It’s International Women’s Day: Celebrate with these AFS-Supported Films
March 8 is International Women’s Day. This is a day – hopefully only one of many days throughout the year – when, in the words of the UN: “women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.”
In the spirit of that day, we hope you will take some time to watch a film by one of the scores of woman filmmakers who have been supported by AFS Grants. These monetary endowments, funded by AFS’s donors, help to shape the cinematic landscape as we move forward, and the Texan filmmakers who are helped by these grants are given a springboard for making career leaps.
Allow us to suggest a few streaming films from AFS Grant-supported women filmmakers.
MISS JUNETEENTH
(2020, Directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples, 2016 & 2019 AFS Grant recipient)
This story of a connection between a mother and daughter in the lead-up to a Miss Juneteenth pageant. has captivated audiences and netted first-time director a raft of acclaim including awards from the National Board Of Review and four Independent Spirit Award nominations.
Stream on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play and many other services.
BULL
(2019 Directed by Annie Silverstein, 2019 AFS Grant recipient)
This film about a connection made across generations and social bounds between a rebellious teenage girl and an aging bull-rider screened at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section, has been nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, and garnered ecstatic reviews from critics worldwide.
Stream on Hulu, Hoopla, Amazon, and many other services
PAHOKEE
(2019, D. Ivete Lucas & Patrick Bresnan, 2017 & 2018 AFS Grant recipient)
This documentary, made by the wife and husband team of Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan, takes the viewer into the life of Pahokee, Florida as a group of teenagers experience their final year of high school. As the teenagers look to their future, the town also contemplates what the future might hold for it.
QUEEN SUGAR
(television show, multiple directors, 2016-, former producer and executive producer is a four time AFS Grant recipient)
This one’s a little different. This is episodic TV with a high binge-quotient. The series, created by Ava DuVernay, is about three very different siblings who reunite in Louisiana when they inherit a sugar plantation. The show was directed, produced and executive produced during the 2017 and 2018 seasons by Kat Candler, who received the first of her four AFS Grants way back in 2000 and has credited AFS with helping her make the leap into television, where she has become one of the hottest talents in the business.
Watch QUEEN SUGAR on Hulu, Amazon, iTunes and in many other services
