From the moment we re-opened, we wanted to offer as representative a film programme as possible.
We wanted to proactively create opportunities for work made by and about women.
Whilst there is no shortage of films directed by women, few get the publicity or exposure that their male counterparts might.
Sadly, women still get fewer opportunities to direct, especially when it comes to big budget titles.
Yet films directed by women are no less popular than those directed by men when they are released.
In fact, last year, women took home the top prizes at major film festivals: Sundance (Nikyatu Jusu’s Nanny), Berlin (Carla Simon’s Alcarras), Venice (Laura Poitras’ All the Beauty and the Bloodshed) and of course, at the Oscars where Sian Heder’s CODA took home Best Picture.
Whilst we have shown films directed by women regularly since re-opening at the end of September 2021, we made a commitment at the end of that year to simply do better.
Since the start of 2022, we have shown at least one film directed or co-directed by a woman every week without fail. In 2022, those films accounted for 27% of our entire programme.
We supported:
- First features such as Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun (winner of 7 BIFAs including Best Film and of the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut) and Laura Wandel’s Playground.
- Independent films such as Warwickshire’s very own Rudy directed by Shona Auerbach, and Nana Mensah’s Queen of Glory.
- Foreign language films such as Audrey Diwan’s Happening (winner of Venice’s Golden Lion in 2021) and Joana Hadjithomas’ Memory Box.
- New work from established filmmakers like Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog (Oscar for Best Director in 2022) and Claire Denis’ Both Sides of the Blade (winner of Berlin’s Silver Bear for Best Director in 2022).
- Timeless classics like Agnès Varda’s Cleo from 5 to 7 and Cheryl Dunye’s The Watermelon Woman.
- Documentaries such as Margy Kinmonth’s Eric Ravillious: Drawn to War and Sara Dosa’s Fire of Love.
- Family films like Inna Evlannikova’s Space Dogs and Encanto which is co-directed by Charise Castro Smith.
- Big studio productions like Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King and Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling.
Films directed by women were also in every single season, touring programme and collaboration we welcomed in 2022.
We have continued this commitment into 2023 where again, we have screened at least one film directed or co-directed by a woman every week so far.
This month, you can catch Elizabeth Banks’ wildly entertaining B-horror Cocaine Bear, Becky Hutner’s documentary on sustainable fashion, Fashion Reimagined, Yuki Tanada’s My Broken Mariko and Miwa Nishikawa’s Under the Open Sky as part of the Japan Foundation touring programme.
You can also watch Raine Allen-Miller’s joyful romantic comedy Rye Lane, Greta Gerwig’s Oscar-winning Lady Bird for Mother’s Day, and Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer’s tense and devastating drama God’s Creatures.
We hope you’ll continue to join us on our journey to champion films directed by women, so those films continue to be made and get the wider exposure.
