Finding Her Voice

We count down our five favorite films of 2018 and look ahead to what we hope to accomplish in 2019

The very late ep is being edited (thnx @evgriff42) & despite the foucs being horror/The Love Witch we spend a shocking amount of time on #MyHeroAcademia & #JojosBizarreAdventures1:01 PM - 31 Oct 2018

Following the release of the new comedy Blockers, we talked about female sexuality and how it's depicted in film by talking about Fish Tank and The Runnaways.

Hello and welcome back! It's been a YEAR since we began this podcast and it's been a blast each month to get to explore these female directed films and the complexities that come along with them. Rather than picking a theme in April we instead chose to set our sights specifically on one director: Sofia Coppola. One of our collective favorites over the past few years (especially when we all, respectively, began latching onto film in general) her filmmography is more than enough worthy to warrant a whole discussion. From The Virgin Suicides to the upcoming The Beguiled, Coppola's career has been defined by master works of the subtleties in art.We talk about what our favorite film of hers is, what film we saw first and what it is about her filmmaking that makes her such a genuis. For May we'll be hitting up blockbuster season by watching Kathryn Bigelow's 1991 Point Break and the 2008 Catherine Hardwicke directed adaptation of Twilight. Make sure to watch along and join the dicussion in late May! You can follow us at @FindingHerVoice or @TYFofficial. Make sure to also check us out on Itunes! 

We opted for something different this month and instead of focusing on female directors we instead focused on the role of the female editor with films Faults (edited by Sarah Beth Shapiro) and The Young Folks favorite Mad Max: Fury Road (edited by Margaret Sixel). We discussed the historical nuances of womens roles as editors and how they were pushed out of the role of directing to editor at the start of cinema. We also talk about directors such as Joss Whedon, Jeff Nichols and Martin Scorsese who are known for having female editors on their team for the majority of their films. AJ and I admitted that our understanding of the role of the editor and or ability to point out good vs. bad editing (unless it's really quite good or really quite bad) is limited but that this month of discussion has made us more intrigued with the role in film, especially from a female perspective. For April we'll be doing something I'm very excited about and exploring Sofia Coppola's films from her early days to now as we get ready for her newest release this summer with The Beguiled. Make sure to watch along and join the conversation! Which film of hers is your favorite ? You can follow us at @FindingHerVoice or @TYFofficial. Make sure to also check us out on Itunes! 

In February we spoke about (shocker) films that fell into the sphere of romance. Often a unfrotuantely derided genre, we wanted to tackle three films that showcase the diversity that can be found in them when directed by diverse talent. We talked about Alice Wu's Saving Face (2004) - a personal favorite- , Gina Prince-Bythewood's Beyond the Lights (2014) and the Jenny Slate breakout Obvious Child (2014) directed by Gillian Robespierre. What linked the three was the ability all demonstrated in building relationships for all of these characters outside of their romantic ones. For March we're doing something a little different and discussing films edited by women-specifically we're watching Faults and Mad Max: Fury Road but we'll also be talking about directors Joss Whedon, Jeff Nichols and Martin Scorsese who have all primarily relied on female talent in editing their films. We will also take a look and Before I Fall-the big March release for a woman directed film. Watch along with us and make sure to catch the coversation next month! Happy listening :) 

It's January which means we're all still recovering from the dumpster fire that was 2016. To try and kick off 2017 right (well as right as it can currently be) we aimed our sights at being more productive in highlighting female voices on our Twitter account @FindingHerVoice. Gabrielle, AJ and I also set personal goals to seek out the women directed content and spotlight it personally. To keep in trend we watching Mia Hansen-Løve's 2016 quietly stunning Things to Come and 2003's Under the Tuscan Sun directed by Audrey Wells. We spoke about the romantic nature of both without either succumbing to typical "romance" archetypes, the differences between how both actresses have been allowed/not allowed to age onscreen and why Things to Come is the Isabella Huppert performance to see from 2016, not Elle. For February we'll be taking a bite out of the Valentines Day atmosphere with Gina Prince-Bythewood's Beyond the Lights and Gillian Robespierre's Obvious Child which did the wonderful thing of introducing a wider audience to the talents and charms of Jenny Slate. Much love and happy listening. Find us on Itunes and give us a follow at Twitter. Make sure to watch along with us so you can join in the live chat.  

