Rentals
Woman with a Movie Camera
Great films incite, others vex, a few elate. From pre-war to the present day, these remarkable works by international women directors do all that and more.
The place of female filmmakers in cinema history demands correction, and the future looks bright. Keep up with this dedicated collection.

WildfireWildfire
Drama202084 minsDirector: Cathy Brady
Sisterly bonds are pushed to breaking point in this simmering drama set on the Irish border, the debut feature from acclaimed shorts director Cathy Brady.

WildlandWildland
Crime202089 minsDirector: Jeanette Nordahl
When reserved 17-year-old Ida goes to live with her aunt and cousins, she soon becomes embroiled in the family’s aggressive business affairs in this tense, brooding and utterly gripping thriller.

AileyAiley
Documentary202195 mins
An immersive profile of ground-breaking and influential choreographer and founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Mothering SundayMothering Sunday
Drama2021104 minsDirector: Eva Husson
In this beautiful adaptation of Graham Swift’s novel, starring Josh O’Connor and Odessa Young, a writer has a creative awakening steeped in books, love and loss.

Ahead of the CurveAhead of the Curve
Documentary202098 minsDirector: Jen Rainin
Uplifting documentary tracing the power of lesbian visibility from the early ‘90s to the present day through the story of Franco Stevens' best-selling lesbian magazine, Curve.

CopilotCopilot
Drama2021119 minsDirector: Anne Zohra Berrached
A captivating relationship, told from a woman’s perspective, in the lead up to an act that changed the world.

CensorCensor
Horror202184 minsDirector: Prano Bailey-Bond
A video nasties film censor becomes absorbed in her work in Prano Bailey-Bond's brilliantly adventurous first feature.

Saint MaudSaint Maud
Horror201981 minsDirector: Rose Glass
A mysterious nurse becomes dangerously obsessed with saving the soul of her dying patient in director Rose Glass’ divine debut.

RelicRelic
Horror202090 minsDirector: Natalie Erika James
Three generations of women are plagued by a supernatural presence in one of the year’s most terrifying films.

Miss JuneteenthMiss Juneteenth
Drama2020100 minsDirector: Channing Godfrey Peoples
A soulful and uplifting drama of mother-daughter bonds and deferred dreams.

ProximaProxima
Drama2020107 minsDirector: Alice Winocour
Starring Eva Green, Alice Winocour's Proxima explores the emotional toll of being both an astronaut and a mother.

How to Build a GirlHow to Build a Girl
Drama2019104 minsDirector: Coky Giedroyc
Beanie Feldstein stars as a young rock journalist in this coming-of-age comedy, based on the novel by Caitlin Moran.

Sisters with TransistorsSisters with Transistors
Documentary202086 minsDirector: Lisa Rovner
The remarkable untold story of electronic music’s female pioneers, who embraced machines and their liberating technologies to transform how we produce and listen to music today.

The Perfect CandidateThe Perfect Candidate
Drama2019105 minsDirector: Haifaa Al-Mansour
Celebrated Saudi director Haifaa Al Mansour (Wadjda) returns with an inspiring drama about a young doctor unexpectedly becoming an electoral candidate.

The FeverThe Fever
Thriller201998 minsDirector: Maya Werneck Da-Rin
Justino, a 45-year-old Desana native, is a security guard at the Manaus harbor. As his daughter prepares to study medicine in Brasilia, Justino is taken over by a mysterious fever.

The AssistantThe Assistant
Thriller201987 minsDirector: Kitty Green
Kitty Green's #MeToo drama is a sobering take on one day in the life of a film company assistant.

AnimalsAnimals
Comedy2019109 minsDirector: Sophie Hyde
Sophie Hyde's joyous ode to female friendship stars Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat as two 30-something women navigating booze, boyfriends, wild nights and blurry mornings.

ZanaZana
Drama201996 minsDirector: Antoneta Kastrati
Haunted by her long-suppressed past, a Kosovar woman struggles to reconcile the expectations of motherhood with a legacy of wartime brutality.

