Jennifer Merin – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MOVIE OF THE WEEK Sept 11, 2026: DEAR MS.: A REVOLUTION IN PRINT (In Memoriam for Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan)

September 6, 2026September 6, 2026 Jennifer Merin alice gu, betsy bozcech, Cate Marquis, Cecilia Aldarondo, Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print, documentary, gloria steinem, jane fonda, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, liz whittemore, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, Ms, nell minow, Pat Carbine, salima koroma, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, women's movement

In a time when what it means to be a feminist seems to be as hotly contested as it ever has been, it’s illuminating to look back at the 1970s, when the “women’s lib” movement was hitting the mainstream. By telling the story of the magazine that strove to support and further that movement, Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print reminds us of how much has changed since then…and how far we have to go. (AWFJ.org featured Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print as our MOTW on July 2, 2025, we do so again to honor Ms. Magazine co-founders Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan, recently deceased.)

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK September 4, 2026: VIRGINIA WOOLF’S NIGHT & DAY

August 30, 2026September 6, 2026 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, Elyas M'Barek, Haley Bennett, Jack Whitehall, jennifer merin, Jennifer Saunders, Justine Waddell, leslie combemale, Lily Allen, liz whittemore, loren king, Misia Butler, monique jones, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Sally Phillips, Timothy Spall, Tina Gharavi

Based on the famous author’s 1919 novel, director Tina Gharavi’s Virginia Woolf’s Night & Day is an earnest feminist drama that centers on an intelligent young woman who’s chafing at the sexism and social limitations of life in 1910 Edwardian England. As she struggles to find a life path that’s not wholly controlled and defined by men, Katharine (Haley Bennett) must decide whether to prioritize intellectual or emotional fulfillment — unless there’s some way she can manage to have both.

Curated Watch List

LABOR DAY 2026 WATCH LIST

August 28, 2026August 30, 2026 Jennifer Merin American dream, HARLAN COUNTY, LABOR DAY 2026 WATCH LIST, made in dagenham, matewan, norma rae, on the waterfront, ROGER & ME, salt of the earth, silkwood, U.S.A, Who Moves America

With changing laws and an increasing labor reliance on AI, the discussion about worker solidarity and collective bargaining, and about what’s at stake for union members who are walking the picket lines to preserve their jobs, Labor Day celebrations rise to a new level of relevance. Thus far this year, there have been 176 labor actions — strikes and protests — taken across the USA, and there were a total of 170 official labor actions recorded thus far in 2025 and a total of 889 official labor actions in 2025, according to the Cornell University Labor Action Tracker. The power of collective bargaining will determine how successful labor unions will be in their demands for fair compensation and safe working conditions for their members. And we can include among them all who work in the motion picture industry in front of and behind the lens, on screens large and small, where AI is a pressing labor issue.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK August 28, 2026: IF I TELL YOU

August 23, 2026August 25, 2026 Jennifer Merin Allison Miller, betsy bozdech, Bill Heck, carol kane, Cate Marquis, Etienne Kellici, if I tell you, Jennifer Manocherian, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, lisa O'Donnell, liz whittemore, loren king, monique jones, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Suncatcher Productions, Tessa blake

The consequences of misunderstandings and painful secrets become achingly clear in director/co-writer Tessa Blake’s family drama If I Tell You. Based on the book <em>Closed Doors by Lisa O’Donnell and old mostly through the eyes of 12-year-old Michael (Etienne Kellici) — who doesn’t realize why his usually happy household is on the verge of falling apart one otherwise idyllic Midwestern summer — it’s an earnest story about finding hope amid darkness.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK August 21, 2026 – FREEFALL: A RECKONING FOR BOEING

August 17, 2026August 18, 2026 Jennifer Merin 737 MAX, aviation, betsy bozdech, Boeing Corporation, Cate Marquis, Dreamliner, Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing, jennifer merin, John Barnett, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Mark Bailey, monique jones, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Rory Kennedy, sandie angulo chen, whistleblower

Watching Rory Kennedy’s pressing, powerful documentary Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing — the follow-up to Kennedy’s equally compelling 2022 film Downfall: The Case Against Boeing — it’s impossible not to dwell on two thoughts: First, these days, the act of choosing to step foot on an American-built plane kind of feels like playing a game of Russian Roulette, and second, it’s appalling how blatantly this country continues to prioritize profits over people’s lives.

