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GIRLS ON FILM CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY WITH AWARDS

THE GIRLS ON FILM PODCAST ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS OF THE GIRLS ON FILM AWARDS 

Girls On Film, the film review podcast from a female perspective, today announced the winners of the inaugural Girls On Film Awards held at The Garden Cinema, supported by La Gioiosa Prosecco, Belle & Co and Rémy Martin. The awards were presented by co-founders Anna Smith and Hedda Archbold, and guests included actors Kerry Fox, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Ruth Madeley. Ground-breaking awards ranged from Female Friendship on Screen to the Best Female Orgasm on Film. 

The Girls On Film Awards reward excellence in the field of feminism, inclusion and diversity, female representation and the female gaze. Girls On Film particularly wants to celebrate the representation of diversity and of complex female characters on screen. 

Girls On Film applaud and champion all female-led, female focused films but want to hand out their own awards for the films and individuals that they feel deserve particular plaudits.  

Because the awards are in part a celebration of Girls On Film’s third anniversary, films were eligible if they were released between the launch of the podcast on 2 October 2018, and 4 February 2022.   

The award winners are:

  1. Feminist Fiction Feature – Booksmart
  2. Documentary Feature – For Sama
  3. Female Friendship On screen – Booksmart
  4. Ensemble Acting – Rocks
  5. Girls On Film Ally Award – Bo Burnham for Kayla Day in Eighth Grade
  6. Female Composer – Nainita Desai
  7. Feminist Publicity Campaign – Pathé for Misbehaviour
  8. Diversity Badge of Honour – joint winners Michaela Coel and Ruth Madeley
  9. Feminist Superhero– Mia Bays
  10. Best Female Orgasm – I’m Your Man

The ceremony will be podcast on Girls On Film on 7 March 2022. Below are full details including citations. 

1. Feminist Fiction Feature – winner: BOOKSMART 

Citation: We are delighted with the international flavour of the nominees which include three UK-US collaborations, a Bosnian and a French film. The winning film combines a sharp script with spot-on performances from two of our earliest interviewees, back in episode 14 of Girls On Film: Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever. The filmmakers couldn’t be with us but a regular contributor to Girls On Film, film critic and broadcaster Rhianna Dhillon said a few words about what makes the film so special and impactful. 

Nominees: 

  • Booksmart 
  • The Lost Daughter
  • Portrait of a Lady on Fire 
  • Promising Young Woman 
  • Quo Vadis, Aida?  

2.Documentary Feature – Winner: FOR SAMA 

Citation: There are some incredible women working in documentary filmmaking at the moment. We adored all these films but there was one that clearly moved our voters especially deeply, and which demonstrated how powerful film can be in fighting injustice.  

The award was collected by filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab and Afraa Hashem. 

Nominees: 

  • Cow 
  • Crip Camp 
  • For Sama 
  • Rebel Dykes 
  • Writing with Fire 

3.Female Friendship On Screen – winner: BOOKSMART 

Citation: Friendships between women are incredibly important – and it’s so important to see that reflected on screen. The winning film had at its heart a friendship through thick and thin that was inspiring and uplifting. 

Kaitlyn Deever and Beanie Feldstein could not be with us but a regular contributor to Girls On Film, film critic and broadcaster Ashanti Omkar said a few words about the impact of the film. 

Nominees: 

  • Booksmart 
  • Herself 
  • Hustlers 
  • Misbehaviour 
  • Rocks 

4.Ensemble Acting – winner: ROCKS 

Citation: Film is such a collaborative art form and when we lift each other up we all rise. We want to celebrate that with the ensemble acting category. 