The Souvenir Part IIThe Souvenir Part II
Drama2020107 minsDirector: Joanna Hogg
The second chapter of Joanna Hogg’s semi-autobiographical masterpiece and winner of Sight and Sound's 'Best Films of 2021' poll.

CharlatanCharlatan
Drama2020118 minsDirector: Agnieszka Holland
Agnieszka Holland’s fascinating biopic of Jan Mikolášek, a 20th century Czech herbalist whose great success masked the grimmest of secrets.

The NightingaleThe Nightingale
Period drama2018136 minsDirector: Jennifer Kent
A young Irish convict enlists the help of an Aboriginal tracker in her quest for vengeance, in this ferociously powerful revenge drama from Jennifer Kent (The Babadook).

The Boy DownstairsThe Boy Downstairs
Comedy201791 minsDirector: Sophie Brooks
The captivating Zosia Mamet (Girls) takes centre-stage in this smart and sassy Manhattan-set relationship drama which channels the spirit of Nora Ephron.

TitaneTitane
Science Fiction2020108 minsDirector: Julia Ducournau
Agathe Rousselle makes a ferocious debut as a killer on the run, in Julia Ducournau’s electrifying techno-chiller and Palme d'Or winner.

High LifeHigh Life
Science Fiction2018113 minsDirector: Claire Denis
The messiness of sex, the mysteries of birth and the moving spectacle of devoted parenting in the face of impending oblivion create a potent atmosphere in Claire Denis’ English-language debut.

NinaNina
Romance2018124 minsDirector: Olga Chajdas
When a couple experiencing conception problems find a potential surrogate mother they're overjoyed, until Nina falls in love with her...

The Book of GabrielleThe Book of Gabrielle
Drama201679 minsDirector: Lisa Gornick
Lisa Gornick's funny and frank drama sketches the relationship between a sex-obsessed lesbian illustrator and a randy hetero author, who bond over their favourite subject.

Mixed MessagesMixed Messages
Drama201767 minsDirector: Kanchi Wichmann
Kanchi Wichmann's feature adaptation of her hit web series follows Ren (Alana Lake) as she hunts for romance in world of Tinder and zero commitment.

Happy as LazzaroHappy as Lazzaro
Drama2018128 minsDirector: Alice Rohrwacher
Alice Rohrwacher follows The Wonders with a delightfully singular, time and genre-bending rumination on the fate of innocence when faced with corruption and greed.

The Earth AsleepThe Earth Asleep
Documentary202180 minsDirector: Clara Casian
Poignant film by artist filmmaker Clara Casian addressing the aftermath and extreme trauma of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Welcome II the TerrordomeWelcome II the Terrordome
Drama199394 minsDirector: Ngozi Onwurah
A ferocious dystopian nightmare, this was the first film directed by a Black British woman to receive a UK theatrical release.

At the Fountainhead (Of German Strength)At the Fountainhead (Of German Strength)
Drama198092 minsDirector: Anthea Kennedy
A German-Jewish musician seeks exile in Cold War London in this rich experimental work.

SerenaSerena
Drama2014110 minsDirector: Susanne Bier
Two of the planet’s biggest stars – Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence – align in this extravagant period drama set in depression-era America.

FestivalFestival
Comedy2005101 minsDirector: Annie Griffin
Stephen Mangan and Chris O’Dowd star in this sharp comedy following the trials of a trio of ambitious comedians aiming to take the Fringe by storm.

My Days of MercyMy Days of Mercy
Drama2017108 minsDirector: Tali Shalom Ezer
Starring Elliot Page and Kate Mara, this sophomore feature from Tali Shalom-Ezer is a beautiful and poignant love story between two women from vastly different backgrounds and opposing political views.

BlushBlush
Drama201585 minsDirector: Michal Vinik
An assured and authentic lesbian coming-of-age drama, boasting a mesmerising and heartfelt lead performance.

DestroyerDestroyer
Thriller2018121 minsDirector: Karyn Kusama
Nicole Kidman is astonishing – and almost unrecognisable – as a jaded police detective haunted by her past in Karyn Kusama’s brooding thriller.