Reviews

FREEFALL: A RECKONING FOR BOEING – Review by Jennifer Merin

August 13, 2026August 18, 2026 Jennifer Merin 737 MAX, aviation, Boeing Corporation, Dreamliner, Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing, John Barnett, Mark Bailey, motw, Rory Kennedy, whistleblower

It isn’t necessary to have seen Downfall: the Case Against Boeing in order to appreciate Kennedy’s comprehensive research and brilliant craftsmanship in Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing. Again, she uses archival and contemprary footage, on camera interviews with experts and workers, and heartwrenching interviews with family members who suffered the loss of their loved ones to tell harrowing truths about profit-motivated corporate behaviour. Always concerned with the pursuit of justice, Kennedy gives us a fascinating primer about the aviation industry and its technology as well as a compelling and alarming reveal of corporate greed that prioritizes profits over people’s safety.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK August 14, 2026: THE RIVALS OF AMZIAH KING

August 9, 2026August 9, 2026 Jennifer Merin andrew patterson, Angelina LookingGlass, betsy bozdech, black bear, Cate Marquis, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, Matthew McConaughey, monique jones, nell minow, sandie angulo chen, The Rivals of Amziah King

If, at first, writer-director Andrew Patterson’s quirky, Oklahoma-set crime thriller The Rivals of Amziah King doesn’t seem like a very female-forward movie, just wait. Without risking any big spoilers, its safe to say that co-star Angelina LookingGlass more than holds her own against poster boy Matthew McConaughey in this twisty genre-defying indie film about queen bees, unconventional family ties, revenge, and the toe-tapping power of roots music. The Rivals of Amziah King deserves to become the sleeper hit of 2026.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK August 7, 2026: COOKIE QUEENS

August 2, 2026August 8, 2026 Jennifer Merin Alysa Nahmias, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, Cookie Queens, Girl Scout Cookies, girl scouts, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, monique jones, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Roadside Attractions

Does the sight of a girl in a brown sash (or blue or green vest) immediately make you crave Thin Mints? If so, you’re definitely not alone. But chances are you haven’t spent too much time thinking about how those cookies got into the girl’s hands — or just how many boxes of them she has to sell if she wants to go to camp next summer. Alysa Nahmias aims to change that with her engaging documentary Cookie Queens.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK July 31, 2026: WILD INSIDE

July 26, 2026July 30, 2026 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, central park zoo, eurasian eagle-owl, flaco, hbo documentaries, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, monique jones, motw, Movie of the Week, Penny Lane, sandbox films, wild inside

The captivating story of an escaped Eurasian eagle-owl named Flaco and the diverse city that embraced his flight to freedom is at the heart of director Penny Lane’s (Our Nixon, Nuts!) engaging documentary Wild Inside. Using Flaco and his adventures in Manhattan to anchor the film and give it structure, Lane spreads her own wings to thoughtfully explore a range of opinions and positions related to animal welfare and wellbeing.

Reviews

WILD INSIDE – Review by Jennifer Merin

July 22, 2026July 26, 2026 Jennifer Merin central park zoo, eurasian eagle-owl, flaco, motw, Movie of the Week, Penny Lane, wild inside

Wild Inside is filmmaker Penny Lane’s captivating documentry about Flaco, a singularly determined Eurasian eagle-owl who (woot woot) escaped his captivity at the New York’s Central Park Zoo in February 2023 and, soaring free over Manhattan, became an icon of inspiration for New Yorkers and millions of fans world wide. Lane uses archival footage of Flaco in flight and perched on favorite tree limbs or highrise window sills, mixed with on camera interviews with Flaco fans, followers and conservationists who teamed up to track his whereabouts and welfare.

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