In this episode of Girls On Film we give you a flavour of the third Girls On Film Awards, our annual celebration of women in film which this year took place at our new home, Regent Street Cinema in London.We launched the awards to celebrate excellence in women-focused films, and to honour women and non-binary filmmakers. Girls On Film provides an i…

In this episode Girls On Film is at the 20th edition of Glasgow Film Festival. Anna Smith sits down with Festival Director Allison Gardner, then has an exclusive interview with the director of Love Lies Bleeding Rose Glass, with Oscar-nominated director of The Teacher Farah Nabulsi, and with BAFTA-nominated director of Edge of Summer Lucy Cohen.Fir…

This episode features the tenth Oscar winner to appear on Girls On Film. Anna Smith hears from Academy Award winner Olivia Colman who stars opposite Jessie Buckley and Anjana Vasan in the black comedy Wicked Little Letters. She also speaks to the film’s director, Thea Sharrock, and historical consultant Emily Cockayne about bringing this remarkable…

As we post this episode, we’re coming up to the third annual Girls On Film Awards 2024. They take place on Tuesday 20 February 2024 at Regent Street Cinema in London. We’ll celebrate the brilliant work made by women in film and will be joined by nominees, industry supporters and listeners.We give awards in 12 categories, and the undisputed climax o…

In today’s episode, Anna Smith talks to members of the the Girls On Film community about Nyad, starring Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, which tells the remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad.An athlete turned journalist, Diana Nyad made an incredible vow when she turned 60. She was determined to become the first person to swim 110 miles from …

In this episode of Girls On Film, Anna Smith talks to the creator and showrunner of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Francesca Sloane. Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a series inspired by the 2005 film by Doug Liman and Simon Kinberg. It stars Maya Erskine and Donald Glover as two lonely strangers who land jobs working for a mysterious spy agency, and are given new identitie…

Best actress Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone joins Anna to discuss her powerful performance in Martin Scorsese’s American chronicle crime thriller Killers of the Flower Moon, now streaming globally on Apple TV+. Gladstone’s Mollie Kyle is an Osage Native American, and heir to the oil-rich, Osage-owned land in 1920s Oklahoma that white settlers are des…

Oscar and BAFTA nominee Carey Mulligan returns to Girls On Film for a very special episode celebrating her performance in the towering epic Maestro, currently on Netflix. Carey plays Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein, opposite director Bradley Cooper as composer Leonard Bernstein, and her performance is spellbinding. She joined host Anna Smith aft…

This week, Anna Smith welcomes Nicole Newnham back to Girls On Film to discuss her documentary The Disappearance of Shere Hite. The film sheds light on the groundbreaking sexologist and former Playboy model Shere Hite, who in 1976 published The Hite Report, dubbed ‘a sexual revolution in 600 pages’. Taking the intimate experiences of thousands of w…

Today’s episode of Girls On Film is about the winner of the Un Certain Regard prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, How to Have Sex. Anna Smith is joined by Molly Manning Walker, who wrote and directed How to Have Sex, and Mia McKenna-Bruce, whose performance as Tara earned her the BIFA for Best Lead Performance and Best Actress at the European F…

On today’s episode of Girls On Film, Anna Smith talks to four of the women Heads of Department who helped create Oppenheimer. Anna speaks to its editor Jennifer Lame (Midsommar, Don’t Worry Darling) about her career, which led her to edit one of the biggest films of 2023. Jennifer shares her instinct-driven approach to her work and reflects on her …

Today on Girls On Film Anna Smith has a fascinating discussion about Todd Haynes’ May December with its screenwriter, Samy Burch. Samy talks to Anna about the journey she went on with this screenplay from writing it as a spec script to hopefully gain representation, to it catching the attention of one of the film’s stars Natalie Portman as a produc…

In this episode of Girls On Film, Anna Smith talks to Director Paul Sng and Producer Jen Corcoran about their new feature documentary Tish, which tells the story of working-class photographer Patricia ‘Tish’ Murtha who worked to document life in Northeast England in the 1970s and 1980s. Anna then talks to Production Designer Sarah Greenwood and Set…

Today Anna Smith talks to Oscar-nominated director Maite Alberdi about her new documentary The Eternal Memory, which follows a Chilean couple as they navigate the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease together. She then talks to Ella Glendining about her BIFA-nominated documentary, Is There Anybody Out There? which charts her search for individuals wit…

Returning to the pod is director Susanna Fogel to talk to Anna Smith about her riveting new feature Cat Person starring the brilliant Emilia Jones, best known for her lead role in Oscar-winning film CODA. Emilia plays Margot - a young, single, and seemingly self-possessed woman who meets Robert, played by Succession’s Nicholas Braun. The film, insp…

With Anna Smith for this episode is writer and director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren who talks about her debut feature 20,000 Species of Bees, and film critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh to further discuss all that is explored in the beautiful and sensitive coming of age tale. The tender, heartfelt drama centres on actor Sofía Otero, who won the Silver Bea…