Out of BlueOut of Blue
Crime2018109 minsDirector: Carol Morley
Carol Morley (Dreams of a Life, The Falling) returns with a wonderfully stylised, offbeat noir thriller about a murder investigation and multiple realities.

MariMari
Drama201895 minsDirector: Georgia Parris
Modern dance is an evocative narrative tool in Georgia Parris’ debut, which investigates a young woman’s identity and the complex relationship she has with her mother and sister.

3 Days in Quiberon3 Days in Quiberon
Biopic2018116 minsDirector: Emily Atef
This intimate, unconventional biopic of one of the great stars of European cinema - Romy Schneider (La Piscine, The Trial) - follows the reclusive actress as she battles a journalist - and her demons - during an intensive, three-day interview.

The RiderThe Rider
Drama2017103 minsDirector: Chloé Zhao
Chloé Zhao's luminous and enthralling study of a young South Dakotan cowboy’s struggle following a rodeo injury.

The Kindergarten TeacherThe Kindergarten Teacher
Drama201897 minsDirector: Sara Colangelo
Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a career-best performance as a kindergarten teacher who finds herself in an ethical quagmire after discovering the poetic talents of a precocious student.

GalvestonGalveston
Thriller201894 minsDirector: Mélanie Laurent
Ben Foster and Elle Fanning play fugitives on the run from a criminal gang, in this gritty crime thriller from the creator of True Detective.

CapernaumCapernaum
Drama2018126 minsDirector: Nadine Labaki
Acclaimed Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki delivers her most assured and affecting work yet, with this astonishing and heart-wrenching depiction of life in the shadows.

The KingmakerThe Kingmaker
Documentary2019101 minsDirector: Lauren Greenfield
The matriarch of the Marcos dynasty hopes to see her maternal delusions validated and political power restored, while Philippine activists fight for transparency and democracy, in this captivating study by Lauren Greenfield.

RBGRBG
Documentary201899 minsDirector: Julie Cohen
Revelatory documentary on an unexpected hero - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Bergman: A Year in a LifeBergman: A Year in a Life
Documentary2018117 minsDirector: Jane Magnusson
A fascinating and unflinching study of the brilliance of Ingmar Bergman’s extraordinary career, crafted around one of his most prolific and creatively fruitful years.

Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel BasquiatBoom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Documentary201775 minsDirector: Sara Driver
The story of how one of the 20th century's most important artists emerged from the post-punk, b-boy and graffiti scenes of late '70s New York.

Searching for Ingmar BergmanSearching for Ingmar Bergman
Documentary201899 minsDirector: Margarethe von Trotta
Internationally renowned director Margarethe von Trotta examines the filmmaker's life and work with his closest collaborators as well as a new generation of filmmakers.

Generation WealthGeneration Wealth
Documentary2018106 minsDirector: Lauren Greenfield
Acclaimed filmmaker Lauren Greenfield examines modern greed amid the world of the 1%. Travelling through America and beyond, she meets the international elite and families overwhelmed by debt, yet determined to live the ‘luxury lifestyle.

The Diary of a Teenage GirlThe Diary of a Teenage Girl
Drama2015102 minsDirector: Marielle Heller
The US indie hit tells the bold, bawdy and hilarious story of a teenager's sexual awakening after she sleeps with her mother’s boyfriend.

HolidayHoliday
Thriller201888 minsDirector: Isabella Eklöf
A lavish trip to the Turkish Riviera goes horribly awry in this disturbing tale of power, exploitation and complicity from the writer of Border.

Bend it Like BeckhamBend it Like Beckham
Sport2002112 minsDirector: Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha’s smash hit about an Asian girl with an undying love for football.

Bride & PrejudiceBride & Prejudice
Musical2004107 minsDirector: Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha’s Bollywood retelling of Austen’s classic romance is an all-round joy, adding colour and song to Austen’s evergreen wit.

Bhaji on the BeachBhaji on the Beach
Comedy1993101 minsDirector: Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha's charming and critically acclaimed comedy about a group of British Asian women from Birmingham who bond during a day-trip to Blackpool.

The Rape of Recy TaylorThe Rape of Recy Taylor
Documentary201791 minsDirector: Nancy Buirski
Nancy Buirski's vital documentary revisits an unjustly forgotten chapter of American history; the story of an immensely brave woman who refused to be silenced.

