Sandie Angulo Chen – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

SONGS FROM THE HOLE – Review by Sandie Angulo Chen

August 7, 2025August 11, 2025 Sandie Angulo Chen Contessa Gayles, documentary, James "JJ '88" Jacobs, prison system, prolonged incarceration, solitary confinement, Songs from the Hole

Songs from the Hole, directed by Contessa Gayles, tells the true story of James “JJ ’88” Jacobs, a “lifer” first arrested at 15 and later sentenced to 40-years-to-life for first-degree murder. Jacobs endured long stretches in solitary confinement, finding purpose and survival through his music. A gifted rapper and singer, he wrote dozens of autobiographical songs while incarcerated. Songs from the Hole challenges audiences to reconsider notions of guilt and punishment, transformation and reintegration into society, inviting empathy without erasing accountability.

Interviews

EMBETH DAVIDTZ on DON’T LET’S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT – Sandie Angulo Chen interviews

July 6, 2025July 6, 2025 Sandie Angulo Chen Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, Embeth Davidtz, Fumani N. Shilubana, Lexi Venter, Zikhona Bali, zimbabwe

South African actress turned director speaks with Sandie Angulo Chen about her featre film debut, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, based on Alexandra Fuller’s memoir. The film explores a child’s experience during Zimbabwe’s transition from white rule to democracy, amidst family turmoil and the brutal war. Davidtz chose the memoir for its vivid writing and personal resonance, having grown up in South Africa during similar circumstances. She faced challenges adapting the 24-year-old memoir into a focused narrative and balancing the Zimbabwean nuances with her South African upbringing. Davidtz also discusses the casting of non-actor Lexi Venter and her approach to directing the young novice. And, she reflects on the evolving landscape for women filmmakers and the importance of asserting one’s vision.

Festivals Member News

AWFJ @ Middleburg Film Festival – Sandie Angulo Chen reports

October 23, 2024October 22, 2024 Sandie Angulo Chen cortland jacoby, jazz tangcay, lauren bradshaw, Lauren Veneziani, leslie combemale, mae abdulbaki, Middleburg FF 2024, Middleburg Film Festival, roxana hadadi, sandie angulo chen, Susan Koch

Eight members of the Alliance of Women Filmmakers members convened at Middleburg Film Festival 2024 for the festival’s program of high profile films and to interview and mingle with the celebrated artists who’d been invited to present their work. DC-based members Mae Abdulbaki, Lauren Bradshaw, Sandie Angulo Chen, Leslie Combemale, Roxana Hadadi, Cortland Jacoby, Lauren Veneziani and LA-based member Jazz Tangcay were invited to attend the festival’s annual Women in Film luncheon. AWFJ is honored to be part of the covering press corps and delighted to share some of the attending members’ highlight moments of this year’s festival.

Festivals

AWFJ @ Middleburg Film Festival 2023 – Sandie Angulo Chen reports

October 30, 2023November 3, 2023 Sandie Angulo Chen jazz tangcay, lauren bradshaw, Lauren Veneziani, leslie combemale, Mae Abdulaki, Middleburg Film Festival, Middleburg Film Festival 2023, nell minow, roxana hadadi, sandie angulo chen, sheila johnson, Susan Koch

The Middleburg Film Festival turned eleven this year, showcasing 39 feature and documentary films in the bucolic Virginia town just an hour from Washington, D.C. The festival, founded by billionaire entrepreneur Sheila Johnson and run by executive director Susan Koch, always highlights women filmmakers and an impressive slate of titles. This year, the festival’s Best Narrative Feature went to American Fiction, written and directed by Cord Jefferson; Best Documentary Feature went to Invisible Nation, directed by Vanessa Hope; Best International Feature was director J.A. Bayona’s Society of the Snow; and the Special Presentation Audience Award went to filmmaker Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers’ The Last Repair Shop

