11 Astonishing Films Directed By Women So Far This Year
Streaming gems to add to your #52FilmsByWomen challenge.
The #52FilmsByWomen challenge is making waves online as film lovers rally behind gender equity in cinema. Launched in 2015 by Women in Film Los Angeles, the campaign was created to confront the industry's sluggish progress on gender equality. The premise is simple: watch one film directed by a woman each week; 52 films in a year.
Since its launch, the campaign has gained support from high-profile advocates like Ava DuVernay and Nicole Kidman. DuVernay notably hired 42 women to direct episodes of her NAACP Image Award-winning series Queen Sugar, while Kidman has worked with 27 female filmmakers since 2017.
Despite a decade of promoting women filmmakers, a key question persists: Has the increased visibility and a burgeoning female-focused film community translated into tangible results?
According to the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative , home to the most extensive, long-running research on women behind the camera, the answer is both yes and no.
Women directed only 12.1% of the top 100 grossing films of 2023, remaining unchanged since 2019. A comparable, broader study (2007-2019) revealed worse statistics showing that women directed only 4.8% of the 1,300 top-grossing films. Furthermore, a stark disparity exists, with women of color comprising a mere 1.4% of all directors examined by the initiative during its 17 year history.
Despite discouraging statistics, the growing presence of women in Hollywood is producing real benefits. Films directed by women tend to portray more nuanced and empowering female characters, often with women in leading roles. The success of DuVernay and Kidman also highlights a broader pattern: women in the industry frequently collaborate, supporting writers, cinematographers, editors, and others who remain underrepresented behind the camera.
The #52FilmsByWomen challenge shows how studios, creators, and audiences all gain when our screens reflect the world we live in. Joining this growing cinephile movement means going beyond the mainstream to seek out independent films by women, where most of these voices are found.
Take the challenge by exploring these eleven powerful stories of perseverance, each told through a female-driven lens and offering fresh insight into the human experience.
Grace, Grit, and the Will to Rise
The Fire Inside (2024)
Acclaimed cinematographer Rachel Morrison makes her directorial debut with The Fire Inside, adapted from a script by Barry Jenkins and based on the inspiring true story of five-time boxing champion Claressa “T-Rex” Shields.
In Flint, Michigan, high school junior Claressa Shields (Ryan Destiny), aided by her tough-love coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry), dreams of becoming a world-renowned boxer. Numerous unforeseen setbacks obstruct Claressa’s path to Olympic glory as she fights against discrimination in a male-dominated field that sees her strength as a liability.
Clarissa’s story is both electrifying and heartbreaking in Morrison’s coming-of-age story. Avoiding feel-good clichés, the film offers a raw, unflinching look at Clarissa’s fight for Olympic gold, highlighting the personal, financial, and systemic challenges faced by underprivileged female athletes.
A potent and resonant underdog story, The Fire Inside chronicles the meteoric rise of one of the greatest female boxers ever to step into the ring and her enduring impact on improving the lives of women in sports.
Director: Rachel Morrison
Cast: Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry, Adam Clark, Oluniké Adeliyi, De'Adre Aziza
Where to Stream: MGM+
The Last Showgirl (2024)
Gia Coppola channels the spirit of classic Vegas entertainment, echoing legends like Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra, in this striking American drama that marks her directorial debut.
Even after 30 years at the classic French-inspired Le Razzle Dazzle revue, 57-year-old Shelly Gardner (Pamela Anderson) still slips into her signature bedazzled pantyhose. Each night, Eddie (Dave Bautista), the protective producer, ushers Shelly and her fellow showgirls Mary-Anne (Brenda Song), and Jodie (Kiernan Shipka), onto the stage. Egos fade and a grim reality sets in when Eddie informs the close-knit group that their long-tenured show is coming to an abrupt end.
Coppola’s The Last Showgirl is a nostalgic homage shaped by her grandfather’s meticulous style, blending opulent feathered costumes with a poignant character study set in the city that never sleeps. From pink foam rollers to vintage Cover Girl blue eyeshadow, she vividly captures a bygone era through the story of an aging Vegas performer facing the end of her career.
