Tag: 2020 movies

Review: Identifying Features

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Identifying Features (2020)
Director: Fernanda Valadez
Writers: Astrid Roundero & Fernanda Valdez

When two boys head out alone into the world, leaving their mothers behind, you know you’re in the realm of fairy tales. What makes Mexican filmmaker Fernanda Valadez’s new drama so powerful is that she marries the stark emotions and visual imagery of myth with the harsh reality of illegal border crossings between Mexico and the United States. The story centers on Magdalena (Mercedes Hernández), who searches for her teenage son, Jesús, who has gone missing after leaving his rural Mexican hometown with a friend to find work in the U.S. Within the film’s first five minutes, we learn a crucial piece of information that sets Magdalena on her journey. Normally I would feel fine about spoiling that plot development, but the opening scenes of Identifying Features were so immediately compelling that I don’t want to dilute their power.  

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Update to the Update: 2020 Movies Made by Women

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What a year. It’s been hard to keep track of release dates. There have been times when I’ve asked myself what even is a 2020 movie. Is is a streaming movie? A drive-in movie? A movie that premieres in “select theaters” for a certain number of weeks and then is available VOD? After all these months, I’m still not totally sure what a virtual premiere is, and how it differs from a streaming premiere.

With the the Academy Awards delayed to April 25, 2021, the deadline for awards-eligible movies has extended to Feb 28, 2021, which should make for a more interesting January than usual. I’ve included releases for January and February of 2021 in this list even though I’m not sure how people will ultimately be thinking about this year of movies. Will the top ten lists be brought out in December, as usual? Or will people wait? (Do top ten lists even matter is another questions for another day . . . )

When possible, I noted where movies are streaming online–especially if they are exclusive to a particular streaming platform. Some of these titles, especially those coming out in December and January, will probably not be available on VOD until a couple of weeks after their official release date. I’m not sure if anyone refers to this list except for me, but, just in case, I will update it as 2020 winds down and things change…

(Updated 12/30/20)

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UPDATE: 2020 Movies Directed or Written by Women

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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

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2020 Movies Directed or Written by Women

Hannah Gersen1 Comment

thelma_alice_movie_collage_2020.001

This is a ongoing list of 2020 movies written or directed by women, mostly narrative films, but I’ve thrown in some documentaries, too. I’ve included specific dates when available, but as you’ll see, there are many movies at the bottom of my list that are slated for 2020 but don’t yet have release dates. I’m sure I’ve missed some titles, so if you have any suggestions, please leave a comment.

Last updated: 4/23/20, I added color coding to help me make sense of all the postponements and streaming changes due to quarantine.

RED = postponed or unknown (to me) release date
GREEN = premiering on video on demand and drive-in theaters
BLUE = originated in theaters, now streaming or will soon stream on paid platforms
PURPLE = originated on streaming subscription platforms

It may be that in a few weeks this color-coding will be obsolete because everything will just have a new streaming release date. Or it could be that I’ll have to have a new color for movies that are postponed but will be released in theaters in the fall.

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