather’s home, helping prepare for a surprise party for her father, but throughout the day, chaos slowly takes over, fracturing the family’s foundations. As Sol’s world changes dramatically, she embraces the act of letting go.
Lila Avilés is a Mexican independent film director, screenwriter and producer, she founded her company Limerencia Films in 2018. She is recognized for her first feature film "The Chambermaid", 2018. "The Chambermaid" was chosen to represent Mexico at the 2020 Oscars© and Goya Awards. It was invited to more than sixty festivals around the world achieving a large number of international and national awards, plus a strong reception from critics. Her latest, “Tótem”, premiered in competition at the 2023 Berlinale, where it won the Ecumenical Jury Award. Since then it has garnered awards around the world.
TÓTEM will be shown Thursday, September 28th, 1:15 PM at Upstate Films (Saugerties): Orpheum Theatre 2 and Sunday, October 1st, 3:30 PM at Tinker Street Cinema.
Documentaries:
JOAN BAEZ I AM A NOISE | Directed by Karen O’Connor, Miri Navasky & Maeve O’Boyle
If documentaries are more your style, be sure to check out Joan Baez I am a Noise. Including intimate diary entries, audio recordings, home movies, and more, this film deep dives into the legendary life of the even more legendary folk singer. Discussions of her activism, music, mental health and more create a spectacular piece to truly capture Baez’s story and share it with the world.
You can catch JOAN BAEZ I AM A NOISE on Thursday, September 28th, at 7:00 PM at the Bearsville Theater or Saturday, September 30th, at 10:30 AM at the Rosendale Theatre.
THE NEW AMERICANS: GAMING A REVOLUTION | Directed by Ondi Timoner | East Coast Premiere Featuring Shepard Fairey, Jordan Belfort, Pro the Doge
This documentary takes a modern look into modern times in order to “explore our manic, addictive, screen-driven, current culture” (Sabina Barach). Partly animated, partly meme-driven, this film captures the modern essence through a truly modern lens.
Director Ondi Timoner has won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize at Sundance twice: for “DIG!” (2004), and for “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC” (2009). “LAST FLIGHT HOME” won Best Documentary at Woodstock and Dallas Int'l FF, and the Critics Award at Key West FF before making the Shortlist for the 95th Academy Awards. Timoner was recently awarded the prestigious Visionary Award for Documentary Excellence at DOC NYC and the Impact Award at Hamptons DocFest. Ondi is an active member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, Directors Guild of America, Producers Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, International Documentary Association, Film Independent, Women in Film, and Film Fatales. “Ondi Timoner's film is an eye-opening portrait of the new generation of investors, who play the stock market like a video game and think they're fighting the power.” (Variety.com)
Make sure to see THE NEW AMERICANS: GAMING A REVOLUTION on Saturday, September 30th, at 11:15 AM at Bearsville Theater or on Sunday, October 1st, at 3:30 PM at Upstate Films, the Orpheum Theatre 1 in Saugerties.
NO ACCIDENT | Directed by Kristi Jacobson | World Premiere Featuring Roberta Kaplan, Karen Dunn, Michael Bloch with Filmmaker Q&A
After white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, North Carolina, violently attacking counter-protestors, two lawyers sued rightwing protestors on the victims’ behalf. No Accident covers the gripping five years of lawsuits, providing access to the legal process, the plaintiffs’ hearts, and the defendants’ evil speech, and leaving us with hope for our democracy. —Sabina Barach
Kristi Jacobson is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Her 2016 film SOLITARY (HBO), won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Investigative Documentary. Earlier films include American Standoff (HBO) which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the critically acclaimed TOOTS, and A PLACE AT THE TABLE, which was nominated for Best Feature Documentary by the Producers Guild of America, and won the IDA’s Pare Lorentz Award. Most recently, Kristi directed HOMEFRONT, part of the HBO/Max and Sesame Workshop’s duPont-Columbia Award-nominated series, “Through Our Eyes”; “I Am Not Going To Change 400 Years in Four”, co-directed with Angela Tucker (ITVS/ Independent Lens).
NO ACCIDENT will be shown Friday, September 29th, 3:30 PM at Tinker Street Cinema and Sunday, October 1st, 6:45 PM at Rosendale Theatre
ANOTHER BODY | Directed by Sophie Compton, Reuben Hamlyn | New York Premiere with Filmmaker Q&A
Another Body, Sophie Compton and Reuben Hamlyn’s fascinating and disturbing documentary about deepfake pornography—whereby someone’s face is placed digitally on someone else’s body—pushes viewers’ buttons. A young woman who falls victim to this abuse hunts down the culprit despite there being few legal precedents or traceable digital steps.
