UPDATE: 2020 Movies Directed or Written by Women

thelma_alice_movie_collage_2020.001

I’m reposting this movie calendar, since a lot of the release dates have shifted over the past couple of months. The blockbusters and big-budget pictures have been delayed, but many independent films are having digital premieres. I’m hoping to catch with some of them over the next few weeks . . .

In the meantime, here’s my ongoing list of 2020 movies written or directed by women. These are mostly narrative films, but I’ve thrown in some documentaries, too. I’ve included specific dates when available, and some color-coding to help make sense of all the postponements and streaming changes due to quarantine.

BLACK = theatrical release/virtual theaters
GREEN = originated in and/or intended for theaters, now available VOD
PURPLE = originating on a specific streaming platform, i.e. Netflix, HBO, Disney +

Last updated: 10/09/20

JANUARY
Troop Zero Directors: Bert & Bertie (Jan 17 – streaming Amazon Prime) 
The Turning 
Director: Floria Sigismondi (Jan 24 – now streaming)

The Assistant  Writer & Director: Kitty Green (Jan 31 – now streaming) (My review)
The Rhythm Section  Director: Reed Morano (Jan 31 – now streaming)
Taylor Swift: Miss Americana  Director: Lana Wilson (Netflix: Jan 31) (My review)

(See Sundance premieres in this post)

FEBRUARY
Birds of Prey  Director: Cathy Han, Writer: Christina Hodson (Feb 7) 
Horse Girl  Writers: Jeff Baena and Alison Brie (Netflix: Feb 7)
The Lodge
Co-directors: Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz (Feb 7 – now streaming)
To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You  Writer: Sofia Alvarez, based on the novel by Jenny Han (Netflix: Feb 12) (My review)
Buffaloed Director: Tanya Wexler (Feb 14 – streaming May 19)
I Was At Home But . . .  Writer & Director: Angela Schanelec (Feb 14)
Ordinary Love  Co-Directors: Lisa Barros D’Sa & Glenn Leyburn (Feb 14)
The Photograph Writer & Director: Stella Meghie (Feb 14 – streaming May 12)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire  Writer & Director: Céline Sciamma (Feb 14 – now streaming) (My review)
The Rest of Us  Director: Aisling Chin-Yee, Writer: Alanna Francis (Feb 14)
Emma.  Director: Autumn de Wilde, Writer: Eleanor Catton (Feb 21) (My review)
The Last Thing He Wanted  WriterDirector: Dee Rees based the novel by Joan Didion (Netflix: Feb 21)
10 Things We Should Do Before We Break Up  Writer & Director: Galt Niederhoffer (Feb 21)
All the Bright Places Writer: Liz Hannah, based on the novel by Jennifer Niven (Netflix: Feb 28)
Saint Frances  Writer: Kelly O’Sullivan (Feb 28)
Wendy
  Director: Benh Zeitlin Writer: Benh and Eliza Zeitlin (Feb 28)

MARCH
First Cow Director: Kelly Reichardt (Mar 6) (My review)
Go Back to China  Writer & Director: Emily Ting (Mar 6)
Hillary  Director: Nanette Burstein (Hulu documentary series: Mar 6) (My review)
Lost Girls  Director: Liz Garbus (Netflix: Mar 13)
Lost Transmissions  Writer & Director: Katharine O’Brien (Mar 13)
Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often  Writer & Director: Eliza Hittman (Mar 13)
The Roads Not Taken  Writer & Director: Sally Potter (Mar 13) 
Stargirl  Director: Julia Hart  Writers: Kristin Hahn & Jordan Horowitz (Mar 13, Disney+)
Blow the Man Down  Co-directors: Bridget Savage Cole & Danielle Krudy (Amazon: Mar 20) (My review)
Crip Camp  Co-directors: James Lebrecht & Nicole Newnham (Netflix: March 25) (My review)
Tape  Writer & Director: Deborah Kampmeier (Mar 27)

See this post  for a list of SXSW movies were cancelled due to the Coronavirus.

APRIL
The Other Lamb Director: Malgorzata Szumowska, Writer: C.S. McMullen (Apr 3)
Sea Fever  Writer & Director: Neasa Hardiman (Apr 10)
Selah and the Spades  Writer & Director: Tayarisha Poe (Amazon Prime: Apr 17)
Wendy  Director: Benh Zeitlin, Writer: Benh and Eliza Zeitlin (Apr 17)

MAY
The Half of It  Writer & Director: Alice Wu (Netflix: May 1)
Becoming  Director: Nadia Hallgren  (Netflix: May 6) (My review)

Valley Girl  Director: Rachel Lee Goldenberg, Writer: Amy Talkington (May 8)
How To Build A Girl  Director: Coky Giedroyc, Writer: Caitlin Moran (May 8) (My review)
Lost Transmissions  Writer & Director: Katharine O’Brien (May 12)
Finding Ohana  Director: Jude Weng, Writer: Christina Strain (May 21)
Military Wives Writers: Rosanne Flynn and Rachel Tunnard (May 22)
Lance  Director: Marina Zenovich (ESPN: May 25)  (My review)
On The Record  Directors: Kirby Dick and Amy Zieling (HBO Max: May 27)
The High Note  Director: Nisha Ganatra, Writer: Flora Greeson (May 29)

