justina walford – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

BLUE JEAN – Review by Justina Walford (Guest Post)

May 29, 2023June 5, 2023 Guest Post Blue Jean, Georgia Oakley, guest posts, justina walford, Kerrie Hayes, lgbtq, margaret thatcher, Rosy McEwen, the female gaze

Dramas set in the 80s walk a tightrope, often forcing us into a sense of nostalgia, romanticizing the decade even though it was far from inclusive. LGBTQ coming-out films also walk a tightrope, usually stuck in a world of early LGBTQ challenges without showing a character existing beyond the struggle of identity. Blue Jean is both of these genres. Yet, the combination defies the challenges and comes off beautifully as a sincere dialogue and, in some ways, a sincere amends and admiration among generations.

Guest Posts Reviews

CLOSE TO VERMEER – Review by Justina Walford (Guest Post)

May 20, 2023June 5, 2023 Guest Post Close to Vermeer, documentary, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Gregor Weber, guest posts, Johannes Vermeer, justina walford, kino lorber, Rijksmuseum, Suzanne Raes, the female gaze

Suzanne Raes’ documentary,”Closer to Vermeer, delves into the enigmatic world of Johannes Vermeer, the celebrated painter behind masterpieces like “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Little is truly known about the artist himself, and that mystery has been studied and debated by scholars as long as his art has been known. This documentary’s essential story is not about Vermeer as much as Vermeer is the framework to tell an even more riveting tale. As the camera pans so intimately close to Vermeer’s paint and canvas, we see the gloves and scopes of study, gently poring over every dab of paint.

Guest Posts Reviews

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH (L’employée du mois) – Review by Justina Walford (Guest Post)

May 11, 2023June 5, 2023 Guest Post Alex Vizorek, comedy, Employee Of The Month, Film Movement, french films, guest post, horror, Jasmina Douieb, justina walford, L’employée du mois, Laetitia Mampaka, the femle gaze, Véronique Jadin

Véronique Jadin’s Employee Of The Month (L’employée du mois) is an office comedy with a bloody twist seen through the eyes of long-suffering EcoClean office manager Ines and the new intern Melody. The film starts with a pan of the EcoClean office: a generic set up of old desks, shelves of product perfectly lined up, and all the clues of an organized office manager keeping it spotless and character-less except for a fish – a solitary, silent fish.

Guest Posts Reviews

ANNA NICOLE SMITH: YOU DONT KNOW ME – Review by Justina Walford (Guest Post)

May 11, 2023June 5, 2023 Guest Post Anna Nicole Smith, documentary, guest post, J Howard Marshall, justina walford, netflix, the female gaze, Ursula MacFarlane, Vicky Lynn, You Don’t Know Me

When we look at all the young women who rise quickly to fame with their beauty and sensuality, too many have stories that end tragically. Ursula Macfarlane’s documentary shows us the cost of fame but also reveals the humanity of a woman who wielded so much power and yet struggled for her own empowerment. Vicky Lynn had many stories. Anna Nicole had many stories. Which one was the real woman?

Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT September 2019: Justina Walford, Filmmaker, Founder of Women Texas Film Festival (aka WTxFF)

September 1, 2019September 29, 2019 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments dallas, john wildman, justina walford, lisa normand, the in-between, the ladies of the night, women texas film festival, women's film festivals, WTxFF

Justina Walford considers herself a writer, first and foremost. She’s successfully produced her own screenplays and theater scripts, but AWFJ shines our September SPOTLIGHT on Justina Walford in recognition of her feminist film activism as founder and Artistic Director of the annual Women Texas Film Festival (WTxFF), a sterling celebration of cinema that showcases films made by and about women.