Nominees: 

  • Babyteeth 
  • The Farewell 
  • Little Women 
  • Rocks 
  • Zola

5.Girls On Film Ally – awarded to a male screenwriter/director for creating a complex female screen character – winner: BO BURNHAM 

Citation: It is so important for women to be portrayed as they really are, on screen: in all their complexity. That’s why we want to highlight the male screenwriter-directors who have created a complex female character in their film. Our ally and one of the few male guests on Girls On Film, Sanjeev Bhaskar, came to present this award. All the nominated films were written by men who listened and learned from the women around them. The winner is a comedian who was inspired by the young women who responded to his routines about anxiety and social media. With their feedback, he wrote a 13-year old girl who we could all relate to. He was also Girls On Film’s first male guest! 

Nominees: 

  • Pedro Almodovar for Janis played by Penélope Cruz in Parallel Mothers (2022) 
  • J Blakeson for Marla Grayson played by Rosamund Pike in I Care A Lot (2020)
  • Bo Burnham for Kayla Day played by Elsie Fisher in Eighth Grade (2018) 
  • John Krasinski for Evelyn Abbott played by Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place Part II (2020) 
  • Jordan Peele for Adelaide Wilson played by Lupita Nyong’o in Us (2019)   

6.Composer – winner: NAINITA DESAI 

Citation: Film composing is still a male-dominated field, but we hope that this is gradually changing and we’ve been proud to feature some fantastic female composers on Girls On Film. The winner of this award has been on the podcast twice, to talk about her body of work including The Wall: Climb for Gold and For Sama. We were delighted that Nainita Desai came to collect her award in person. 

Nominees: 

  • Nainita Desai 
  • Anne Dudley 
  • Hildur Guðnadóttir 
  • Morgan Kibby 
  • Mica Levi 

7.Feminist Publicity Campaign – winner: MISBEHAVIOUR 

Citation: Films benefit tremendously from the creative work of publicists. We did a special about film publicity in episode #99 – if you haven’t heard it, do seek it out. 

All the publicists did a terrific job on the nominated films and we have enjoyed working with them. One particular film was coming out just as lockdown struck in 2020, and we were impressed with how the team adapted to the challenging circumstances and spread the film’s feminist message on social media and beyond. 

The Pathé with Premier PR team were unable to join us but we were delighted that the director of Misbehaviour, Philippa Lowthorpe was able to accept the award on their behalf.  

Nominees: 

  • Misbehaviour – supported by a campaign by Pathé with Premier PR
  • Mothers of the Revolution – supported by a campaign by Organic and Universal 
  • Rare Beasts – supported by a campaign by Dundas communications alongside Republic Films Distribution and Billie Piper  
  • Rocks – supported by a campaign by Christelle Randall, Amber Muotto and Mark Jones at Altitude.  
  • Saint Maud – supported by a campaign by Margy Pellegrino and Matt Dinsdale at StudioCanal 

8.Diversity Badge of Honour – winners: MICHAELA COEL & RUTH MADELEY 

Citation: Diversity and representation are a big part of the discussion on Girls On Film, and we are always humbled to be joined by women who are making a real difference in this area. We alighted on joint winners who have done so much for diversity on screen, from race to disability to sexuality. 

We were delighted that actor and activist Ruth Madeley was able to join us. 

Nominees: 

  • Michaela Coel 
  • Sarah Gavron 
  • Ruth Madeley 
  • Ashanti Omkar 

9.Feminist Superhero – winner: MIA BAYS 

Citation: This is not, as you might think, an award for an onscreen superhero – though we could easily have nominated Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel or Shuri. We decided to nominate real life women who are disrupters of inequality in the entertainment industry – who have changed the landscape of the film industry. 

We love all the nominated women so much and they – along with many others, some of whom are in this room – have inspired us and kept us going. This was a tough decision, but we’ve chosen to reward a woman who has worked tirelessly to bring female led films to bigger audiences.  

We were delighted that Mia Bays accepted her award in person. 

