Discussing gender identity, family and more with the director of 20,000 Species of Bees

With Anna Smith for this episode is writer and director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren who talks about her debut feature 20,000 Species of Bees, and film critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh to further discuss all that is explored in the beautiful and sensitive coming of age tale.

The tender, heartfelt drama centres on actor Sofía Otero, who won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at 2022’s Berlin Film Festival for her depiction of a transgender eight-year-old girl during a family holiday in the Basque Country. The return to her mother’s hometown throws up questions of identity and belonging for not only our protagonist, but also the family that surrounds her with their own complexities and crises.

First Anna Smith talks to fellow female film critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, discussing the characterisation of identity and the skilful handling of a complex issue through a lightness of touch. The film features stunning central performances not only by the young star Sofía Otero but also Patricia López Arnaiz who plays the distracted but loving mother and a further brilliant ensemble. Anna is then joined by writer and director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren who gives us further insight into the inspiration for the work, and the impact of place in the symbolism of the film.

You can watch 20,000 Species of Bees from the 27th of October in UK cinemas or at home with Curzon Home Cinema.

Other films mentioned in this episode include:
Cuerdas, 2022, Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren

You can listen to the episode here.

Women And Leadership At Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival 2023

Is the film industry still a man’s world, or are women now leading the way? How will AI affect things? These are just some of the questions addressed by a panel of four leading women working in film, who joined Anna Smith at this year’s Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival (EMIFF). They also talked about the creative and business side of the industry, and their work-life balance.

The 12th edition of EMIFF was produced with her usual flair and creativity by festival director Sandra Seeling, who invited Girls On Film back for another panel featuring four high profile panellists, to join Anna Smith on stage at the Sala Rivoli in Palma on 21 October 2023. In this recording of that event, listen to our guests talk about how they got started in the industry, the importance of mentorship, and how to lead well.

Anna is joined, first off, by Nurhan Sekerci-Porst, Germany-based producer of films including In The Fade and Rheingold. From the USA, she welcomes Nicol Paone, the writer, director and producer whose film The Kill Room, which stars Uma Thurman and Samuel L Jackson, played at the festival. She is joined by her fiancé Nicole Weis, Head Of Theatrical Distribution at IFC Films. And finally she is joined by Rosie Fellner, actress, producer and owner of Rosebud Productions.

This international panel gave some riveting insight into working in the industry. The conversation takes some surprising turns and is inspiring and funny.

Films mentioned in this episode: In The Fade, dir Fatih Akin, prod Nurhan Şekerci Porst Rheingold, Fatih Akin, prod Nurhan Şekerci Porst Friendsgiving, dir Nicol Paone The Kill Room, dir Nicol Paone Everything Everywhere All At Once, dir Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert The Disappearance of Shere Hite, dir Nicole Newnham The Uninvited, Dir Nadia Conners F For Fake, dir Orson Welles Ladybird, dir Greta Barbie, dir Greta Gerwig Past Lives, dir Celine Song

TV series mentioned in this episode: Funny Or Die

Plays mentioned in this episode: Hamlet, William Shakespeare

You can listen to the episode here.

In this episode of Girls On Film, Anna Smith is joined by the writers of the brilliant comedy Joy Ride; Teresa Hsiao and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong. Joy Ride stars Ashley Park as Audrey, an American-Asian lawyer on a work trip to China. She ends up on a crazy and emotional adventure with three friends, played by Sherry Cola, Sabrina Wu and Stephanie Hsu. The film is directed by Crazy Rich Asians writer Adele Lim.

Teresa and Cherry speak to Anna about their dynamic writing together and creating female characters who are allowed to be raunchy and express themselves in a way not typically shown in comedy films. They also talk about Asian representation on screen, and what it’s like to write characters that relate to an underrepresented group.

You can listen to the episode here.

Let us transport you to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2023, where Girls On Film recorded an episode with an audience of festival goers. Host Anna Smith is joined by critics and filmmakers who are full of film recommendations, as well as thought-provoking and poignant conversation.

First to join Anna are critics Wendy Ide and Marya E Gates, who speak about which films they’ve loved, and the strong array of female-focused films playing at KVIFF. They review La Chimera, starring Josh O’Connor and Isabella Rossellini. Marya talks about Georgian film Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry, and both of them discuss the ‘hot-topic’ Past Lives, that has been capturing the attention of film lovers since its debut in Sundance earlier this year.