The Miseducation of Cameron PostThe Miseducation of Cameron Post
Drama201792 minsDirector: Desiree Akhavan
Desiree Akhavan’s award-winning follow-up to Appropriate Behaviour, with Chloë Grace Moretz as a teen sent to a gay conversion camp.

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr StoryBombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
Documentary201789 minsDirector: Alexandra Dean
Fascinating documentary about the glamorous Hollywood star who was also a genius inventor of military technology.

Beach RatsBeach Rats
Drama201798 minsDirector: Eliza Hittman
Gripping account of repressed sexual desire in a hyper-masculine environment, with British newcomer Harris Dickinson as a virulently macho Brooklyn teen.

Freak ShowFreak Show
Comedy201791 minsDirector: Trudie Styler
Alex Lawther is outstanding as a teenage rebel in this tale of an unrepentant high-school outsider, directed by Trudie Styler.

Blue ScarBlue Scar
Drama194997 minsDirector: Jill Craigie
A stirring tale of love, music, and coalmining in Abergwynfi, South Wales.

The FitsThe Fits
Drama201572 mins
Toni, an eleven year-old tomboy, finds a new purpose when an epidemic of seizures strikes her dance class, in this riveting and psychological character portrait from filmmaker Anna Rose Holmer.

Toni ErdmannToni Erdmann
Comedy2016162 minsDirector: Maren Ade
A lonely prankster upends the life of his high-powered daughter in a riotous comedy, deep and sharp.

NancyNancy
Drama201786 minsDirector: Christina Choe
Andrea Riseborough is extraordinary in this disquieting drama about a woman convinced that she was kidnapped as a child and might have found her real parents.

American PsychoAmerican Psycho
Drama2000102 minsDirector: Mary Harron
Christian Bale slays his competition in this chilling satire set in ‘80s Wall Street.

LourdesLourdes
Drama200995 minsDirector: Jessica Hausner
Jessica Hausner’s cool, compassionate exploration of religious faith follows various believers and non-believers hoping for miracle cures in Lourdes

BastardsBastards
Drama2013100 minsDirector: Claire Denis
Claire Denis’ moody and atmospheric thriller about an absent brother returning to the fold to investigate his family’s murky secrets.

The Second MotherThe Second Mother
Drama2015112 minsDirector: Anna Muylaert
A maid for a rich São Paulo family is allowed to take her provincial teenage daughter into the household, but tensions quickly surface between her old and new lives.

Ginger & RosaGinger & Rosa
Drama201290 minsDirector: Sally Potter
Teenage friendship is torn apart when Rosa finds love in the wrong place, in Sally Potter's acute, 60s-set drama.

RevengeRevenge
Thriller2017108 minsDirector: Coralie Fargeat
Coralie Fargeat's gloriously bloody tale of one woman's retribution; a razor-sharp feminist subversion of the revenge-thriller.

The WolfpackThe Wolfpack
Documentary201590 minsDirector: Crystal Moselle
Meet the Angulos: seven siblings imprisoned for most of their childhoods who learnt much of life’s lessons from film and TV; the subjects of this captivating documentary.

Skate KitchenSkate Kitchen
Drama2017105 minsDirector: Crystal Moselle
A timid Long Island skater-girl befriends an all-girl, New York City-based skateboarding crew.

HomeHome
Drama200894 minsDirector: Ursula Meier
Ursula Meier's dark semi-comic fable concerns a family living next to an unused motorway. Isabelle Huppert and Olivier Gourmet excel as the parents

Still the WaterStill the Water
Romance2014119 minsDirector: Naomi Kawase
Naomi Kawase’s visually ravishing, beautifully composed film tells the story of two youths growing up and falling in love on a Japanese island.

DisorderDisorder
Thriller201598 minsDirector: Alice Winocour
A broken soldier guards a tycoon's family in this involving thriller with hints of Taxi Driver, starring Matthias Schoenaerts and Diane Kuger.

