Novelist Emma Donoghue joins writer-director and male ally Sebastián Lelio to talk with Anna Smith about his new film based on Emma’s book, co-written by Alice Birch. The Wonder, which has earned a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding British Film (and Girls On Film Award nominations for Best Feature Film sponsored by EON Productions, The Girls On Film Ally Award sponsored by IMDb for Sebastián Lelio, Best Cinematographer for Ari Wegner, and Best Female Orgasm sponsored by Intimacy on Set for Florence Pugh) is available to watch on Netflix now. This powerful film stars Florence Pugh as Lib, an English nurse who in 1862, following the Great Famine, is called to Ireland and asked to watch over an 11-year-old girl called Anna, who claims not to have eaten for four months, played by brilliant newcomer Kila Lord Cassidy.

In this episode, Emma Donoghue, whose previous novel Room was made into an Oscar-winning film, talks about the thrill of becoming a fan of her own work as brilliant and expert collaborators create films of her stories, and why Sebastián Lelio is a true ally. Also, Sebastián Lelio discusses with Anna the brutality of filmmaking and why creating a precise and delicate set is so important. He also talks about casting the “warrior-like” Florence Pugh, with her unique connection with the audience, and discovering the astonishing Kila Lord Cassidy to star opposite Pugh. 

UK listeners can watch The Wonder on Netflix now.

Information and advice on eating disorders can be found on the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/eating-disorders/overview/ 

Other films mentioned in this episode include: 
A Fantastic Woman, Sebastián Lelio, 2017
Gloria Bell, Sebastián Lelio, 2018
Disobedience, Sebastián Lelio, 2017
Room, Lenny Abrahamson, 2015
Lady Macbeth, William Oldroyd, 2016

Television series mentioned in this episode include: 
Station Eleven, 2021-2022
Normal People, 2020

Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: 
www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast 

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Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z

Girls On Film is an HLA production. 
Host: Anna Smith. 
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Producer: Lydia Scott
Audio Producer: Nic Wassell
Intern: Eleanor Hardy

House band: MX Tyrants

This episode is in partnership with Netflix.

Ep 139: The Wonder: Sebastián Lelio & Emma Donoghue on collaboration and working with Florence Pugh

Live from the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), Anna Smith is joined on stage by an international panel of inspiring industry figures. Prolific power-house Christine Vachon chats about how it feels to have produced over 100 films, and the job of using “disruption for opportunity”. She also has valuable advice for would-be producers. Friend of Girls On Film Dutch film critic Dana Linssen co-curated the Critics’ Choice selection at IFFR for the ninth year running. She joins Anna to speak about her love for this year’s female-directed films in the strand, Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun and Nafiss Nia’s That Afternoon (or Die middag). In That Afternoon, which received its world premiere this year at the festival, director Nafiss Nia takes us with refugee Roya, played by Hoda Niku, as her life intersects with Nassim, played by Alin Wishka, one afternoon. Nafiss Nia joins Anna and Dana on-stage to give insight into her film, and the importance in her filmmaking of language in her “father tongue” Dutch, as a poet and native Persian speaker. 
Anna is also joined by Superposition director Karoline Lyngbye and one of the film’s stars, Marie Bach Hansen, who plays Stine. Superposition follows writer Stine and her partner, podcaster Teit (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) as they retreat off-grid for a year with their son Nemo to save their relationship, until … well, that’s all we can say without spoilers! Karoline and Marie speak about their experience of working in Denmark in film, television and theatre and the discussions they had about gender while making the film.