Pamela Anderson delivers a career-defining performance in a rare dramatic role, challenging Hollywood’s long-standing typecasting of her as just a curvaceous bombshell.
A bittersweet portrait of resilience, The Last Showgirl weaves themes of fading legacies and reluctant reinvention into a touching, melancholic meditation on life’s final curtain call.
Director: Gia Coppola
Cast: Pamela Anderson, Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Billie Lourd, Jason Schwartzman
Where to Stream: Hulu
All We Imagine as Light (2024)
Documentarian-turned-feature filmmaker Payal Kapadia writes and directs this extraordinary multilingual drama, featuring Malayalam, Hindi, and Marathi dialogue. Told through a distinctly female lens, Kapadia explores the fragility and uncertainty of life on the margins.
In the heart of bustling Mumbai, nurses Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divya Prabha), roommates and colleagues, struggle to make ends meet. Prabha, bound by a traditional arranged marriage, longs for her absent husband, while the free-spirited Anu risks a secret relationship with Shiaz (Hridhu Haroon), a Muslim man. Amid daily pressures, Prabha also helps Parvathy (Chhaya Kadam), their hospital’s cook, stand up to a greedy property developer.
As urban landscapes shift and futures remain uncertain, these three women form an unwavering alliance rooted in perseverance and solidarity. Kapadia’s tender film challenges Bollywood’s male-dominated narratives, spotlighting working-class women who, despite overwhelming odds, begin to reclaim their dreams.
All We Imagine As Light is a stunning feat of modern Indian cinema celebrating the strength of female sisterhood, marking Payal Kapadia as a bold and innovative auteur to watch.
Director: Payal Kapadia
Cast: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon, Azees Nedumangad
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Trauma, Loss, and the Distance Between Us
Bob Treviño Likes It (2024)
Newcomer Tracie Laymon delivers a heartfelt American comedy about radical forgiveness and the power of chosen family. Inspired by true events, Bob Treviño Likes It draws from Laymon’s personal journey toward reconciliation with her estranged father, culminating in an unexpected and deeply moving twist.
After a painful breakup, home care aide Lilly Treviño (Barbie Ferreira) seeks solace in reconnecting with her biological father, Robert (French Stewart), despite their rocky past. But Robert quickly brushes off her grief, prioritizing his pursuit of other women. In a desperate attempt to feel seen, Lilly sends a Facebook request to a man with the same name, and instead connects with Bob Treviño (John Leguizamo), a warm, dependable stranger who becomes the father figure she never had.
Laymon’s film explores the emotional toll of caretaking and the quiet devastation of feeling unseen. With Ferreira in a breakout role and Leguizamo bringing charm and depth, the story captures how healing often comes from the most unexpected places. Through lived-in characters and gentle humor, Bob Treviño Likes It offers a tenderhearted reflection on family, identity, and the comfort of kindred spirits.
Director: Tracie Laymon
Cast: Barbie Ferreira, John Leguizamo, French Stewart, Rachel Bay Jones, Ted Welch, Lolo Spencer
Where to Stream: VOD
Vermiglio (2024)
Maura Delpero’s breathtaking Italian drama, Vermiglio, which she wrote, directed, and co-produced, earned the Grand Jury Prize at the 81st Venice International Film Festival and was Italy’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 97th Academy Awards.
Set in 1944, the story follows a Sicilian soldier who deserts the army and seeks refuge in a remote northern Italian village. His arrival disrupts the life of a local teacher and their family, already strained by the economic hardships of World War II.
Delpero’s patient, immersive storytelling unfolds within a secluded mountain community, beautifully captured by cinematographer Mikhail Krichman. His sweeping visuals of the northern Italian Alps provide a stark yet majestic backdrop, reflecting the slow unraveling of lives bound by tradition and scarred by war. Delpero reimagines Italian neorealism through a distinctly feminine lens, crafting a deeply grounded film filled with restrained wisdom and depth.
Evocative of classic art-house cinema, Vermiglio weaves a rich tapestry of beauty, mystery, and memory, capturing a fading world on the brink of change.