Nominees: 

  • Annenberg Inclusion Initiative – Stacy Smith runs the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, the leading think tank studying diversity and inclusion in entertainment. 
  • Shaheen Baig  – is committed to ensuring that the films she works on are representative of the audience in terms of ethnicity, class and gender.  
  • Mia Bays – the Oscar winning producer who did an inspiring job as director-at-large at female-focused film charity Birds’ Eye View. She is now the director of the BFI Film Fund. 
  • Ava DuVernay – the writer, director, producer and film distributor is constantly breaking new ground and brings activism into her work, supporting upcoming talent while fighting for a better future. 
  • Michelle Obama – the co-founder of Higher Ground, the production company that explores issues of race and class, democracy and civil rights, and more. Their films include Becoming, which inspired a whole new generation of young women. 
  • Melissa Silverstein – the writer who was one of the first to start shouting about the gender inequalities in Hollywood. She is the founder and editor of Women and Hollywood, one of the most respected sites for issues related to women and film. 

10.Best Female Orgasm – winner: I’M YOUR MAN 

Citation: The Climax of the night was the award for the Best Female Orgasm – awarded for sensitive treatment of female pleasure on screen. This award often raises a laugh but it has a serious purpose. When female pleasure is depicted in mainstream films, it’s usually seen through the male gaze. Girls On Film has been keeping a keen eye on sex scenes in mainstream and arthouse movies, looking out for the most thoughtful, responsible and authentic depictions of the female orgasm. In the winning film, the climactic scene depicts the complexity of the experience for the woman. It shows her inner emotional truth and serves to develop the plot. The scene gains in erotic power because of it. This scene is especially interesting because the scene is between a woman – and a robot, played by Dan Stevens. Maren Eggert was not able to join us but sent us an acceptance message on video, and Dan Stevens shared his excitement on social media. 

Nominees: 

  • I’m Your Man – directed by Maria Schrader, starring Maren Eggert and Dan Stevens  
  • If Beale Street Could Talk – directed by Barry Jenkins, starring Kiki Layne and Stephan James 
  • The Miseducation of Cameron Post – directed by Desirée Akhavan, starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Sasha Lane 
  • Portrait of a Lady on Fire – directed by Céline Sciamma, starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel 
  • Queen & Slim – directed Melina Matsoukas, by starring Jodie Turner-Smith and Daniel Kaluuya 

About the Awards:

The winners were chosen by Girls On Film and announced at a ceremony on Wednesday 2 March 2022 at The Garden Cinema in the heart of Covent Garden, attended by leading filmmakers including Sarah Gavron and Anu Henriques (Rocks), Philippa Lowthorpe (Misbehavour), Shannon Murphy (Babyteeth) and Waad Al-Kateab (For Sama). 

Girls On Film announced plans for the Girls On Film Awards in their 100th episode in December, when celebrating the third anniversary of the podcast. If you missed it, you can listen to the episode here: the awards announcement starts at 22 minutes 48 seconds in.

Because the awards are in part a celebration of Girls On Film’s third birthday, films are eligible if they were released between the launch of Girls On Film on 2 October 2018, and 4 February 2022. Here is a list of all the female-led films Girls On Film featured in their first 111 episodes.

Girls On Film would like to thank The Garden Cinema for their generous support of the Girls On Film Awards, and their principal partners Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer for their continued support. 

We also thank Rémy Martin, Belle & Co and La Gioiosa Prosecco who supported the event in kind. 


About Girls On Film:

The Girls On Film podcast was co-founded in 2018 by its host Anna Smith and exec producer Hedda Archbold. They decided to make a female-centric film programme after noticing that the default standard for film criticism is to pair two men talking to each other. Anna Smith: “We wanted to prove that women talking about film together can be enriching and enlightening, and to shine a light on all the amazing talent out there in criticism and filmmaking.” Hedda Archbold said: “When women talk about film, the conversation has a different quality to it. Our listeners find it immensely refreshing”.