2023 International Film Festival Rotterdam is taking place from the 25th January 2023 to the 5th February 2023. For all information go to: 
https://iffr.com/en 
Hear Vanja Kaludjercic, director of IFFR, talk more about the festival and programme on episode 137 of Girls On Film: https://pod.fo/e/15b92a 

Films mentioned in this episode include: 
The Woman King, Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2022
The Wonder, Sebastián Lelio, 2022
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Sophie Hyde, 2022
Aftersun, Charlotte Wells, 2022
That Afternoon (aka Die middag), Nafiss Nia, 2023
Past Lives, Celine Song, 2023
Zola, Janicza Bravo, 2020
Far From Heaven, Todd Haynes, 2022
The Notorious Bettie Page, Mary Harron, 2005
She Came to Me, Rebecca Miller, 2023 (Starring Anne Hathaway, Marisa Tomei, Peter Dinklage, Joanna Kulig, Brian d'Arcy James)
The Blair Witch Project, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, 1999
Superposition, Karoline Lyngbye, 2023
The Lighthouse, Robert Eggers, 2019

Television mentioned in this episode include: 
Dansegarderoben, 2023

Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: 
www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast 

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Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z

Girls On Film is an HLA production. 

Host: Anna Smith. 
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Producer: Lydia Scott
Audio Producer: Emma Butt
Intern: Eleanor Hardy

House band: MX Tyrants

Principal Partners: Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer.
This episode is in partnership with International Film Festival Rotterdam

Credit: Sony Pictures for Zola clip.

Ep 140: Christine Vachon, Dana Linssen and more, live from International Film Festival Rotterdam

This episode of Girls On Film is dedicated to BAFTA-nominated drama Blue Jean, which is set in 1980s Newcastle, at a time when Thatcher’s government was making life very difficult for gay people in the UK. The law ‘Section 28’ forbade “the teaching in schools of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”. Rosy McEwen puts in a terrific performance as teacher Jean, who has to keep her sexuality a secret, and is put in a difficult position when she meets a pupil of hers in a lesbian bar. 
Anna Smith talks with writer-director Georgia Oakley and producer Hélène Sifre, as well as with lead actor Rosy McEwen and Kerrie Hayes, who plays Jean's girlfriend Viv. 

UK listeners can watch Blue Jean in cinemas from 10 February.
 

Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: 
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Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z

Girls On Film is an HLA production. 
Host: Anna Smith
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Audio Producer: Benjamin Cook
Intern: Eleanor Hardy

House band: MX Tyrants

This episode is in partnership with Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer.

Ep 141: Lesbian drama Blue Jean with Georgia Oakley, Hélène Sifre, Rosy McEwen and Kerrie Hayes

Sara Dosa, the director and co-writer of documentary Fire of Love joins Anna Smith in London for a live Q&A following a screening of her film. The extraordinary documentary, from National Geographic Documentary Films, mines the extensive film and image archive of intrepid French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft. The fascinating couple died as explosively as they lived, whilst doing what they loved best: exploring their greatest passion, volcanoes, whilst simultaneously capturing the most spectacular volcano imagery ever recorded.

Fire of Love has been nominated for a 2023 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, a 2023 BAFTA for Best Documentary, and a Girls On Film Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film won many awards in 2022, including a Black Film Critics Circle Awards.

You can watch Fire of Love now on Disney+

Other films mentioned in this episode include: 
Me and You and Everyone We Know, Miranda July, 2005
The Seer and the Unseen, Sara Dosa, 2019

Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: 
www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast 

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Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z

Girls On Film is an HLA production. 

Host: Anna Smith
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Producer: Lydia Scott
Sound Recordist and Audio Producer: Cam Griffiths
Intern: Eleanor Hardy

House band: MX Tyrants

This episode is in partnership with National Geographic Documentary Films

Ep 142: Fire of Love’s Sara Dosa on her Oscar & BAFTA nominated documentary

Emmett Till’s cousin Deborah Watts speaks candidly about the BAFTA-nominated film Till, which is in cinemas and also available on digital download. Anna Smith also speaks to writer Ellen E Jones about this powerful film directed by Chinonye Chukwu. It tells the true story of Mamie Till-Bradley, whose 14-year-old son Emmett was brutally murdered in 1955. The film follows her fight for justice and features an incredible performance from Danielle Deadwyler, who has been nominated for Leading Actress at the BAFTAs. We are also happy that Till has been nominated at the Girls On Film Awards, for Best Feature sponsored by EON Productions.



