rodeo – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

CHEYENNE (TIFF 2026) – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

September 18, 2026September 19, 2026 Valerie Kalfrin Cheyenne, Cheyenne Frontier Days, documentary, Georgia Dodson, rodeo, Taimi Arvidson, TIFF 2026, Wyoming

one of a handful of women in the documentary Cheyenne driven to compete at riding wild broncos on the rodeo circuit after the sport excluded them for roughly a century. Debuting at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, the film builds to the final competition at Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming—the end-of-season rodeo billed as “the Daddy of them all.”

Directed by Taimi Arvidson, Cheyenne covers a smattering of women’s rodeo history through historical footage but largely focuses on four American competitors and their coach, Daryl. There’s no crying in the arena, he warns, calling it “a bad image for everybody.” Anyone flung to the dirt needs to walk it off with a wave and a smile.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 17, 2023: RODEO

March 12, 2023March 13, 2023 Jennifer Merin Antonia Buresi, betsy bozdech, Cannes Film Festival 2022, Cate Marquis, Coup de Coeur prize, Dave Nsaman, french films, jennifer merin, Julie Ledru, leslie combemale, Lola Quivoron, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, rodeo, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, Yannis Lafki

In director Lola Quivoron’s compelling drama Rodeo — which won the Coup de Coeur prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival — Julia (Julie Ledru) finds joy and freedom behind the handlebars of a motocross dirt bike, soaring down rural French roads with the wind in her hair and a grin on her face. But these moments of escape are hard to find in a world that wants to limit her at every turn.

Reviews

RODEO – Review by Jennifer Merin

March 6, 2023March 11, 2023 Jennifer Merin Antonia Buresi, Cannes Film Festival 2022, Coup de Coeur prize, Dave Nsaman, french films, Julie Ledru, Lola Quivoron, motw, rodeo, Yannis Lafki. movie of the week

Rodeo is an enthralling character-driven thriller. The narrative follows Julia’s unrelenting determination to be somebody, even if that somebody is female “thug.” The narrative is infused with details that suggest how Julia got to be who she is and how she figures out where she wants to go. Lola Quivoron takes a tough, confrontational theme and turns it into an emotion-grabbing character study of a young woman who, against all odds, uses her wits to triumph.

Festivals News

AWFJ EDA Awards @ Whistler Film Festival 2022: THE WINNERS – Jennifer Merin reports

December 16, 2022December 17, 2022 Jennifer Merin EDA Awards, rodeo, violet gave wilingly, wff 2022, Whistler Film Festival

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists is proud to announce the winners of the AWFJ EDA Awards for Best Female-Directed Feature and Best Female-Directed Short at Whistler Film Festival 2022. The EDA Awards were presented at a virtual awards ceremony on December 13, 2022. This is the tenth anniversary of the AWFJ and WFF partnership to recognize and honor the work of female filmmakers. WFF nominates the films for consideration. AWFJ members are the jurors. Great results.