Director: Maura Delpero
Cast: Giuseppe De Domenico, Tommaso Ragno, Martina Scrinzi, Roberta Rovelli, Carlotta Gamba, Orietta Notari, Sara Serraiocco, Santiago Fondevila, Rachele Potrich, Patrick Gardner, Anna Thaler
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
On Becoming A Guinea Fowl (2024)
Zambian Welsh filmmaker Rungano Nyoni, known for I Am Not a Witch, returns with another sharp black comedy that critiques cultural norms, revealing unhealed trauma. When Shula (Susan Chardy) discovers her uncle’s lifeless body on a dark road, funeral preparations uncover buried secrets within her middle-class Zambian family, as she and her cousins Nsansa (Elizabeth Chisela) and Bupe (Esther Singini) delve into the past.
Nyoni’s dark fable tackles taboo subjects with bold conviction, using funeral rituals to show how hypocrisy enables violence against the vulnerable. What begins as a light farce gradually deepens, blending the ordinary and the extraordinary into a more empowering narrative.
Through striking visuals, Nyoni highlights the weight women carry and the painful bonds they share. Shula emerges as a woman reclaiming her voice and breaking free from the crippling cycle of silence and shame.
Unflinchingly honest and poignant, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl weaves a story of generational trauma and grief, celebrating the resilience, hope, and strength found in sisterhood, making it both personal and universally resonant.
Director: Rungano Nyoni
Writer: Rungano Nyoni
Cast: Susan Chardy, Elizabeth Chisela, Henry B.J. Phiri, Roy Chisha, Blessings Bhamjee, Esther Singini
Where to Stream: Max
Discovering Yourself Amidst Constant Change
Mountains (2023)
Haitian-American filmmaker Monica Sorelle’s debut feature, co-written with Robert Colom, eloquently captures the struggles and triumphs of her community in pursuit of the American dream.
Xavier (Atibon Nazaire), a hardworking construction worker in Miami’s Little Haiti, dreams of buying a larger home for his wife, Esperance (Sheila Anozier), and their son, Junior (Chris Renois). But as urban development threatens to displace them, Xavier finds himself caught in a painful contradiction, building the very structures that contribute to his community’s gentrification.
In her remarkable debut, Sorelle entwines a poignant intergenerational drama layered with family tension and quiet resistance. Set against the backdrop of rising housing costs and rapid urban change, the film offers an intimate portrait of a community determined not to be erased. With stellar performances and a tender, observant eye, Sorelle’s film is a powerful testament to identity, belonging, and hope, marking her as a rising force in cinema.
Mountains unwinds as a mesmerizing exploration of the interconnectedness between cultural preservation, intergenerational conflict, and the constraints of racism within the context of the American Dream.
Director: Monica Sorelle
Cast: Atibon Nazaire, Sheila Anozier, Chris Renois, Kerline Alce, Karina Bonnefil, Yaniel Castillo, Serafin Falcon, Farley Louis, Macc Plaise, Bechir Sylvain, Roscoè B. Thické III
Where to Stream: MUBI
Superboys of Malegaon (2024)
Reema Kagti directs and produces this Hindi-language coming-of-age dramedy, inspired by the 2008 documentary Supermen of Malegaon. Based on the true story of Nasir Shaikh and his scrappy group of dreamers, the film follows their pursuit of movie-making magic in the unlikeliest of places.
In 1997, aspiring filmmaker Nasir (Adarsh Gourav) fantasizes about creating films on par with Bollywood's best. Far from Mumbai’s glamorous film industry, he rallies his eccentric friends, Farogh (Vineet Kumar Singh), Shafique (Shashank Arora), Irfan (Saqib Ayub), and Akram (Anuj Singh Duhan), to shoot a low-budget movie in their rural impoverished village. As their creative project breathes new life into the town, growing success begins to strain their tight-knit bond.
Kagti’s warm, uplifting film explores the intersection of friendship and filmmaking, capturing how ambition can both unite and challenge. With humor and heart, Superboys of Malegaon celebrates the enduring magic of cinema, the power of community, and the joy of storytelling against all odds.
Universally appealing and critically acclaimed (Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), it’s a charming tribute to independent Indian filmmaking and the dreamers who make it possible.