In December 2021, just three years after the launch, Girls On Film reached its 100- episode milestone. The team have recorded studio and virtual episodes, as well as shows in front of live audiences, at cinemas, club venues such as Annabel’s and the Allbright, festivals including the London Podcast Festival and Latitude, and at international film festivals including Cannes, Rotterdam, Belfast and Glasgow. A number of lockdown video episodes were made for YouTube in conjunction with the BFI. Past esteemed guests on the podcast are:

Actors including Carey Mulligan, Linda Hamilton, Lashana Lynch, Karen Gillan, Brie Larson, Maxine Peake, Vanessa Kirby and Kerry Fox

Directors including Billie Piper, Shannon Murphy, Carol Morley, Lulu Wang, Gurinder Chadha, Tamara Jenkins, Desiree Akhavan, Rose Glass, Phillipa Lowthorpe, Amma Asante and Waad Al-Kateab

Industry experts including Eve Gabereau (Modern Films), Tricia Tuttle (BFI London Film Festival), Akua Gyamfi (The British Blacklist), Mia Bays (BFI), Allison Gardner (Glasgow Film Festival) and Melissa Silverstein (Women and Hollywood)

Female film critics and journalists including Corrina Antrobus, Jane Crowther, Rhianna Dhillon, Angie Errigo, Hanna Flint, Pamela Hutchinson, Wendy Ide, Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Emma Jones, Tara Judah, Leila Latif, Clarisse Loughrey, Wendy Lloyd, Simran Hans, Wendy Mitchell, Kate Muir, Helen O’Hara, Ashanti Omkar and Francine Stock

The recent 100th episode features industry heavyweight Barbara Broccoli of EON productions and comedians and writers Sally Phillips and Ronni Ancona.

All episodes of the Girls On Film podcast can be found at: https://podfollow.com/1439182513/view

NOTES FOR EDITORS:
Follow Girls On Film at:
https://podfollow.com/1439182513/view
https://www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast/
https://twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod
https://www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/

Girls On Film is an HLA production.
Host: Anna Smith http://annasmithjourno.com/
Executive producer: Hedda Archbold, https://hlaagency.co.uk/ 
Principal Partners: Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer
Assistant Producer: Shanaiya Pithiya
About HLA:
HLA produces audio podcasts, videos, films and live events, and provides bespoke, sole agency to its clients.

About the Garden Cinema:
The Garden Cinema is a truly independent cinema in the heart of London, screening arthouse films from around the world. The cinema will open to the public on 26 March 2022. https://www.thegardencinema.co.uk/

Contact details:
Executive Producer at HLA Agency Hedda@HLAagency.co.uk, 07801074181
Assistant Producer Shanaiya@HLAagency.co.uk 07792 319346
  • Hedda Archbold, Anna Smith, Kerry Fox, Mia Bays
  • Salem Al-Atrash, Afraa Hashem, Waad Al-Kateab, Hamza Al-Kateab
  • Sarah Gavron, Anu Henriques, Hedda Archbold
  • Ruth Madeley, Nainita Desai
  • Ashanti Omkar, Hedda Archbold, Anna Smith, Shanaiya Pithiya, Sanjeev Bhaskar

Girls On Film

Hosted by film critic and broadcaster Anna Smith, Girls On Film is a film review podcast that looks at film from a female perspective. It was co-founded by HLA Agency and Anna Smith in response to a call for more female voices in film criticism. 

Voted No. 1 Feminist Film Podcast by Stylist Magazine, the shows combines film reviews, panel discussions with female film critics, and interviews with actors, directors, activists and industry professionals. 

Girls On Film is an HLA Agency production, executive produced by Hedda Archbold and audio produced by Jane Long

Listen on Spotify, SoundCloud and more – or subscribe here.

Girls On Film x BFI

Following the success of the Girls On Film podcast and live shows, critic, broadcaster and host Anna Smith takes a female perspective on film to the BFI at Home YouTube channel. Find all shows here.

Mark Kermode Live in 3D

Mark Kermode Live in 3D is a monthly stage show at the BFI Southbank in which Mark Kermode welcomes a couple of guests onto the stage to have conversations about what has been happening in the world of film, and to delve deeper into particular movies or topics.

