Rosario Dawson – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

FEMME-HELMED SHORTS (Tribeca 2025) – Reviews by Beth Accomando

June 16, 2025June 19, 2025 Beth Accomando A Brighter Summer Day For The Lady Avengers, Apocalypse Besties, Ask Me Anything, Becky Chicoine, Birdy Wei-Ting Hung, Black women entrepreneurs, cannabis, Catie Skipp, documentary, Kiss My Grass, Kristen Buckels Cantrell, Mara Whitehead, Mary Pryor, Monster Slayer, Playing God, Rosario Dawson, Sam Reece, Stephanie Montgomery, Wyneke van Nieuwenhuyzen

Although the feature films get the bulk of the buzz and attention at Tribeca Film Festival, there is also a rich slate of short films, many of which are directed by women. Here is a wrap of short reviews for a half dozen of the best. Topping the list of Tribeca 2025’s female-directed shorts is Monster Slayer from Catie Skipp. It’s a documentary with animation centered on Stephanie “Monty” Montgomery. The pre-title sequence hints at “monsters” to come, but our initial introduction to Monty is bright and bubbly as she shares her love for art and drawing, and the giddy excitement of leaving her small Texas town after high school graduation for a new life in Los Angeles. Needing to make fast and good money, she gets a job in a strip club. And she loves it. She loves dancing and she loves the opportunity to be around beautiful naked female bodies in motion to sketch. But then a sexual assault by a strip club regular – referred to as The Monster — leaves her deeply shaken and angry.

Reviews

COMMON GROUND – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

December 6, 2023December 10, 2023 Valerie Kalfrin Common Ground, Cory Booker, documentary, glyphosate, jason momoa, Johnny O’Hara, Joshua Tickell, Rebecca Harrell Tickell, regenerative agriculture, Rosario Dawson, Roundup

In the once-barren grasslands of Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert, a rancher explains how changing his grazing practices brought the arid land back to life. Cattle’s hooves broke up the soil. Manure fertilized it, returning much-needed microorganisms. Eventually, the ground turned rich again, dark and moist like what one person likened to chocolate cake—and yielding a reward that’s also sweet. Tall grasses. Butterflies and other insects—even rain. “We are the rainmakers of the desert,” he says.

Reviews

HAUNTED MANSION – Review by Emma Badame

July 25, 2023July 25, 2023 Emma Badame Danny DeVito, disney, Haunted Mansion, Justin Simien, Katie Dippold, Lakeith Stanfield, owen wilson, Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish

Disney’s first attempt at turning their popular, gothic Haunted Mansion ride into a film gave them a hit at the box office, but was widely panned by critics. Cut to 20 years later and the House of Mouse has decided to revisit the idea – clearly hoping to recreate that movie-goer mojo but this time, capture the goodwill of the critics, too. It’s truly a delightful surprise that Haunted Mansion is as enjoyable as it is. Particularly in light of its predecessor. It’s truly the perfect summer-movie fare and a great way to spend an overheated afternoon or evening for film fans of all ages. For lovers of the spooky and supernatural, it delivers there, too.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK October 14, 2022: SELL/BUY/DATE

October 8, 2022October 9, 2022 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, bryan cranston, Cate Marquis, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., meryl streep, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Rosario Dawson, sandie angulo chen, Sarah Jones, Sell/Buy/Date, susan wloszczyna

Like an earnest, feminist, less inflammatory (but just as ready to tackle controversy head on) Sacha Baron Cohen, Tony-winning performer Sarah Jones uses a variety of memorable characters to explore the complex, complicated world of sex work in her feature film directorial debut, Sell/Buy/Date. Executive produced by Meryl Streep and adapted by Jones from her own successful stage play, the film doesn’t have easy answers or neat solutions but does offer plenty of insight — and raises thought-provoking questions.

Reviews

SELL/BUY/DATE – Review by Susan Wloszczyna

October 3, 2022October 8, 2022 Susan Wloszczyna bryan cranston, meryl streep, motw, Movie of the Week, Rosario Dawson, Sarah Jones, Sell/Buy/Date

The documentary Sell/Buy/Date was inspired by actress, writer and first-time film director Sarah Jones and based on her same-named stage play in which she played three other characters who all have connections to the sex trade. There was some controversy about her topic that made people think that she would show a negative portrait of women who make a living in this way. That was not her intent. However, when a social media backlash occurred when the film was announced, producers Laverne Cox and Rashida Jones left the project. However, Meryl Streep stepped up to be the executive producer.

Interviews

Rosario Dawson on DOPESICK, the Opioid Crisis and Representing – Leslie Combemale interviews.

October 12, 2021October 12, 2021 Leslie Combemale Danny Strong, kaitlyn dever, Michael Keaton, Michael Stuhlbarg, Oxycontin, Peter Saarsgard, Rosario Dawson, Will Poulter

Cast as a crusading DEA Agent in Dopestick, Rosario Dawson comments on the opioid crisis: I think this show, and why we’re in DC pushing it, is about the fact that we are not just trying to entertain people. We want this to be something that profoundly changes the game. You could feel it from every single person in the crew, because I have family and friends who have succumbed to the opioid crisis. 2020 had a record high of overdoses, and 75% of those overdoses were opioids. So we need to do something about it, and hopefully the show motivates people to do just that.

Reviews

THE WATER MAN – Review by Susan Granger

September 1, 2021September 1, 2021 Susan Granger Alfred Molina, David Oyelowo, Emily A. Needell, Maria Bello, netflix, oprah winfrey, Rosario Dawson, The Water Man

When actor-turned-director David Oyelowo was growing up, he missed the sense of magic and wonder that he yearned to experience on-screen and was acutely aware of the lack of mid-budget family films featuring performers of color. Set in the Pacific Northwest, this story revolves around inquisitive 11 year-old Gunnar Boone , whose mother is dying of leukemia and military father, recently returned from Japan, just moved the family to the small logging town of Pine Mills.

Festivals Reviews

THE WATER MAN (TIFF20) – Review by Pam Grady

September 24, 2020September 25, 2020 Pam Grady 0 Comments David Oyelowo, oprah winfrey, Rosario Dawson

There was magic at the Toronto International Film Festival when actor David Oyelowo’s directing debut The Water Man made its world premiere. A family drama with a precocious young boy at its center, this Oprah Winfrey-executive produced film is full of equal parts of wonder, charm, and heart. Oyelowo has a sure touch with his actors, coaxing strong performances from all, but what is most impressive is his handling of The Water Man‘s visual elements.