In BetweenIn Between
Drama2016103 minsDirector: Maysaloun Hamoud
Three strong, independent Israeli-Palestinian women try to square their liberated, hedonistic lifestyles with the stultifying restrictions of conservative family life, in Maysaloun Hamoud's charming and vital drama.

A Girl at My DoorA Girl at My Door
Drama2014119 minsDirector: July Jung
Lee Chang-dong (Poetry) produces this offbeat drama about a policewoman who becomes protector of an abused teen in a town riven by corruption and alcoholism.

I Can't Think StraightI Can't Think Straight
Drama200879 minsDirector: Shamim Sarif
The story of an affair between a Palestinian woman and her British Indian friend, from the same team behind The World Unseen.

The World UnseenThe World Unseen
Drama200890 minsDirector: Shamim Sarif
Sweeping romantic drama about two Indian women who fall for each other in the hostile environment of apartheid South Africa.

Fish TankFish Tank
Drama2009118 minsDirector: Andrea Arnold
Mia loves to dance and longs to escape her Essex council estate but her uncontrollable rage is her worst enemy.

We Went to WonderlandWe Went to Wonderland
Documentary200872 minsDirector: Xiaolu Guo
British-Chinese filmmaker Xiaolu Guo follows her ageing parents' journey to the West as they visit Europe. A rare chance to see one of Guo’s most personal films.

Wuthering HeightsWuthering Heights
Drama2010129 minsDirector: Andrea Arnold
Andrea Arnold's bold re-imagining of the Emily Brontë classic.

We Need to Talk About KevinWe Need to Talk About Kevin
Drama2010112 minsDirector: Lynne Ramsay
Tilda Swinton gives a BAFTA-nominated performance as the mother of a teenager who commits a high school massacre. With Ezra Miller and John C. Reilly.

You Were Never Really HereYou Were Never Really Here
Thriller201790 minsDirector: Lynne Ramsay
Lynne Ramsay journeys with Joaquin Phoenix into the mind of an ex-soldier gun-for-hire whose own demons are as brutal as the actions of his adversaries.

Kill the DayKill the Day
Drama199618 minsDirector: Lynne Ramsay
An ex-drug addict reflects on life in and out of prison in this short by BAFTA-winner Lynne Ramsay, based on real accounts.

The FallingThe Falling
Drama2014102 minsDirector: Carol Morley
Amid the seething hormones and turbulent emotions of an all-girl school, a mysterious fainting sickness takes hold.

The PartyThe Party
Comedy201771 minsDirector: Sally Potter
Following some unexpected revelations, a celebration quickly takes a turn for the worse in Sally Potter's razor-sharp comedy.

Goodbye First LoveGoodbye First Love
Drama2011106 minsDirector: Mia Hansen-Løve
The pangs and pains of young love are artfully and respectfully rendered in this subtle and sensitive drama from Mia Hansen-Løve (Eden).

A United KingdomA United Kingdom
Drama2016111 minsDirector: Amma Asante
Amma Assante (Belle) directs this impassioned drama starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike depicting an interracial romance that changed the world.

The ReceptionistThe Receptionist
Drama2016102 minsDirector: Jenny Lu
A Taiwanese graduate begins work at a massage parlour, in this illuminating and authentic depiction of the migrant experience at London's margins.

Hell UnltdHell Unltd
Animation & Artists Moving Image193619 minsSilentDirector: Helen Biggar
Norman McLaren and Helen Biggar’s urgent work of animated agit-prop uses rapid editing to create an incisive polemic against arms spending.

PiliPili
Drama201881 minsDirector: Leanne Welham
An HIV+ mother has a chance to turn her life around when she's offered a market stall, in Leanne Welham's extraordinary drama.

The Selfish GiantThe Selfish Giant
Drama201391 minsDirector: Clio Barnard
Two Yorkshire tearaways struggle with life and friendship in this challenging, compassionate growing-up tale by the director of The Arbor.

Dark RiverDark River
Drama201689 minsDirector: Clio Barnard
Clio Barnard follows The Selfish Giant and The Arbor with this searing and eloquent Yorkshire-set drama exploring the fragility of familial relationships.