Next, Anna welcomes Myriam Sassine, producer of Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano, a Lebanese documentary that tells the story of a film crew navigating making a feature in the aftermath of the Beirut explosion in August 2020. Myriam discusses the challenges she faced whilst producing the film, as well as explaining the connections she established with the survivors in the filmmaking process.

Our last guests are producer Elaheh Nobakht and director Negin Ahmadi, whose film Dream’s Gate tells the personal journey of Negin as she enters the war zone in North Syria, along with a group of young women who are determined to fight back. Elaheh, who translates for Negin, explains the importance of portraying women’s stories in her films and how this personal reflection highlights the moments of joy within the conflict. Elaheh also speaks about her experience as an independent Iranian producer.

This episode is sponsored by Magnum.

You can listen to the episode here.

This episode is packed full of six fantastic women, from the stars of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One to a programmer for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, which Girls On Film will be attending on July 3rd 2023.

Host Anna Smith’s first guest is Susanna Fogel, the co-writer of Girls On Film fave Booksmart, and now a director on the miniseries A Small Light. The series stars Bel Powley as a Dutch woman who sheltered Anne Frank’s family during World War II. Susanna discusses Bel Powley’s character and how she wanted a female character who was an ‘everywoman’ and not afraid to fight for what was right, going against the canonically ‘strong woman’ trope.

Next, we find out more about the film festival in the pretty Czech town of Karlovy Vary. Programmer Anna Korinek talks about the diverse range of filmmakers the festival is championing and the platform it provides to underrepresented countries. She als shares how the public can get involved by attending screenings or tuning in online to KVIFF.TV.

Finally, Anna Smith chats to the four main female stars of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One: Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Vanessa Kirby and Rebecca Ferguson. They discuss the relative complexities of the female characters and ask whether action movies are making progress in terms of gender. They also talk about working with Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie, otherwise known as “McQ”.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is in UK cinemas 12th July 2023.

You can stream A Small Light on Disney+.

Girls On Film will be recording a LIVE episode at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival at 11am on 3rd July 2023 in partnership with MAGNUM – you can find more info at kviff.com, and listen out for our next episode!

You can listen to the episode here.

Today Anna Smith talks to Director Tina Satter about her gripping debut feature, Reality. The story was originally a play directed by Satter in 2019, Is This a Room, and in this episode Anna talks to the director about the progression to cinema, both of the story and of her as a director, and what compelled her to make this her debut. Reality is based on the incredible true story of a young woman called Reality Winner, played by Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria, The White Lotus, Sharp Objects), who stirred up a media storm when she leaked a classified report about Russian interference in U.S. elections. The film uses transcripts of the real conversations Reality Winner had with government agents as its dialogue, creating a sense of both absolute honesty in the storytelling, as well as gripping tension.

Fellow film critic Linda Marric also joins Anna to give her insight into the film, and what makes it her “favourite film of 2023”. Anna and Linda discuss how Tina Satter’s directorial choices inform the audience’s experience of a true story on screen, and their thoughts on Sydney Sweeney’s central performance.

You can listen to the episode here.

Bonjour from Cannes! This week Anna Smith gives us a taste of the French Riviera live from the Festival de Cannes, catching some friends of Girls On Film out and about at the festival.

Anna is joined by fellow critics Wendy Mitchell and Karen Krizanovich who give you their hot tips for films coming out of this year’s Cannes, from international indies to big blockbusters. They chat about Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s ground-breaking character in the newest instalment of Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. They also discuss the welcome increase in female-led films in the festival this year. Malaysian director Amanda Nell Eu’s Tiger Stripes is also delved into, alongside other international films from Turkey, Argentina, Belgium, Finland, Mongolia, Italy…

Anna also speaks with journalist and critic Valerie Complex, a year after her controversial Deadline article ‘Valerie Complex On Being Black At Cannes: How Microaggressions Marred My Festival Experience’. You can read the article here:
deadline.com/2022/06/black-at-c…rience-1235037273/

Finally, Anna caught up with See-Saw films’ Head of TV and Film for Australia, Liz Watts, for a chat about the business of Cannes, and how it informs the year ahead for the film industry.

You can listen to the episode here.