Hello and welcome back listeners, we hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. First, apologies for the blunder that was the Noirvember episode-I'm still working my way around the tech aspect of podcasting when really i should be sticking strinctly to chatting, which I'm okay at about 50% of the time. For December we chose to focus on holiday films-shocker-with Penny Marshall's pivotal Big starring Tom Hanks and Nancy Meyers The Holiday , a film that myself, Gaby and AJ are all quite keen on. Listen and let us know what your favorite holiday films are. For January, to take on the resolution mentality, we're watching films that center themselves on characters who are rebuilding their lives or starting anew. The main one we plan to tackle is Under the Tuscan Sun  and will be adding to the title as the month starts, so stay tuned and make sure to watch along in order to take part in our live discussion at the end of the month. Also starting soon will be a Twitter campaign of sorts which you can follow at @FindingHerVoice with Film Friday and Spotlight Saturday . We'll be highlighting films to watch during the week, filmmakers to follow and criticism to read to help both enlighten you as well as ourselves on female talent along with making sure we all reach out 52 Films by Women Goal. Thank you all for listening, and have a happy and safe New Year :) 

This month we talk horror movies with The Invitation and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night!Tune in next month for Noirvember, created by Marya E. Gates (found here) where we tackle film-noir directed by women with the 1953 film The Hitch-Hiker and the 1996 film Bound by the Wachowski sisters. Happy viewing : ) Make sure to listen to us on Itunes and rate and review. 

Allyson Johnson and Gabrielle Bondi discuss subversive motherhood in the films We Need to Talk about Kevin and The Piano. Jane Campion and Lynn Ramsey are two of the most influential filmmakers of today so why not explore two of their best works to date. For October make sure to watch A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and The Invitation for our female directed horror films. Both can be found on Netflix and neither are too extreme on the scares since we're all rather sensitive to horror films. This means no The Babadook for us but everyone else who has a greater stomach for horror should make sure to watch it asap. Thank you for listening! Make sure to rate and review us. 

In episode three we tackle the hardships of being a teenage girl with films Girlhood and Breathe, both stunners that allowed for a good conversation. Our opening question was: If you could pick a female director to direct your coming of age story, who would it be?We are also now on Itunes! So make sure to rate, review, subscribe and send us feedback! We're still a little rough around the edges and are looking for ways to improve so any comments are appreciated. Find us at @tyfofficial and let us know your thoughts! Next month we're talking about subversive motherhood in film and watching We Need to Talk About Kevin in the month of September. I've never seen the film and can't wait to be stressed out the entire time. Watch too and join in our live discussion at the end of the month. We have some fun films planned throughout the upcoming installments and the more the merrier! 

In episode three we talked at length about Mira Nair's The Namesake, a film all three of us seemed to adore. Nair created a coming of age film that proves that you're never done growing or learning and that the "coming of age" process is only a small step in life's journey. With a superb cast a world that feels warm and welcoming to onlookers, this adaption is one of the very best of it's genre. It also helps prove, along with films such as Monsoon Wedding, that Nair deservedly wears a moniker as being one of the best filmmakers today. I certainly cannot wait for Queen of Katwe to be released later this year.Make sure to tune it at the end of the month for our fourth episode which will cover Céline Sciamma's Girlhood, a monumental triumph. Along with the film (playing on Netflix if you're looking to watch alongside us) we'll be talking about films that have depicted friendships between teenage girls. For films on this topic to explore, check out Bend it like Beckham, Sisterhood of the Night, Breathe and more. Consider this a starting kit.What film directed by a women are you most anticipating in 2016?

In our second episode of Finding Her Voice we talk about the 1995 film How to Make an American Quilt starring Winona Ryder and directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse. We can't say we loved the ending of the film but it prompts discussions about the classic film canon and expectations for female filmmakers. Also, quick note. I am an idiot and said Things We Lost in The Fire was directed by Claire Denis when, in fact, it's Susanne Bier. I have no idea why that slip up happened. Make sure to subscribe and like us at @tyfoffical. We are also on Facebook and Instagram. Return next month where we'll talk about Mira Nair's The Namesake and other male coming of age films from the female perspective. TheYoungFolks.com 

ad·van·ta·geousinvolving or creating favorable circumstances that increase the chances of success or effectiveness; beneficial."In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter Jules do all they can to hold on to their joy together, despite the instability surfacing in their world."Advantageous was one of Allyson's favorite films of 2015. Chilling, evocative and shockingly timely about it's discussion of gender roles and motherhood, director Jennifer Phang created a beautiful and haunting film that will stick in the back of your head long after seeing. Still on Netflix and 100% worth the watch, Allyson, Gaby and Alana talk about it's themes, why it related to them as women and why the low-fi effects ended up adding to its overall appeal.