JUNE
Judy & Punch Writer & Director: Mirrah Foulkes (Jun 5)
Shirley Director: Josephine Decker  Writer: Sara Gubbins  (Hulu: Jun 5)
The Short History of the Long Road  Writer & Director: Ani-Simon Kennedy (Jun 16) 
(My review)
Mr. Jones
Director: Agnieszka Holland, Writer: Andrea Chalupa (Jun 19)
Miss Juneteenth  Writer & Director: Channing Godfrey Peoples (Jun 19)
Babyteeth 
Director: Shannon Murphy  Writer: Rita Kalnejais (Jun 19) (My review)
Feel The Beat  Director: Elissa Down (Netflix: Jun 19)
Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn  Director: Ivy Meeropol (HBO: Jun 19) (My review)
House of Hummingbird  Writer & Director Bora Kim (Jun 26)

JULY
John Lewis: Good Trouble  Director: Dawn Porter (July 3) 
The Old Guard
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood (Netflix: July 10)
Relic  Writer & Director: Natalie Erika James and Christian White (July 10)
Secret Society of Second Born Royals  Director: Anna Mastro (Disney+ July 17)
Amulet Writer & Director: Romola Garai (July 14) 
Radioactive Director: Marjane Satrapi (Amazon Prime: July 24) 
Summerland Writer & Director: Jessica Swale (July 31) 

AUGUST
I Used To Go Here  Writer & Director: Kris Rey (Aug 7)
She Dies Tomorrow Writer & Director: Amy Seimetz (Aug 7)
Spinster Director: Andrea Dorfman, Writer: Jennifer Deyell (Aug 7)
An Easy Girl  Director: Rebecca Zlotowski (Netflix: Aug 13)
Boys State 
Co-Directors: Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss (Apple+ Aug 14)

The One and Only Ivan 
Director: Thea Sharrock, based on the book by K.A. Applegate (Disney+ Aug 21)
The Sleepover  Director: Trish Sie, Writer: Sarah Rothschild (Netflix: Aug 21)
African Violet   Director: Mona Zandi Haghighi (Aug 21)

SEPTEMBER
The Mole Agent  Director: Maite Alberdi (Sept 1)
Love, Guaranteed  Writers: Hilary Galanoy and Elizabeth Hackett (Sept 3)
Mulan  Director: Niki Caro, Writers: Amanda Silver and Lauren Hynek (Sept 4)

Cuties  Writer & Director: Maïmouna Doucouré (Netflix: Sept 9)
Unpregnant Director: Rachel Lee Goldenberg, based on novel by Jenni Hendriks (HBO Max: Sept 10)
I Am Woman Director: Unjoo Moon, Writer: Emma Jensen (Sept 11)
All in: The Fight For Democracy  Director: Lisa Cortes, Liz Garbus (Amazon Prime: Sept 18)
Kiss The Ground  Directors: Josh Tickell and Rebecca Tickell (Netflix: Sept 22)
Resisterhood  Director: Cheryl Jacobs Crim (Amazon Prime: Sept 22)
Kajillionaire  Writer & Director Miranda July (In theaters Sept 25; VOD Oct 16)
Misbehavior Director: Philippa Lowthorpe, Writer: Rebecca Frayne (Sept 25)
Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles  Director: Laura Gabbert (Sept 25)
The Glorias  Director: Julie Taymor, Writer: Sarah Ruhl and Gloria Steinem (Amazon Prime: Sept 30)

OCTOBER
A Call To Spy  Director: Lydia Jean Pilcher, Writer: Sarah Megan Thomas (Oct 2)
Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President  Director: Mary Wharton (Oct 2)
Dick Johnson Is Dead  Director: Kirsten Johnson (Netflix: Oct 2)
Once Upon A River  Writer & Director: Haroula Rose based on the novel by Bonnie Jo Campbell (Oct 2)
Save Yourselves!  Written & Directed: Alex Huston Fischer (Oct 2)
Aggie Director: Catherine Gund (Oct 7)
The 40-Year-Old Version Writer & Director: Radha Blank (Netflix: Oct 9)
Mainstream Writer & Director: Gia Coppola (Oct 10)
Totally Under Control  Directors: Alex Gibney, Ophelia Harutyunyan, & Suzanne Hillinger (VOD Oct 13; Streaming on Hulu: Oct 20)
A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting Director: Rachel Talalay (Netflix: Oct 15)
The Way I See It  Director: Dawn Porter (MSNBC: Oct 16)
The State of Texas V. Melissa Director: Sabrina Van Tassel (Oct 20)
Rebecca  Writer: Jane Goldman, Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse, based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier (Netflix: Oct 21)
Friendsgiving  Writer & Director: Nicol Paone (Oct 23)
On The Rocks  Writer & Director: Sofia Coppola (Apple + Oct 23)
Over The Moon  Writers: Jennifer Yee McDevitt, Audrey Wells (Oct 23)
The Donut King  Director: Alice Gu (Oct 30)

NOVEMBER
Ammonite Writer & Director: Francis Lee (Nov 13)
Happiest Season
Director: Clea DuVall, Writers: Clea DuVall and Mary Holland (Nov 25)
Hillbilly Elegy  Writer: Vanessa Taylor (Nov TBD)

DECEMBER
Elyse  Writer & Director: Stella Hopkins (Dec 4)
Nomadland 
Director: Chloé Zhao, based on the book by Jessica Bruder (Dec 4)
The Planters  Directors: Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder (Dec 8)
Wonder Woman 1984
  Director: Patty Jenkins (Dec 25)
I’m Your Woman  Director: Julia Hart, Writers: Julia Hart & Jordan Horowitz (Dec TBD)

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s