Sophie Compton is a director, writer, and activist telling women’s stories of injustice. As Artistic Director of Power Play Productions, she produced and directed six plays, including Fringe First-winning Funeral Flowers, taken on an Offie-nominated UK Tour (Bunker, BGAC). She has produced and directed work at Tate Modern, Science Museum, and V&A, and is currently directing the feature documentary Holloway following ex-prisoners returning to the abandoned Holloway Prison (supported by Arts Council England). She has led global activist campaigns that have led to changes to UK arts policy and statutory proposals for new legislation. Another Body is her feature debut.
Reuben Hamlyn is an award-winning filmmaker whose films look through the intimate frame of individual experience to investigate power, injustice, and the impact of technology and media on identity and behavior. His last film Roger was commissioned by the BFI and BBC Arts and aired on BBC Four; it was noted as ‘highlight’ of the programme by The Guardian and featured in Vogue. Previously, Reuben made ‘BROTHER!’—an experimental documentary about masculinity in pro-wrestling subcultures. The film exhibited at Copeland Gallery, London and was featured in Tank Magazine, It’s Nice That, and i-D. Another Body is Reuben’s feature debut.
ANOTHER BODY will be shown Thursday, September 28th, 1:45 PM at Bearsville Theater and Saturday, September 30th, 1:30 PM at Upstate Films (Saugerties): Orpheum Theatre 2.
Shorts:
BABYGIRL | Directed by Leah Claire Borrie
IThis 10 minute film, based on a true story, will keep you on the edge of your seat. Adele, an Italian-American mother from Long Island, is forced to go from childcare to running a “job” in place of her sick mobster husband. She unexpectedly ends up taking matters into her own hands.
Leah Claire Borrie is a writer, director, producer, and graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts with a BFA in film production. She has worked in the film industries of Los Angeles, New York, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia. Her films emphasize the experience of women, through rich production design and thematic visual threads. Her most recent projects include the short films Babygirl (2022) and Tips Up! (2023), both low-budget period pieces, produced under her production company, Death Drive Pictures.
BABYGIRL will be shown Friday, September 29th, at 6:00 PM at the Woodstock Community Center. It will also be available September 27, at 9:00 AM through October 1, 11:59 PM, 2023 to stream online.
MARIA SCHNEIDER, 1983 | Directed by Elisabeth Subrin
A vital must-see, Maria Schneider, 1983 is three portrayals, from three different actresses, of iconic French actress Maria Schneider. A troubling interview recounting a traumatic experience on the set of the legendary Last Tango in Paris only resurfaced after #metoo.
Elisabeth Subrin is an award winning director and artist who has created short and feature length films as well as video installations. Her films and video installations have been featured in various festivals and exhibitions including solo shows at The Museum of Modern Art, NY, Film Society of Lincoln Center, and the Vienna Viennale.
MARIA SCHNEIDER, 1983 will be shown Saturday, September 30th, at 5:00 PM at Woodstock Community Center. It will also be available September 27, at 9:00 AM through October 1, 11:59 PM, 2023 to stream online.
THE PINK | Directed by Ingrid Haas | East Coast Premiere
It’s Riley’s first time at the members only female co-working space, The Pink. How far will she go to fit in?
Ingrid Haas is a Canadian producer, writer, director and actor. She made her directorial debut in 2020 with the award winning SXSW short film; Still Wylde which she also wrote and produced. She is currently producing Allison Rich’s film, Pathological and is in development on her directorial feature debut, Before You Go. Her Wondery podcast which she wrote and narrated, The Moment, was voted one of the top podcasts by The Atlantic. As a writer, Ingrid has written for Vice, CBC, Netflix, E!, Huffington Post, NBC Universal. She lives in LA but Toronto will be home.
THE PINK will be shown Friday, September 29th, 8:45 PM at Woodstock Community Center and will be available September 27, 9:00 AM - October 1, 11:59 PM, 2023 to stream online.
The 24th Annual Woodstock Film Festival is proud to feature these talented female directors, plus many more. Catch these films from September 27 through October 1, 2023, in and around Woodstock, NY.