Is the film industry still a man’s world, or are women now leading the way? How will AI affect films? These are just some of the questions addressed by a panel of four leading women working in film, who joined Anna Smith at this year’s Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival (EMIFF). They also talked about the creative and business side of t…

With us this episode are filmmaker Janis Pugh & actor, director & writer Tilda Cobham-Hervey - just two of the brilliant women showcased at the Edinburgh Festivals 2023. Anna Smith also gives top tips of other female-led highlights of the Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh International Book Festival, and - of course - Ed…

In this episode of Girls On Film, Anna Smith is joined by the writers of the brilliant comedy Joy Ride; Teresa Hsiao and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong. Joy Ride stars Ashley Park as Audrey, an American-Asian lawyer on a work trip to China. She ends up on a crazy and emotional adventure with three friends, played by Sherry Cola, Sabrina Wu and Stephanie…

Let us transport you to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2023, where Girls On Film recorded an episode with an audience of festival goers. Host Anna Smith is joined by critics and filmmakers who are full of film recommendations, as well as thought-provoking and poignant conversation. First to join Anna are critics Wendy Ide and Marya E …

This episode is packed full of six fantastic women, from the stars of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One to a programmer for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, which Girls On Film will be attending on July 3rd 2023.Host Anna Smith’s first guest is Susanna Fogel, the co-writer of Girls On Film fave Booksmart, and now a director…

Today Anna Smith talks to Director Tina Satter about her gripping debut feature, Reality. The story was originally a play directed by Satter in 2019, Is This a Room, and in this episode Anna talks to the director about the progression to cinema, both of the story and of her as a director, and what compelled her to make this her debut. Reality is ba…

Bonjour from Cannes! This week Anna Smith gives us a taste of the French Riviera live from the Festival de Cannes, catching some friends of Girls On Film out and about at the festival. Anna is joined by fellow critics Wendy Mitchell and Karen Krizanovich who give you their hot tips for films coming out of this year's Cannes, from international indi…

Some listeners may be activated by this episode, which contains some references to sexual assault.This episode of Girls On Film is a special on the powerful documentary feature, Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power, by director Nina Menkes. This film taps into so many important subjects relating to film and feminism. It has the power to open eyes, and cha…

Rachel Weisz joins Girls On Film to talk about playing twin sisters in the new Prime Video series Dead Ringers, along with writer Alice Birch. Both women executive produced the series and tell host Anna Smith about the collaboration that brought the show to the screen. Rachel tells how her love of the 1988 film inspired the idea of a gender flip of…

Oscar-nominated actress Emily Watson joins Anna Smith to talk about her new film, God’s Creatures. First up, Wendy Lloyd and Holly Tarquini tell us about their new podcasts. Wendy’s Open To Criticism talks about representation in film criticism; while Holly’s The F-Rated Podcast features discussions with remarkable women in film. They speak about t…

Actors Sally Phillips, Ronni Ancona and Sophia Myles join host Anna Smith on stage at Cinemagic’s On The Pulse short film festival, for an episode recorded with an audience of young filmmakers on 25 March 2023. From the Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast, Sophia Myles discusses entering the industry at the age of 15 and reuniting with her Mansfield Pa…

Welcome to the climax of the Girls On Film Awards 2023! This third in a three-part episode was recorded at The Garden Cinema in London on 23 February 2023, with an intimate audience of nominees, film critics and industry supporters. Hosts Anna Smith and Hedda Archbold reveal the winners of the following categories: Best Publicity CampaignDiversity …

The Girls On Film Awards are back for a second year, and you are warmly invited to join the audience! This second in a three-part episode was recorded at The Garden Cinema in London on 23 February 2023, with an intimate audience of nominees, film critics and industry supporters. Hosts Anna Smith and Hedda Archbold reveal the winners of the followin…

The Girls On Film Awards are back for a second year, and you are warmly invited to join the audience! This first in a three-part episode was recorded at The Garden Cinema in London on 23 February 2023, with an intimate audience of nominees, film critics and industry supporters. Hosts Anna Smith and Hedda Archbold reveal the winners of the following…

This episode celebrates the achievements of two women who have had decades of experience in the industry, as well as one who is breaking new ground. BAFTA and Oscar-winning Costume designer Sandy Powell OBE, Prop Buyer Judy Ducker, and film critic and author Hanna Flint join Anna Smith to talk about their work in the film industry. First, Sandy Pow…

Emmett Till’s cousin Deborah Watts speaks candidly about the BAFTA-nominated film Till, which is in cinemas and also available on digital download. Anna Smith also speaks to writer Ellen E Jones about this powerful film directed by Chinonye Chukwu. It tells the true story of Mamie Till-Bradley, whose 14-year-old son Emmett was brutally murdered in …

Sara Dosa, the director and co-writer of documentary Fire of Love joins Anna Smith in London for a live Q&A following a screening of her film. The extraordinary documentary, from National Geographic Documentary Films, mines the extensive film and image archive of intrepid French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft. The fascinating couple died a…