Reviews

AWFJ Presents ARRANGED – Review by Sandie Angulo Chen

January 6, 2023January 6, 2023 Sandie Angulo Chen Arranged, awfj presents, Diane Crespo, Film Movement, Francis Benhamou, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Stefan C. Schaefer, Yuta Silverman, zoe lister jones

Directors Diane Crespo and Stefan C. Schaefer’s short-and-sweet film captures the joy of the two women bonding against the odds. Their blossoming friendship overcomes obstacles, including their parents’ cringe-worthy reactions to the co-workers socializing outside of school. Even at school they can’t escape narrow-minded (and laughably inappropriate) comments from the secular Jewish Principal, who is so uncomfortable with their modesty that she accuses them of being indoctrinated and offers them cash to buy something trendy to wear.

Festivals

AWFJ’s Eyes on Middleburg Film Festival 2022 — Sandie Angulo Chen reports

November 17, 2022November 18, 2022 Sandie Angulo Chen jazz tangcay, leslie combemale, Middleburg Film Festival, nell minow, sandie angulo chen

This past October, the Middleburg Film Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary with a program-filled long weekend. The four-day festival, founded by Sheila Johnson and run by Susan Koch, featured an impressive selection of 45 narrative and documentary feature films. Several AWFJ members, particularly those who live in the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area, were in attendance, including Virginia-based critics Mae Abdulaki, Leslie Comebale, Nell Minow, and Susan Wloszczyna; Maryland-based Sandie Angulo Chen; and Jazz Tangcay, who flew in from Los Angeles. This year, instead of discussing the films and performances, we decided to share what we consider to be some of our favorite moments from the 10th annual Middleburg Film Festival.

Reviews

AWFJ Presents ARRANGED – Review by Sandie Angulo Chen

July 22, 2022January 6, 2023 Sandie Angulo Chen Arranged, awfj presents, Diane Crespo, Film Movement, Francis Benhamou, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Stefan C. Schaefer, Yuta Silverman, zoe lister jones

Festivals

AWFJ @ Middleburg Film Festival – Sandie Angulo Chen reports

October 20, 2021October 26, 2021 Sandie Angulo Chen C'mon C'mon, jazz tangcay, lauren bradshaw, leslie combemale, Mae Abdulaki, mass, Middleburg Film Festival, nell minow, sandie angulo chen, sheila johnson, Spencer, susan wloszczyna, The Humans

The ninth year of the Middleburg Film Festival brought back the fest’s in-person programming in Virginia horse country. Founded by Sheila Johnson and run by executive director Susan Koch, the four-day festival continues to feature an impressive slate of diverse and thoughtfully-curated narrative and documentary feature films (34 this year).

Reviews

AT THE READY – Review by Sandie Angulo Chen

October 12, 2021October 15, 2021 Sandie Angulo Chen At the Ready, Border Patrol, Criminal Justice Club, documentaries, El Paso, high school students, Maisie Crow

At the Ready is an easy sell for those who find something uniquely fascinating about the state of Texas, and in particular its border towns. The fact that there are high schools in Texas that offer law enforcement courses and criminal justice clubs in which students compete in mock raids, hostage negotiations, active-shooter situations, and other law enforcement scenarios shouldn’t come as a surprise; it’s Texas. What is surprising, is that the documentary isn’t about an all-White high school in a red swath of the State; it’s about a club at predominantly Hispanic (nearly all the students are cued as Mexican American) Horizon High School in El Paso.

Reviews

LES NOTRES – Review by Sandie Angulo Chen

June 7, 2021June 13, 2021 Sandie Angulo Chen Emilie Bierre, Jeanne Leblanc, Les Notres, Marianne Farley, motw, Movie of the Week, Paul Doucet, Quebecois films

Canadian writer-director Jeanne Leblanc’s family drama centers on 13-year-old Magalie, whose unexpected pregnancy throws her small Quebec town into a state of constant gossip. Everyone is quick to blame Magalie’s best friend and neighbor Manuel, who happens to be the Mexican-born teen foster child to the town’s beloved mayor -and his wife.

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