In January 2016 I pledged to watch #52FilmsbyWomen, as the end of the year approached I had to cram in extra film screenings to meet my quota.
Over that first year, I discovered many new names to add to the growing list of film directors to watch out for. So, I decided to continue this pledge in 2017, my New Year's Day viewing was a documentary on the film director Antonia Bird, directed by Susan Kemp.
52 films followed, and this year I finished 3 months ahead of schedule!
Similar to last year, sadly very few were seen on release in a cinema.
Only two: Wonder Woman and Their Finest.
My Top Five were:
Prevenge (2017) Alice Lowe
The Edge of Seventeen (2016) Kelly Fremon Craig
The Arbor (2010) Clio Barnard
Into the Forest (2016) Patricia Rozema
The Grub-Stake (1923) Nell Shipman
For those that are new to silent cinema.
Yes, women directed movies then!
Sadly, more women were working creatively behind the camera in first thirty years of filmmaking, than in the last thirty years.
And Nell Shipman is amazing! She wrote, directed, starred, did her stunts, produced, distributed, her films. There are only a few, but they're worth checking out.
If you want to know more about Nell Shipman and women working in silent cinema check out Silent Women: Pioneers of Cinema.
104. Aquamarine (200) Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum
103. The Lure (2015) Agnieszka Smoczyńska
102. Prevenge (2017) Alice Lowe
101. The Love Witch (2017) Anna Biller
100. The Midnight Swim (2014) Sarah Adina Smith
99. Ava's Impossible Things (2016) Marina Rice Bader
98. Merrily We Go To Hell (1932) Dorothy Arzner
97. Adore (2013) Anne Fontaine
96. All She Wishes (2015) Letia Clouston
95. Flirting with Madness (2015) Christine Conradt
94. Jig (2011) Sue Bourne
93. For Ellen (2012) So Yong Kim
92. Dance Girl Dance (1940) Dorothy Arzner
91. Secrets of My Stepdaughter (2017) Jem Gerrard
90. The Edge of Seventeen (2016) Kelly Fremon Craig
89. River of Grass (1994) Kelly Reichardt
88. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Amy Heckerling
87. Ellen (2016) Mahalia Belo
86. The Prince and Me (2004) Martha Coolidge
85. I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007) Amy Heckerling
84. Vamps (2012) Amy Heckerling
83. Girl Asleep (2015) Rosemary Myers
82. Margaret Tait Selected Films 1952-1976DVD of her experimental films curated by @ScottishScreen
81. Anatomy of a Love Seen (2014) Marina Rice Bader
80. Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) Martha Coolidge
79. Always Shine (2016) Sophia Takal
78. Wonder Woman (2017) Patty Jenkins
77. Obit (2016) Vanessa Gould
76. 20,000 Days on Earth (2014) Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard
75. The Arbor (2010) Clio Barnard
74. Into the Forest (2016) Patricia Rozema
73. Their Finest (2017) Lone Scherfig
72. The Last Dance (aka Sticky Notes) (2016) Amanda Sharp
71. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008) Patricia Rozema
70. Together (1956) Lorenza Mazzetti
69. The Grub-Stake (1923) Nell Shipman
68. Ithaca (2015 Meg Ryan
67. The Proposal (2009) Anne Fletcher
66. Prodigal Sons (2010) Kimberly Reed
65. Ratcatcher (1999) Lynne Ramsay
64. Queen of Katwe (2016) Mira Nair 63. Love Is All You Need (2016) Kim Rocco Shields 62. To Walk Invisible (2016) Sally Wainwright 61. The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) Marielle Heller 60. The Hamburg Cell (2004) Antonia Bird 59. Baise-Moi (2000) Virginie Despentes & Coralie Trinh Thi 58. Where Are My Children? (1916) Lois Weber 57. Unbroken (2015) Angelina Jolie 56. Song One (2014) Kate Barker-Froyland 55. Fanny and Elvis (1999) Kay Mellor 54. Outrage (1950) Ida Lupino 53. Antonia Bird: From Eastenders to Hollywood (2016) Susan Kemp