Jennifer Merin – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 21, 2019: THE BRINK

March 17, 2019March 17, 2019 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments alison klayman, arina antunes, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, documentaries, kristen page kirby, lizwhittemore, loren king, marie therese guirgis, maryann johanson, motw, nell minow, sandie angulo chen, Sheila Roberts, steve bannon, the brink

It’s no exaggeration to say that Steve Bannon quickly became one of the most reviled figures in Donald Trump’s inner circle during the 2016 election and the early days of Trump’s presidency. Cagey and clever, Bannon never seemed to make a move that wasn’t completely calculated. So you have to wonder what his motivation was to allow filmmaker Alison Klayman and her cameras into his life to film The Brink, an intimate documentary that follows Bannon from 2017 through the historic 2018 midterm elections.

Festivals News

Variety Names Shauna Hardy Mishaw Among Top Women Influencers – Jennifer Merin reports

March 13, 2019March 13, 2019 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments female programming, influencers, Shauna Hardy Mishaw, spotlight, variety, Whistler Film Festival

It comes as no surprise to the Alliance of Women Film Journalists that Shauna Hardy Mishaw, co-founder and Executive Director of Canada’s Whistler Film Festival, has been named in Variety’s International Women’s Impact Report as one of the top women who are influencing and reshaping showbiz around the globe.

Reviews

Ai Weiwei Never Sorry – Retroview by Jennifer Merin

March 11, 2019March 17, 2019 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments ai wei wei never sorry, alison klaymen, china, documentaries

Alison Klayman’s documentary profiles the artist, and provides background on his work from the time he left China during the 1970s to study in New York City and became part of the city’s downtown art scene, to the establishment of his home studio in China, his contribution to the architectural design of the stadium used for the Chinese Olympics, and his very well-attended art installation at London’s Tate Gallery.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 15, 2019: ROLL RED ROLL

March 10, 2019March 14, 2019 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments Cate Marquis, documentary, kristen page kirby, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., marina antunes, maryann johanson, nancy schwartzman, nellminow, rape. steubenville, roll red roll, sandie angulo chen, Sheila Roberts, susan wloszczyna, true crime

Following the infamous 2012 case in Steubenville, Ohio, in which two teen boys who were local highschool football heroes assaulted and raped an intoxicated female classmate, Nancy Schwartzman’s compelling documentary, Roll Red Roll, crystalizes the danger of supporting a “boys will be boys” mentality.

Commentaries

AWFJ ROUND TABLE: Defining Feminist Film Criticism

March 5, 2019March 13, 2019 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments alexandra heller-nicholas, Chaz Ebert, esther iverem, feminist film criticism, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., martha p nochimson, maryann johanson, nell minow, rogerebert.com, roxana hadadi

The term ‘feminism’ and the descriptor ‘feminist film critic’ are in frequent use these days, as the women in film movement stirs debate and demands change in the the movie industry. Women film critics are, like women working in all aspects of the industry, marginalized not only by disparity in employment opportunities, but also in the overall attitude — a lack of seriousness — with which our reviews and commentaries are evaluated. Reputable reports support this assertion with stats, and women film critics feel it in our guts 24365

Reviews

ROLL RED ROLL – Review by Jennifer Merin

March 4, 2019March 11, 2019 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments Cinema Citizen, documentary, nancy schwartman, rape culture, roll red roll, steubenville

Nancy Schwartzman’s harrowing documentary about the rape of a teenage girl by local high school football players in the ‘middle America’ community of Steubenville, Ohio, reveals the depth to which rape culture permeates our society. We’ve seen far too many other such true stories in documentaries chronicling the rape of girls on campus, of women in the military and in the workplace. It must be stopped. Roll Red Roll calls attention to this cultural crisis and should be mandatory viewing for every teenager, parent and educator in America.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 8, 2019: 3 FACES

March 3, 2019March 8, 2019 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments 3 Faces, Behnaz Jafari, betsy bozdech, jafar panahi, Marilyn Ferdinand., marina antunes, maryann johanson, Marziyeh Rezaei, Sheila Roberts

The life of an actress isn’t always an easy one — even more so in a country like Iran, where traditional currents run strong and “following your dreams” isn’t so simple for any woman, let alone a woman who wants to take to the stage. In his latest uniquely crafted film, Jafar Panahi again defies the Iranian government’s ban on his film production to explore themes of dreams vs family and social obligations. 3 Faces, a compelling drama about craft and connection.

Reviews

THIS IS NOT A FILM (2011) – Retroview by Jennifer Merin

February 28, 2019March 1, 2019 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments documentary, iranian film, jafar panahi, this is not a film

Jafar Panahi Panahi shot This Is Not A Film in his Tehran apartment, while he was under house arrest. Although he could be put back in jail at any time, he defied his sentence by making This Is Not A Film, using digital cameras, including an iPhone, to document his daily life.

Reviews

3 FACES – Review by Jennifer Merin

February 27, 2019March 4, 2019 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments 3 Faces, Behnaz Jafari, iranian film, jafar panahi, motw, Movie of the Week

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been banned by the Iranian government from making movies for 20 years, yet he always invents creative ways to practice his craft by documenting his own interactions with actors and ‘civilians.’ In 3 Faces Panahi and actress Behnaz Jafari take to the road to try too solve a mystery about what happened to a young woman who wanted to escape her traditional family to become an actress. The plot twists itself into an intriguing mystery about weather the girl is alive or dead.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 1, 2018: SAINT JUDY

February 24, 2019March 3, 2019 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, kristen page kirby, Leem Lubany, liz whittemore, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., marina antunes, michelle monaghan, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, saint judy, sandie angulo chen, shiela roberts, susan wloszczyna

SAINT JUDY is director Sean Hanish’s fact-based drama about immigration attorney Judy Wood (Michelle Monaghan), whose tenacity, empathy, and intelligence

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Jennifer Merin @aboutdocsguide·

ATTENTION: Count your blessings if you qualify for @whisfilmfest's remarkable screenwriters' lab. Don't miss the opportunity to apply. Do it now! https://t.co/8OWQCe8HIN

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AWFJ org @AWFJ·

ATTENTION: Count your blessings if you qualify for @whisfilmfest's remarkable screenwriters' lab. Don't miss the opportunity to apply. Do it now! https://t.co/c9oXIrlGyl

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Ulkar Alakbarova @AlakbarovaUlkar·

@AWFJ @MaeAbdu @writererica @cinebeth @TheMadams @MarBarFu @flickchickdc @LizBraunSun @annebrodie @mysteriouskat @CarolSCling @CinemaSirenNews @mdermansky @EmerickLaura @aboutdocsguide @nminow @Liz_Whittemore @kpagekirby @sandieachen @maryannjohanson @CateMarquis @BetsyBoz @lorenkingwriter @SROBERTS101A @themarina I will for sure. Still waiting to be released in Toronto.

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≠ roxanna ≠ roxanne ≠ roxy @roxana_hadadi·

This week’s @awfj #MOTW is @aliklay’s frightening, must-see @TheBrinkFilm, which takes us behind the scenes of the political machine with Steve Bannon during the 2018 mid-terms. https://t.co/Mb4cItVIXc
#AWFJ #FemaleFilmCritics24365

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