The Most Underrated Movies To Watch, According To 10 Women In Hollywood

It’s not everyday you walk into a room and see Glenn Close nibbling on canapes next to Dianna Agron and Keke Palmer, while two steps away, Zazie Beetz sips a Bellini. Welcome to the annual luncheon to kick off Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program. 

Now in its fifth year, the initiative shepherds 10 rising women filmmakers through a three-day workshop, during which they receive project support, mentorship, and master classes from some of Hollywood’s biggest names, as well as a total of $100,000 (around £77,000) for project development and production.

“In 1914 — that’s 105 years ago — filmmaker Alice Guy Blaché said, ‘There is nothing connected with the staging of a motion picture that women cannot do as easily as a man.’" Jane Rosenthal, CEO of Tribeca Enterprises, said in her opening remarks. “No shit.”

“Our history has been erased,” Rosenthal continued, later adding: “We cannot be passive. As women industry leaders and storytellers, it is imperative for all of us to use our voices, and use our power to make change. This is a call to action. Entertain for change. Our stories matter. Speaking up matters. All women must own their own voices and fight back.” 

Moments later, Chief Content Officer Paula Weinstein, who was arrested with Jane Fonda while protesting climate change just last week, was greeted with rousing applause and cheers as she introduced the program’s participants, which include actors Catherine Keener and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, writer and director Semi Chellas, writer and director Tina Gordon, writer, director, and producer Nicole Holofcener, and director Sam Taylor-Johnson, among many others. 

Among the filmmakers who will be mentored are writer and director Hannah Peterson and producer Taylor Shun (Champ); writer and director Kantú Lentz and producer Roja Gashtili (Coche Bomba); writer and director Bane Fakih and producer Birgit Gernböck (Keep It Together); writer Charlotte T. Martin and director Cynthia Silver (Melissa); and writer and director Laura Moss and producer Mali Elfman (Over and Over). 

But despite the celebratory mood of the day, there was a sense of somber recognition at the ongoing battle still left to be fought when it comes to representation in Hollywood. The venue —  Locanda Verde in the Greenwich Hotel — steps away from Harvey Weinstein’s former office, was a painful reminder of the precarious situation that women have always been in when it comes to progress. Rosenthal, quoting a 2019 study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, reminded attendees that only 4% of films over the past decade were directed by women, and less than 1% were directed by women of colour. 

We need to develop new voices, but also celebrate and amplify the ones we already have. In that vein, Refinery29 asked directors, actresses, writers, and costume designers in attendance to share some of their favourite woman-directed films. From Daughters of the Dust to Booksmart, 
add these under-appreciated gems to your queue ASAP.