Till is in cinemas and on digital


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Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z
Girls On Film is an HLA production. 
Host: Anna Smith. 
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Audio Producer: Emma Butt
Intern: Ellie Hardy
House band: MX Tyrants
This episode is in partnership with Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer.

Ep 143: Till starring Danielle Deadwyler: exclusive with Deborah Watts and review with Ellen E Jones

The Girls On Film Awards are back for a second year, and you are warmly invited to join the audience! This second in a three-part episode was recorded at The Garden Cinema in London on 23 February 2023, with an intimate audience of nominees, film critics and industry supporters. Hosts Anna Smith and Hedda Archbold reveal the winners of the following categories: 


Best Cinematographer - for which our media partner is British Cinematographer magazine
Best Ensemble Acting sponsored by Netflix 
The Girls On Film Ally Award sponsored by IMDb
Best Feature Film sponsored by EON Productions
 
We hear from stars including Sheila Atim (The Woman King) and presenters including Afi Okaidja (Rocks), Kerry Fox, Tricia Tuttle and Col Needham.

Other films mentioned in this episode, and where to watch them:

Aftersun - streaming on MUBI now
Ali & Ava  - Netflix and on demand
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Disney+ and on demand
Causeway  - Apple TV+
Corsage - streaming on MUBI and on demand
Elvis - digital on demand
Everything Everywhere All At Once - Prime Video and on demand
Gangubai Kathiawadi  - Netflix
Grandkids - coming soon
Mother and Son - currently unavailable
Nanny - Prime Video
Nezouh  - currently unavailable
Nope - on demand
The Power of the Dog - Netflix
The Quiet Girl - BFI Player and on demand
She Said - on demand
Till - on demand including Amazon, Sky Store and Apple TV
Triangle of Sadness - on demand
The Woman King - on demand
Women Talking - still in cinemas
The Wonder - Netflix 
 


Listen out for the next part of the awards ceremony coming soon!
Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here:
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Follow us on socials:
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Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z
Girls On Film is an HLA production.
Host: Anna Smith.
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Audio Producer: Michelle Tofi
Intern: Eleanor Hardy
House band: MX Tyrants
This episode is in partnership with Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer.
With special thanks to The Garden Cinema for hosting the awards, to our category sponsors EON Productions, IMDb, Intimacy on Set, and Netflix, to our reception sponsor Head Gear Films, and to our media partners, British Cinematographer magazine, Deadline, Scala and Time Out.

Ep 146: Girls On Film Awards Ceremony 2023 (2 of 3)

Oscar-nominated actress Emily Watson joins Anna Smith to talk about her new film, God’s Creatures. First up, Wendy Lloyd and Holly Tarquini tell us about their new podcasts. Wendy’s Open To Criticism talks about representation in film criticism; while Holly’s The F-Rated Podcast features discussions with remarkable women in film. They speak about the reasons they launched podcasts, and both give their recommendations for films you can watch now. 

Emily Watson then makes her Girls On Film debut to talk about the challenging drama God’s Creatures, and the way it looks at gender and patriarchal society. She discusses the joys of working with two female directors, and her co-star Paul Mescal. She and Anna also look back on some of the highlights of her long and varied career so far, and talk about the industry as a whole. This segment contains discussion of sexual assault.  

God’s Creatures is in UK cinemas now.

Other films and TV discussed:

Rye Lane
Blue Jean
A Good Person
Loving Highsmith
Champions
God’s Creatures
Punch-drunk Love
A Royal Night Out
The Third Day
Apple Tree Yard
Chernobyl
Breaking The Waves
Hilary and Jackie
Normal People
The Fits
Dune


You can also hear Anna Smith on the latest episode of Open To Criticism.

Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: 
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Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z

Brought to you by Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Producer: Lydia Scott
Audio editor: Benjamin Cook
Assistant Producer: Eleanor Hardy
Principal Partners Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer
House band: MX Tyrants

Ep 149: Emily Watson on God’s Creatures and her career, plus more feminist podcast recommendations

Rachel Weisz joins Girls On Film to talk about playing twin sisters in the new Prime Video series Dead Ringers, along with writer Alice Birch. Both women executive produced the series and tell host Anna Smith about the collaboration that brought the show to the screen. 
Rachel tells how her love of the 1988 film inspired the idea of a gender flip of the central two characters, and explains the intricacies of playing twins. She and Alice discuss establishing the show’s unique tone, and share behind-the-scenes stories. The pair then take questions from the audience, who are members of Women in Film and TV (UK).

Find out more about Women in Film and TV (UK) here: https://www.wftv.org.uk/

Watch Dead Ringers on Prime Video now

Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: 
www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast 

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Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z

Girls On Film is an HLA Production
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Audio editor: Cam Griffiths
Assistant Producer: Eleanor Hardy
Principal Partners Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer
House band: MX Tyrants

Ep 150: Rachel Weisz and Alice Birch on the series Dead Ringers

Some listeners may be activated by this episode, which contains some references to sexual assault.

This episode of Girls On Film is a special on the powerful documentary feature, Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power, by director Nina Menkes. This film taps into so many important subjects relating to film and feminism. It has the power to open eyes, and change the way we think and shoot films.

Anna Smith talked to Nina Menkes at a special preview screening held on 9 May 2023 by Girls On Film in association with BFI Distribution. 

Nina talks about the way in which the all-pervasive male gaze in filmmaking. Most films depict the man as an active subject, and the woman as a passive, fragmented object. She describes how this works, and the effect it has on our wider culture and on the behaviours of women and men.

She also explains why queer cinema may be able to challenge this cinematic vocabulary more than others, and she talks about the responses she has had to the film, from audiences and film critics alike.

Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power is in UK cinemas now.

The BFI has scheduled a special season of Nina Menkes’ films, entitled  CINEMATIC SORCERESS: THE FILMS OF NINA MENKES. It’s at the BFI Southbank from 6 to 31 May 2023


Other films discussed:

Blade Runner
The Cabbage Fairy
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Metropolis
Portrait of a Lady On Fire
Vagabond

Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: 
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Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z

Brought to you by Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Audio editor: Benjamin Cook
Assistant Producer: Eleanor Hardy
Principal Partners Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer
House band: MX Tyrants
This episode is in partnership with Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer.

Ep 151:  Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power - Director Nina Menkes On The Male Gaze

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!

Guest Time Codes: 
Susanna Fogel - 1:25
Anna Korinek - 13:13
Hayley Atwell - 24:30
Pom Klementieff and Vanessa Kirby - 38:06
Rebecca Ferguson - 46:44

Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: 
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Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z 
Girls On Film is an HLA production. 

Host: Anna Smith
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Audio Producer: Nic Wassell
Assistant Producer: Eleanor Hardy
Principal Partners Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer
House band: MX Tyrants

Ep 154: Action women: the stars of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning + Susanna Fogel & KVIFF

Is the film industry still a man’s world, or are women now leading the way? How will AI affect films? 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

Find out more about Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival here: https://www.evolutionfilmfestival.com/

Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: 
www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast 

Follow us on socials: 
www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ 
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Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z
Girls On Film is an HLA production. 

Host: Anna Smith
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Audio Editing: Nic Wassell
Intern: Charlotte Matheson

This episode is in partnership with Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival.

Ep 158: Women And Leadership At Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival 2023

Girls On Film is a film review podcast from a female perspective, hosted by film critic and broadcaster Anna Smith and produced by co-founder Hedda Archbold at HLA Agency

New tracks tagged #GirlsOnFilmPodcast