This episode of Girls On Film is dedicated to BAFTA-nominated drama Blue Jean, which is set in 1980s Newcastle, at a time when Thatcher’s government was making life very difficult for gay people in the UK. The law ‘Section 28’ forbade “the teaching in schools of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”. Rosy McEwen put…

Live from the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), Anna Smith is joined on stage by an international panel of inspiring industry figures. Prolific power-house Christine Vachon chats about how it feels to have produced over 100 films, and the job of using “disruption for opportunity”. She also has valuable advice for would-be producers. Fri…

Novelist Emma Donoghue joins writer-director and male ally Sebastián Lelio to talk with Anna Smith about his new film based on Emma’s book, co-written by Alice Birch. The Wonder, which has earned a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding British Film (and Girls On Film Award nominations for Best Feature Film sponsored by EON Productions, The Girls On Film…

Intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien talked with Girls On Film co-founder Hedda Archbold at last summer’s Latitude Festival about the work of her company, Intimacy On Set. She explains the way their work is transforming on-set working practices, and the kind of intimate scenes we see on screen – as well as how we think about consent in our everyday liv…

Naomi Ackie, the British star of Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, talks to Anna Smith about preparing for her portrayal of the musical icon. Ackie has been longlisted for a BAFTA Film Award for Leading Actress for her extraordinary performance. She explains how important it was to her that the audience was being shown a side of Houston…

This week is all about horror as we’re joined by film critic Clarisse Loughrey. She joins Anna to share her thoughts on gender and female identity in the contemporary horror genre, particularly through the new Spanish horror film Piggy. Piggy stars Laura Galán as Sara, an overweight teen in rural small town Spain, whose bullying at the hands of the…

When Mark Kermode, feminist ally of Girls On Film, and one of the UK’s top film critics, expressed a wish to come on the Girls On Film podcast, Anna Smith asked listeners in an online poll which recent films they would like the two of them to discuss on the show. They discuss two recent films, beginning with a Don't Worry Darling review. **SPOILER …

Gillian Anderson, Kate Hudson & Kathryn Hahn join Anna Smith to talk about their new films hitting Netflix. The always brilliant Gillian Anderson delves into her career in the industry, and the changes she has seen for women. She speaks about her character process and how she approached her distinctive role in the new Netflix mystery The Pale Blue …

Lila Neugebauer, the director of Jennifer Lawrence’s new film Causeway, joins Anna Smith to discuss the film, which is available on AppleTV+ now. Lila chats in-depth about the journey of the characters in the film, and her own from theatre director to film director. She discusses her admiration for the filmmakers who influenced her, who share an ec…

Sally El Hosaini joins Anna Smith to discuss her new film The Swimmers and to talk in-depth about compassion and empathy in her work, her filmmaking as a political act, and her journey to become a director. Anna also speaks with the stars of the film, real-life siblings, Nathalie and Manal Issa, as well as one of the women who inspired the film, Yu…

In this episode filmmaker Ondi Timoner joins Anna Smith to talk about her new documentary, Last Flight Home, sharing with Anna how the documentary came to be, her personal journey throughout the making of it, and the impact that the film is having on audiences. They also talk about her journey to becoming a filmmaker, and her experience of being a …

What’s your leadership style? Just one of the questions answered by our impressive panellists at the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival, where festival director Sandra Lipski invited Girls On Film to host a panel discussion on Women and Leadership, with a focus on the creative and business side of the industry.Four high profile industry…

Director Phyllis Nagy and stars Elizabeth Banks and Wunmi Mosaku join Anna to talk about the inspiring new film CALL JANE. CALL JANE follows Joy, played by Elizabeth Banks, a woman whose life-threatening pregnancy leads her to seek help from the 'Janes', an underground collective. In Chicago during the 1960s, a group of extraordinary women came tog…

Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane and Nicholas Stoller join Anna Smith for this episode to talk about BROS, the first romantic comedy from a major film studio about two gay men, produced by Judd Apatow and directed and co-written by Nicholas Stoller. Billy co-wrote and stars in this funny, refreshing rom-com alongside Luke Macfarlane who plays the mac…

Jamie Lee Curtis and Anna Smith discuss HALLOWEEN ENDS, the final chapter in the HALLOWEEN horror franchise, directed by David Gordon Green and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak and Kyle Richards. Anna is also joined by Executive Producer Hedda Archbold to talk about the best films featured at this season's film festivals.Anna speaks to Jami…

In this episode of Girls On Film Anna Smith explores GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS, a Finnish coming-of-age film directed by Alli Haapasalo, starring Aamu Milonoff, Linnea Leino and Eleonoora Kauhanen. Anna talks to Alli Haapasalo about her fresh perspective on stepping into adulthood and navigating sexual desire alongside discussing her motivations, her casti…

In this episode we focus on two female-run film festivals coming up in October: the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival. Anna Smith speaks to Sandra Lipski, founder and director of EMIFF, and Tricia Tuttle, director of festivals at the BFI and director of the LFF about what is coming up. The festivals sha…