Hello February
After a well-deserved team break we are back and ready to give you our suggestions for this fine February! We have lots to share with you - what we are up to at Rianne Pictures, Women X submission deadlines, recommendations - and most excitingly, our first RP baby (congrats Caris!!!). This month we have a fantastic top ten all chosen by the team here as well as some gems over in our Nostalgia Nook. Read on to find out more!
A note from our founder
I’m writing this note at 10pm with my daughter in my lap, after spending an hour pumping breastmilk and wondering whether this stain on my t-shirt is baby poo, baby sick, milk or the cup of tea I drank too quickly. Motherhood to a new born makes running a film festival look like a walk in the park.
There’s not much from me this month (did I mention the t-shirt stains?) so I’ll leave that to the team with their brilliant recommendations for the month, but just three of updates from us.
We’re soon to launch our second cohort of our Evolve mentoring scheme, this year we’ll be hosting two groups of filmmakers and it’s been incredible reading applications again not just for the brilliant ideas that are out there but also to see the determination and drive from people wanting to fulfill their potential despite various setbacks in life. It made me think a lot about how many schemes in the UK film industry are targeted at 16 to 25 year olds, leaving those over 26 feeling like they should have either got their career sorted by now, or that they don’t have the choice to change up what they want to do in life because it’s too late. I understand funding the ‘future’ of talent is important, but that leaves a big pool of people undersupported and underfunded too, so hopefully the industry works out that problem soon. If you missed out on the deadline in January don’t worry because we’ll be re-opening applications again for our summer cohort soon!
We’re excited to share our top 100 women and non-binary film directors of 2021 list! Our 2020 list was so popular we decided to bring it back after watching so many brilliant short films at festivals last year, you can read the full list here.
Lastly! Women X submissions opened back in December, we hit 100 submissions verrrrrry quickly which was exciting! We’ll be accepting films until June 15th and have some exciting new ideas for the film festival this year, but we’re also on the lookout for new partnerships and volunteers so if you’re interested in working with us this year in any capacity, pop us an email and if you have a short film you can submit it here!
Starstruck - BBC Three
Top Ten
1. Starstruck season two - BBC Three
If you haven’t yet caught season one of Starstruck then now is the time! The wonderful comedian Rose Matafeo co-writes and stars in this screwball comedy about Jessie, a young woman who has a one night stand with a film star, although she isn’t aware of this at the time. Emily is very much looking forward to season two as it’s out this month on BBC Three - top tier rom-com fun!
2. A Hero - Amazon Prime
Asghar Farhadi’s A Hero, Iran’s 2022 submission to the Oscars, has just dropped on Amazon Prime. Alina watched the film for the first time at TIFF and still loved it just as much on a rewatch. The story is a fairly simple tale exploring morality, with Amir Jadidi giving a phenomenal performance as the protagonist. He truly deserves much more recognition for his acting than he is getting.
Scream 5 - In Cinemas
3. The Cineskinny
We have a new film podcast for you to check out! From the team behind The Skinny magazine comes brilliantly named The Cineskinny, a pod for talking all things film through a cross-cultural lens. The first couple of episodes are out now where the hosts discuss the best films of 2021.
4. Scream 5 - In Cinemas
It’s finally here! It’s a great time for Scream fans as the fifth film in the franchise came out last month and is still in cinemas now. Lauren is part of the cult following of the Scream films and she had a lot of fun watching it! Sure, it may not be perfect but it’s a great ride and that’s what these films are all about. It’s also just always great to see Neve Campbell back as Sidney - what a queen!
Station Eleven - HBO/StarzPlay
5. Station Eleven - HBO/StarzPlay
We’re giving you a two-for-one recommendation here! Jade is super excited for the miniseries Station Eleven as she loved the book of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel and always thought it had a very cinematic feel. The adaptation is now on StarzPlay for anyone watching in the UK. Following multiple timelines, it’s a post-apocalyptic story of survivors of a severe flu that has killed most of the population. Not the most escapist of recs from us, but definitely one to check out if you fancy a dystopian show!
6. The Tourist - BBC iPlayer
Starring the very versatile Jamie Dornan, BBC’s The Tourist has been a favourite of Caris’ recently. It’s an absolutely bonkers thriller following a man lost in the Australian outback and unable to remember his life. Danielle Macdonald (Unbelievable, Dumplin’) is incredible in what Caris describes as “a Fargo-esque role” - definitely one to catch on iPlayer.
The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay
7. The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay
Set in India, The Far Field is a fab, flaneuse novel about a woman who travels to Kashmir to find someone from her childhood past. Neha is a big fan of the book, which deals with family, love and provides a very interesting insight into the politics of Kashmir. A much more basic reason to pick the book up, but the cover is also stunning!
8. Cheer season two - Netflix
Cheer is back on for a second season and Laverne is ready for all the drama! This documentary series focuses on the Navarro cheer team and their determination to win the National Cheerleading Championship for (hopefully!) the 15th time. This season is a little different for multiple reasons, with COVID19 playing a part, plus the fact that the cast are now famous because of the success of the first season.
Yellowjackets - Sky
9. Yellowjackets - Sky
This show seems to have really got people talking recently! Yellowjackets is all about a team of high school soccer players who crash in the middle of nowhere as they travel to a competition. The show flicks between two timelines - the girls trying to survive being stranded after the crash, and 25 years later dealing with the past trauma and new, suspicious circumstances. Lilia is a big fan and can’t wait for season two after that finale which has left many unanswered questions.
10. Maintenance Phase
Ashton always gives great podcast recommendations and this one is no different. Maintenance Phase dives into different health/wellness fads and debunks the rubbish science behind them. The hosts, Aubrey and Michael, are hilarious, super well-researched and are really good about content warnings. Worth a listen - it’s truly fascinating!
Nostalgia Nook
Community - Netflix
Community - Netflix
Caris binged watched all six seasons of Community this January, and what better way to begin the year! I’m sure you’ve heard of the show, but if you haven’t, it’s a very fun, offbeat comedy series about a group of people who meet as they start a study group at their community college. The cast includes Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, and Yvette Nicole Brown plus many more fab folks. If you haven’t watched already, check it out, if you have, here’s a little reminder in case you fancy an escapist rewatch.
Welcome to Our Show - iHeartPodcasts
A twist on a Nostalgia Nook recommendation, mixing the new with the old! Join New Girl stan Neha in listening to a recap podcast of the show, with Zooey Deschanel, Hannah Simone, and Lamorne Morris hosting. They chat about each episode along with behind the scenes notes and memories that haven’t been told before. Rewatch the show along with them for an ultimate nostalgia boost!
