Girls On Film

This episode of Girls On Film is live from the Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People, on stage in Belfast in 2021. BBC Radio 6 Music film critic and Harry Potter super fan Rhianna Dhillon joins Anna on stage to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The pair journey into the world of Hogwarts and explore the heroic and evil femal...

Anna talks to two of the women who changed the world with their anti-nuclear protests at the Greenham Common Peace Camp in the 1980s. Chris Drake and Rebecca Johnson both camped at Greenham Common for years at a time, and now their stories are being told in Briar March’s new documentary, Mothers of the Revolution. First, Anna discusses this release with two top critics, Corrina Antrobus and Angela...

Sarah Solemani joins Girls On Film to talk to us about Ridley Road, which she wrote. She shares with us how she becomes inspired by projects, and her hope that Ridley Road will "help Britain to see itself". We hear Sarah’s insightful analysis about the need for increased sex workers’ rights, and how her activism has influenced her creative work. Sarah also talks about the psychology of being on se...

No Time to Die star Lashana Lynch returns to Girls on Film and lets us in on the state secrets surrounding the first female 007. She shares what her character, Nomi, means to both the Bond franchise and James Bond himself, as well as how sisterhood might have been the key ingredient needed to push the needle forward for the franchise... Lashana’s upcoming projects include ear for eye – out later t...

Respect director Liesl Tommy and Gunpowder Milkshake star Karen Gillan hit the Girls On Film airwaves this week -- two more fabulous women making female-focused films. Liesl Tommy, director of new Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, joins us to talk about the making of the finger-snapping musical flick. She shares the process of putting the queen of soul on screen, and reveals how the movie’s singing...

In a live episode recorded at the London Podcast Festival, we chat to some of the women behind two big titles on the small screen: Back To Life and Sex Education. First up, creator and star of Back To Life Daisy Haggard chats to Anna about her darkly comic BBC drama, as the show’s second series hits our screens. From teenage fashion and tamagotchis to social attitudes to female criminals, they dis...

From a 70s feminist classic to a musical drama about the Deaf community, this episode is a summer medley of female-focused film chats that were too good to miss. First up, Girlfriends director Claudia Weill chats to Anna about making the 1978 hidden gem, how feminism has changed since the salad days of the second-wave, and busting Jewish screen stereotypes of the era. Next, we hear from two stars...

From intimacy scenes to industry tips, our fun feminist film chat went down a treat at Latitude Festival’s The Listening Post in July 2021. We were ecstatic to be back on stage for the first time since March 2020! First, Kerry chats to Anna about her directorial debut Topping Out and the short film’s unique depiction of male vulnerability. She further discusses the challenges of filming on scaffol...

Horror experts and Censor filmmakers talk gender, guts and gore - and the things we might not want to remember… First up, critics Clarisse Loughrey and Leila Latif get to the guts of the exciting new British horror film Censor, celebrating its role in the female horror renaissance. They debate the movie’s meta-messages and share their own experiences of the video nasties era - or, in Clarisse’s ca...

Dan Stevens plays a lovebot in the new female-directed film I'm Your Man... and there's a LOT to discuss! First up, critic and author Terri White joins Anna to talk about the unconventional German rom-com. It stars Maren Eggert as a woman who trials a robot (played by Stevens) designed specifically to please her. Terri and Anna debate the genre of this hybrid movie and discuss its central gender f...

In this bonus episode, we’re bringing you a podcast edition of our ‘Film Industry Post-Pandemic’ panel, created in partnership with the BFI for their Woman With A Movie Camera summit, powered by Jaguar. We assembled a panel of expert women from five corners of the film industry to talk about the future of their fields following the impact of Covid-19. Anna is first joined by Allison Gardner, CEO o...

Anna is first joined by Mia Bays and Be Manzini for a celebration of Sundance Film Festival: London. Mia gives a rundown of the female-directed films playing at the festival, from documentary The Most Beautiful Boy In The World to musical drama CODA. Be talks about responding to films through poetry and delivers a reading of her Sundance-inspired poem. Next up, Anna talks to director and producer...

From Clio Barnard’s hopeful love story Ali & Ava to Eva Husson’s star-studded WWI drama Mothering Sunday, Anna and Wendy look ahead to the most promising female-directed films premiering at Cannes 2021. Their curiosity shifts to Paul Verhoeven’s upcoming lesbian nun movie Benedetta. And finally, it wouldn’t be Cannes without the Palm Dog Award! Next Anna is joined by the director of Black Widow, C...