Affectionately known as MK3D, the show is lively and interactive. Mark brings his trademark wit and passion to the stage and talks to film stars and character actors, high-profile established directors and young aspiring talent. Diverse and eclectic, always passionate, informed and fun, with Q&As and clips, it’s guaranteed to rekindle your love for cinema, put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. 

MK3D is an HLA Agency production.

Since lockdown, MK3D has found a home online. Find Mark Kermode Online in 3D on BFI Player here.

Listen to the spin-off Kermode On Film podcast here.

  • Mark Kermode on stage at Mark Kermode Live in 3D on Monday 24 June 2019 at BFI Southbank, London. Picture by Julie Edwards.
  • Mark Kermode on stage at Mark Kermode Live in 3D on Monday 24 June 2019 at BFI Southbank, London. Picture by Julie Edwards.

Girls On Film | Episode 109 | 28 January 2022

President is a new, Oscar-shortlisted feature documentary examining the controversial 2018 presidential election in Zimbabwe through stunningly close access. It’s raw, it’s gripping, it’s history in the making and it’s a real story that other nations can witness and learn from.

In this episode, Anna unpacks the riveting documentary with its director, Camilla Nielsson. First up, Camilla discusses President as a sequel to her film Democrats, and touches on some of her experiences during the three years of filming. Camilla opens up about the brutal reality and traumatic nature of being caught up in gunfire. She also discusses how Zimbabwean politics affect the women of the nation, and can subject them to violence if they attempt to speak out.

Next, Anna is joined by film producer Signe Byrge Sørensen, who co-founded Final Cut for Real, the production company behind the film. Signe talks about the most rewarding parts of making this film and gives advice to female filmmakers and producers around the world. Speaking to Anna alongside Signe is Equity, Inclusion and Diversity consult Patricia Chinyoka, who also founded Women of Zimbabwe, which supports female-led projects in the country. Patricia shares her thoughts on the film and her experience of watching it at the premiere and witnessing the reactions of others. Signe and Patricia then talk about the latest political developments in Zimbabwe.

  • Camilla Nielsson
  • Signe Byrge Sørensen

Girls On Film | Episode 108 | 26 January 2022

This episode celebrates the film CODA, which has been longlisted for seven British Academy Film Awards: for Best Film, Director and Adapted Screenplay, for Leading Actress and Supporting Actor, for Casting, and for Sound. The uplifting comedy-drama follows Ruby (Emilia Jones) a 17-year-old CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), who finds herself torn between pursuing a future at music school and her fear of abandoning her family.

First, our host Anna speaks to writer-director of CODA, Siân Heder and the film’s leading actress Emilia Jones. The pair discuss the reactions they’ve had to CODA from the deaf community and Siân recalls some of the challenges she overcame making this film. Emilia also reveals to Anna her experience learning multiple skills for this film, including an American accent and learning ASL in nine months.

Next, Anna is joined by two incredible women working to raise awareness for Deaf and disabled audiences. They are Charlotte Little, access consultant and film critic, and Teri Devine, Associate Director for Inclusion at the Royal National Institute for the Deaf. As a CODA herself, Teri discusses the relatability of Ruby’s character and highlights some of the accurate details in the film that really stuck with her, including the humour of discussing sex through ASL. Being partially blind and deaf herself, Charlotte discusses the ways in which she relates to the film and analyses the lack of deaf access we see in the film through the Rossi family’s experiences. Both Teri and Charlotte then discuss CODA through a feminist lens.

An audio transcript of this episode is available to read on the below link or on our Patreon page. We welcome and encourage feedback from our listeners. If you would like to get in touch with us then please reach out on our social media or via email, girlsonfilmsocial@hlaagency.co.uk

  • Siân Heder
  • Emilia Jones

Girls On Film | Episode 107 | 24 January 2022

In this Scream special, we get to the guts of the iconic horror franchise’s latest instalment – from its feminist chops to its send-up of toxic fan culture. With plenty of the wry riffs on horror tropes we’ve come to expect from the series, Scream sees much-loved mainstay characters join forces with new blood to take down the Ghostface killer. This meta-slasher may be playful, but it takes representation refreshingly seriously.