SuffragetteSuffragette
Historical drama2015106 minsDirector: Sarah Gavron
The time is now for factory worker Maud (Carey Mulligan) as she joins the campaign movement for women’s votes, in Sarah Gavron’s stirring social history.

The Strange Colour of Your Body's TearsThe Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears
Horror2013102 minsDirector: Hélène Cattet
Another giallo-inspired exercise in operatic violence from Belgian duo Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, directors of the acclaimed Amer.

Animal FarmAnimal Farm
Animation & Artists Moving Image195472 minsDirector: Joy Batchelor
Sixty years young, this British cartoon of George Orwell’s political ‘fairy story’ is still the most abiding adaptation of this powerful, cautionary tale for all ages.

Death Defying ActsDeath Defying Acts
Drama200793 minsDirector: Gillian Armstrong
The great illusionist Harry Houdini (Guy Pearce) meets his match when the charming and manipulative Mary McGarvie (Catherine Zeta-Jones) magically appears in his life.

The Iron LadyThe Iron Lady
Drama2011105 minsDirector: Phyllida Lloyd
Meryl Streep delivers an extraordinary performance as Margaret Thatcher in a provocative portrait.

The ViolatorsThe Violators
Drama201596 minsDirector: Helen Walsh
In this spiky and stylish debut from novelist Helen Walsh, two girls from different backgrounds form an unlikely bond, setting off on a dangerous course.

Eve's BayouEve's Bayou
Drama1997115 minsDirector: Kasi Lemmons
Samuel L. Jackson stars in this seething slice of Southern Gothic, about the travails of a Louisiana family bedevilled by infidelity, incest and witchcraft.

No Home MovieNo Home Movie
Documentary2015118 minsDirector: Chantal Akerman
Chantal Akerman’s rigorously observational portrait of her late mother takes on a whole new significance in the wake of the director’s own premature passing.

Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)
Drama201594 minsDirector: Eva Husson
High-school students start a private orgy society in Eva Husson’s dazzlingly shot, no-holds-barred drama.

Light YearsLight Years
Drama201589 minsDirector: Esther May Campbell
Beth Orton stars in a fragile and subtly nuanced drama that explores the toll of physical and mental illness on a fractured family.

Blue Black PermanentBlue Black Permanent
Drama199286 minsDirector: Margaret Tait
Engaging, poetic story of three generations of Scottish women made by artist Margaret Tait.

Coffee Coloured ChildrenCoffee Coloured Children
Biopic198817 minsDirector: Ngozi Onwurah
Experimental monologue about the trauma of racial harassment and self-hate that accompanies growing up mixed-race in Britain.

A Bit of ScarletA Bit of Scarlet
Documentary199671 minsDirector: Andrea Weiss
Mapping how British film and TV depicts the gay and lesbian lifestyle, Andrea Weiss raids the archives for her funny and persuasive documentary.

BrakesBrakes
Comedy201685 minsDirector: Mercedes Grower
Breakups have never been funnier, as Mercedes Grower's all-star, ensemble comedy charts the end of various affairs. With Julian Barratt, Steve Oram, Julia Davis and Noel Fielding.

The Assam GardenThe Assam Garden
Drama198490 minsDirector: Mary McMurray
Deborah Kerr’s final big screen role is a gentle tale of a widow and her friendship with an Indian neighbour.

Of Girls and HorsesOf Girls and Horses
Drama201483 minsDirector: Monika Treut
A troubled teen finds love during a summer spent at a horse ranch, in this captivating lesbian drama from cult director Monika Treut.

Child's PlayChild's Play
Comedy195268 minsDirector: Margaret Thomson
Splitting the atom is as easy as ABC in this family-friendly adventure.

ScrubbersScrubbers
Drama198293 minsDirector: Mai Zetterling
The borstal drama – billed as the female Scum – features Amanda York and Kathy Burke as inmates of a ruthless women’s prison.

The German Doctor (Wakolda)The German Doctor (Wakolda)
Drama201390 minsDirector: Lucía Puenzo
An Argentinian family befriends a travelling doctor, unaware that he’s a Nazi war criminal, in this haunting drama inspired by true events.

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