Director: Reema Kagti
Cast: Adarsh Gourav, Vineet Kumar Singh, Shashank Arora, Anuj Singh Duhan, Riddhi Kumar, Saqib Ayub, Gyanendra Tripathi, Muskkaan Jaferi, Anmol Kajani, Manjiri Pupala, Pallav Singh, Abhinav Grover
Where to Stream: Prime Video
My Old Ass (2024)
Megan Park’s sophomore feature, My Old Ass, is a Canadian coming-of-age comedy that earned a spot on the National Board of Review’s Top 10 Independent Films of 2024.
Set on her parents’ cranberry farm, 18-year-old Elliott (Maisy Stella) is preparing for college when a psychedelic mushroom trip leads her to an unexpected encounter, with her 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza). As the two versions of Elliott bond, the older, more cynical version warns her younger self about mistakes yet to come.
Blending sharp humor with heartbreaking insight, Park contrasts the carefree spirit of youth with the sobering realities of adulthood. Beneath its trippy premise, the film unfolds into a heartfelt and perceptive exploration of identity, regret, and growth. With emotionally resonant storytelling and a surprising twist, Park offers a fresh, layered take on girlhood and self-discovery.
Infused with wit and warmth, My Old Ass is a life-affirming reminder that time is fleeting, and second chances are rare gifts.
Director: Megan Park
Cast: Maisy Stella, Percy Hynes White, Maddie Ziegler, Kerrice Brooks, Aubrey Plaza, Maria Dizzia, Al Goulem, Alexandria Rivera, Seth Isaac Johnson, Carter Trozzolo
Where to Stream: Prime Video
Restitution, Resistance, and the Reckoning of History
Dahomey (2024)
Celebrated French-Senegalese feature filmmaker Mati Diop composes a poetic and thought-provoking documentary.
Between 1600 and 1904, during the colonial era of the African Kingdom of Dahomey, France plundered countless cultural artifacts. More than a century later, 26 of those stolen objects were put on display in a Paris museum in the 21st century. After a recent large-scale restitution campaign, the French museum returned the artifacts to their original land.
Diop rigorously and fantastically examines the repatriation of 26 royal treasures (a fraction of what was stolen) from a French museum to modern-day Benin, under intense global and art-world scrutiny. By connecting fictional “lost souls” to the priceless objects, she humanizes them, offering a metaphorical framework to inspect appropriation and restitution.
Blending fact and fiction through a multi-voiced narration, Diop’s film immerses viewers in the lives of the enslaved, tracing a spiritual connection that spans generations. It raises poignant questions about whether reparations can truly heal historical trauma, or if they uncover even deeper complexities.
Diop’s groundbreaking film on postcolonial discourse won the Golden Bear at Berlin’s 74th Film Festival and was short-listed for Best Documentary and Best International Feature at the 97th Academy Awards.
With incisive arguments, Dahomey delivers a blistering critique of colonization’s lasting impact, echoing with the haunting weight of a stolen legacy.
Director: Mati Diop
Where to Stream: MUBI
Sugarcane (2024)
Co-directed by Emily Kassie and Julian Brave NoiseCat, and produced by Kassie and Kellen Quinn, Sugarcane is a landmark Canadian documentary that confronts the dark legacy of the Indian residential school system. The film investigates decades of illegal child removal and sexual abuse, sparking a reckoning for survivors and their descendants.
As their directorial debut, Kassie and NoiseCat offer a mighty portrait of Indigenous resilience in the face of generational trauma. With personal ties to the story, NoiseCat provides intimate access to survivors, creating a space where even unspoken pain finds acknowledgment. The result is a searing and unflinching indictment of systemic injustice, one that positions Sugarcane as a defining work of modern documentary filmmaking.
Unrelenting and emotionally charged, Sugarcane demands accountability from faith-based institutions complicit in this harrowing chapter of history.
Directors: Emily Kassie, Julian Brave NoiseCat
Where to Stream: Disney+, Hulu
All films are available for rental or purchase on VOD platforms.
The #52FilmsByWomen challenge is a great way to uncover powerful, under-the-radar films by women. Which of these standout titles will you add to your watchlist?
All We Imagine as Light I found particularly interesting. :)