Our host Anna Smith chats to Jasmin Savoy Brown, who plays Scream newcomer Mindy Meeks-Martin. The Californian star gives us her take on the film’s understated but powerful push for diversity onscreen – and reveals the representational moment that made queer fans cheer.

Plus, we hear details of Scream’s South-Carolina shoot during the political turmoil of the 2020 US Election, and how collaboration and female friendship helped the rising star to deliver her best onscreen and off.

Next, one of our own ‘heritage characters’, podcast regular and horror expert Clarisse Loughrey, teams up with first time guest Ada Enechi – Scream fan and senior producer at Buzzfeed. Our two guest critics join Anna to dive deep into the film’s genre-savvy thrills and bloody spills – and tell us why it could be the perfect gateway movie for the horror-hesitant.

  • Jasmin Savoy Brown
  • Clarisse Loughrey
  • Ada Enechi

Girls On Film | Episode 106 | 21 January 2022

In this episode of Girls On Film, we focus on the fantastic feminist period drama, The Colour Room. The film tells the story of working class Clarice Cliff, the first female ceramist in the pottery factories of Stoke-On-Trent, England, who revolutionised her workplace in the early 20th century. Her mantra? ‘It doesn’t make me any less of an artist to have a little fun at work.’ The Colour Room has a feminist narrative, but it’s also an universal story about following your dreams and believing in your talent.

Our host Anna Smith is joined by the female force behind The Colour Room: four women who epitomise the spirit of Girls On Film. They are the director, Claire McCarthy, the writer Claire Peate and Caspian Films producers Thembisa Cochrane and Georgie Paget. 
Clarice Cliff wanted to enjoy her work and have fun while doing it – and our Girls On Film guests clearly did the same making The Colour Room.

The four discuss their 2022 BAFTA longlisted film, starting from their discovery of Clarice Cliff and her work, to how they came to work together to tell her story.

The conversation delves into Phoebe Dynevor’s and Matthew Goode’s brilliant performances as Clarice Cliff and Colley Shorter.

The Colour Room is now available to watch on Sky Cinema.

  • Claire McCarthy
  • Claire Peate
  • Thembisa Cochrane
  • Georgie Paget

Girls On Film | Episode 105 | 11 January 2022

Anna Smith is joined by two fantastic actresses and now directors, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Rebecca Hall, to discuss their daring directorial debuts: The Lost Daughter and Passing. Anna is also joined by the star of Passing, Ruth Negga.

First up, Maggie discusses the central themes of motherhood and growth in The Lost Daughter, starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson and Dagmara Dominczyk. Maggie reveals that her main goal was to portray honesty and authenticity; to create a space on screen where the audience would be able to see themselves reflected back at them, with every aspect feeling genuine, rather than a glamorised fantasy. Anna and Maggie then delve into the incredible cast of The Lost Daughter. Maggie talks about her mentality as an actress and choosing the women brave enough to learn something new about themselves.

Next up, Anna is joined by the director and writer of Passing, Rebecca Hall, along with Ruth Negga, who co stars with Tessa Thompson. The film explores racial “passing” and has a fascinating and complicated female friendship at its core. 
As an actress herself, Rebecca discusses what made her turn to directing and why she wanted to tell this incredible story about the moral consequences of racial passing. It’s based on the 1929 novel by Nella Larsen, a book that has a personal resonance for Rebecca, who reveals a family connection to the story. While the film is centred on Ruth Negga’s character, Clare, hiding her true racial identity, Rebecca reveals that her directorial intention was to go deeper than that, by examining the psychological cost of living in any kind of hiding. Ruth Negga goes on to talk about some of the touching audience reactions and discusses how the story holds relevance in today’s society, whether it’s to do with race, gender, queerness or any other form of identity.