Reeling from a screening of First Cow at Picturehouse Central, Mia and Anna join Orla Smith on Zoom for a chat about all things Kelly Reichardt. Her latest film follows the story of a Jewish chef and a Chinese businessman who set out to make their fortune in 1820s Oregon. The critics discuss the film’s tender representation of masculinity, its exploration of American mythologies, and its unique at...

What makes a father a feminist? We explore a range of movie dads in this episode to celebrate Father’s Day in the UK. Stay tuned for some great movie recommendations, including docs, dramas, and everything in between! First up, Anna Smith is joined by Ashanti Omkar from BBC Asian Network and the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival. From Bollywood fathers to debatable blockbuster dads, Ann...

Fancy watching a fantastic documentary? This episode is full of recommendations, as we celebrate the world-renowned British documentary festival, Sheffield DocFest. First up, Anna talks with Festival Director Cíntia Gil about how this year’s Sheffield DocFest has come together. Cíntia selects a few of her favourite female-focused docs, that include everything from polyamorous weddings to weight li...

Feminism, faith and ferries to France… actor Joanna Scanlan tells Anna all about her new leading role in the film After Love. Written and directed by Aleem Khan, this tense, personal drama follows Mary (Joanna) as she uncovers her late husband’s secret. When questioned on the feminist angle of the film, Joanna makes an interesting point about our double standards on male and female bodies when it...

Anna takes a deep dive into Disney’s recent projects, exploring how far they’ve come in terms of female representation and diversity. Critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh feels right at home discussing all things Disney and Pixar. She tracks the evolution of Disney princesses and celebrates the multiple complex female characters of Raya and the Last Dragon. From warriors to wretches, the discussion turns to...

Mental health, gender disparities, beastly characters, and musicals. Billie Piper joins Anna Smith to talk about her bold writer-director debut Rare Beasts. The film sees single mother Mandy (played by Billie) pursue a relationship with an openly misogynistic man (Leo Bill). From insecurities to inspirations, Billie shares the process of building this bleakly comic story. She also raves about work...

Anna delves into Channel 4’s urgent new documentary Sex, Myths and the Menopause with director Linda Sands and producer Kate Muir. Presented by Davina McCall, this show dispels the taboo surrounding menopause and demands that we start to have open conversations on the subject. Kate shares the personal experiences that compelled her to write a book and produce the film. Linda describes working with...

Discover the unsung female pioneers of electronic music in our Sisters With Transistors special. This one’s a real treat for your ears! First up, Anna is joined by collaborators on the doc: writer-director Lisa Rovner and pioneer Suzanne Ciani. Lisa explains the process of finding archive footage and constructing the ‘herstory’. From Buchla concerts to making music for the movies, Suzanne recalls...

We bring you a dark comedy double bill with the women behind new releases Black Bear and I Blame Society. First, Anna welcomes seasoned guest, film & tv critic Rhianna Dhillon, to catch up on the awards season. They share their thoughts about this year’s EE British Academy Film Awards winners, from Promising Young Woman to Nomadland, and place their bets for the Oscars. Are more diverse filmmakers...

In this episode, we chat to two awards-nominated filmmakers about their very different female-focused films. Anna’s first guest is Shannon Murphy, director of Girls On Film favourite, Babyteeth. This darkly comedic drama finds seriously ill teenager Milla (Eliza Scanlan) falling in love with drug dealer Moses (Toby Wallace). Shannon describes her initial reaction to the script, delves into the com...

AaaaWoooo! Anna goes running with the wolves in this episode as she talks to some of the team behind magical animation Wolfwalkers, which has been nominated for Animated Film at the EEBAFTA Film Awards 2021. In 1650s Ireland, an unlikely friendship forms between apprentice hunter Robyn (Honor) and free-spirited girl Mebh (Eva), who comes from a mysterious tribe rumoured to transform into wolves by...

In this episode, we mark the release of revenge thriller Promising Young Woman by discussing the important debates on sexual harassment taking place in the UK. CW: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault. Anna is first joined by film critic and broadcaster Leila Latif to delve into Promising Young Woman and talk about some of the relevant issues it raises. She discusses her brilliant a...