Both The Lost Daughter and Passing are available to stream on Netflix now.

  • Maggie Gyllenhaal
  • Rebecca Hall
  • Ruth Negga

Girls On Film | Episode 104 | 23 December 2021

In this episode of Girls On Film, we dive into the film Ascension, which has been shortlisted for Best Documentary Feature for the 2022 Academy Awards. The film explores the contemporary Chinese Dream and the paradox of progress in China, as seen through the eyes of filmmaker and editor Jessica Kingdon. 
Jessica joins us and talks about her unique and successful style of filming and editing, and the challenges of gaining access to places usually hidden from the cameras. Her doc is visually driven rather than by character or story and the narrative and teases out its themes, allowing the viewers to draw their own conclusions. Jessica discusses what themes she found interesting to explore from a gender perspective and the challenges she faced in both filming and editing the documentary herself. 
Next, Anna reviews Ascension with critics Ashanti Omkar and Katie Smith-Wong, who discuss the film’s focus on influencers and social media as well as jaw-dropping scenes filmed in a sex doll factory. They talk about the documentary’s amazing access and its depiction of class and hierarchies, as well as the importance of raising awareness of the realities of the industry supply chain.

Ascension is out in the UK on January 14th 2022.

  • Jessica Kingdon
  • Ashanti Omkar
  • Katie Smith-Wong

Girls On Film | Episode 103 | 20 December 2021

This industry special goes out to anyone who has ever felt mistreated in a workplace. Liesl Tommy, director of the Aretha Franklin biopic ‘Respect’ starring Jennifer Husdon, returns to Girls On Film to dive deeper into the musical and give her thoughts on respect in the film industry. Liesl reveals details about the new DVD release of ‘Respect’, defines what respect means to her in her working life, and gives her thoughts on diversity in film criticism. Anna and Liesl also discuss how respecting other people’s rights and opinions is at the heart of a lot of other movements such as Time’s Up UK. Liesl touches on personal experiences of disrespect and feelings of powerlessness. She goes on to say how these experiences have pushed her, as a director, to create a warm and inclusive environment on set.
Next, Anna is joined by Aretha Franklin fan and CEO of The Film and TV Charity, Alex Pumfrey. Dealing with everything from anxiety to racism, the charity offers free and confidential support services to anybody working behind the scenes in film, TV or cinema. Alex describes respect as a value she holds very close to her heart and talks about joining the charity at a moment when there was a huge global appetite for change. Alex discusses their current 12 month campaign, ‘Let’s Reset’, designed to destigmatise mental health. In light of other movements such as #MeToo and Black Lives Matter, Alex also gives her thoughts on progress for women in the industry. 
If you are working in the film, TV or cinema industry and anything discussed in the episode affects you, please visit filmtvcharity.org.uk/ for more support. 
‘Respect’, starring Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin, is available to own on DVD now for the first time, and includes all new never-before-seen extras. 

  • Liesl Tommy
  • Alex Pumfrey

Girls On Film | Episode 102 | 15 December 2021

Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It is the new and inspirational doc telling the story of the Puerto Rican-born American actress, dancer and singer, whose career has spanned over 70 years. Filmmaker and director Mariem Pérez Riera delves into the remarkable life of Rita Moreno and shines a light on some of Rita’s darker experiences as a woman and an immigrant in the industry. 
In this episode, Anna speaks to Mariem Pérez Riera, who reveals the parallels between Rita’s life and her own. Mariem also shares a childhood experience that made her want to become a director and shaped her approach to the role. 
Anna then reviews the film with two Latina film critics, Catherine Gonzales and Kristen Maldonado. The pair discuss how Rita has always been an icon and inspiration for the Latina community, and comment on how well Mariem explores and portrays Rita’s life, by combining archival footage with voiceovers of Rita now. They give a valuable insight into Latinx representation on film.

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided To Go For It is available for digital download now

  • Mariem Pérez Riera
  • Catherine Gonzales
  • Kristen Maldonado
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