Girls On Film

In this episode, Anna Smith speaks to the creators behind Prime Video’s new series, My Lady Jane, including creator/writer Gemma Burgess and writer Meredith Glynn, as well as the executive producer of My Lady Jane, the legendary Laurie MacDonald. Anna begins by speaking to Gemma Burgess and Meredith Glynn about the creation of the series, including the inspiration they found in their shared love of films from the 80s and 90s, and how keen they were to bring the playful tone of those films into the series. They discuss their exciting revisionist approach to history and the importance of the representation of women both behind and in front of the camera. Next, Anna speaks to Laurie MacDonald, who was the co-head of Amblin Entertainment and the co-president of DreamWorks, and together with her husband has produced the Men in Black series, Gladiator, Minority Report, and The Trial of Chicago 7, as well as American Beauty and Free Solo. They talk about what first attracted her to adapt the book, about the depiction of women through a female gaze, and the way that the production celebrates diversity. She speaks more broadly about how things have changed for women in both the industry and gender dynamics and offers advice to listeners who are looking to work in the film industry. Thank you to our partners for this episode, Prime Video. My Lady Jane will be available on Prime Video on 27 June 2024. Sign up to the Girls On Film newsletter below: http://eepurl.com/iEKaM-/ or email girlsonfilmsocial@gmail.com to be signed up. Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Other films and television series mentioned: The Boys (Eric Kripke) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Joss Whedon) Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson, Ben Elton, Richard Curtis) The Princess Bride (Rob Reiner) Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (Kevin Reynolds) Ladyhawke (Richard Donner) A Knight’s Tale (Brian Helgeland) Shakespeare in Love (John Madden) Romeo and Juliet (Baz Luhrmann) Lady Jane (Trevor Nunn) Bridgerton (Chris Van Dusen) Still Star-Crossed (Heather Mitchell) Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis) Clueless (Amy Heckerling) Crocodile Dundee (Peter Faiman) Broken Arrow (John Woo) Young Guns II (Geoff Murphy) Twilight (Catherine Hardwicke) My So-Called Life (Winnie Holzman) Men in Black series (Barry Sonnenfeld) Gladiator (Ridley Scott) Minority Report (Steven Spielberg) Trial of the Chicago Seven (Aaron Sorkin) American Beauty (Sam Mendes) Free Solo (Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi) Girls On Film is an HLA production. Host: Anna Smith Executive Producer: Hedda Lornie Archbold Intern: Jade Evans Audio editor: Emma Butt House band: MX Tyrants © HLA Agency

In this episode of Girls On Film, Anna Smith highlights some feminist favourites from Sundance London Film Festival. She catches up with director Shuchi Talati, whose debut feature Girls Will Be Girls follows headgirl Mira (Preeti Panigrahi) as she strives to get As in the classroom and the bedroom, and struggles with a third-wheeling mother (Kani Kusruti). Anna is joined by Shuchi as well as lead actress Preeti Panigrahi as they reflect on women’s filmmaking in India, reveal how they tackled intimacy on set together, and share Shuchi’s initiative Undercurrent, a scheme to train women to work in the lighting department on film sets in India. Next up, Anna hears from the singer turned actress Maisy Stella, who stars opposite Aubrey Plaza in Megan Park’s My Old Ass. The pair chat about what attracted Maisy to the role of 18 year old Elliott, who meets her 39 year old self while tripping on magic mushrooms and has to deal with the consequences of knowing how her teenage decisions will impact her later life. Maisy recalls the refreshing nature of Park’s script, which portrays a queer lead without feeling tokenistic or trite. Finally, Anna chats to Vicky Krieps about starring in Viggo Mortensen’s new feminist western, The Dead Don’t Hurt. She talks with Anna about ‘becoming your own department’ when your co-star is also the director, and Viggo speaks about the inspiration behind the character of Vivienne. Vicky also dispels some of the myths of progress in the film industry, while acknowledging the importance of portraying women like Vivienne in The Dead Don’t Hurt in order to move towards a more feminist cinema, but also a more feminist film set. The Dead Don’t Hurt is in UK and Irish cinemas now. Girls Will Be Girls will be in UK and Irish cinemas on 20 September 2024. Follow Girls On Film on social media to see release updates for My Old Ass. Other films mentioned: Flowervale Street (David Robert Mitchell) The Fallout (Megan Park) Corsage (Marie Kreutzer) Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson) The Lord of the Rings (Peter Jackson) Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg) Falling (Viggo Mortensen) Find out more about Undercurrent below: https://www.undercurrentfilmlab.com/ Sign up to the Girls On Film newsletter below: http://eepurl.com/iEKaM-/ or email girlsonfilmsocial@gmail.com to be signed up Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Girls On Film is an HLA production. Host: Anna Smith Executive Producer: Hedda Lornie Archbold Producer: Charlotte Matheson Intern: Jade Evans Audio editor: Jack Howard House band: MX Tyrants © HLA Agency

Ep 176: Cannes Film Festival 2024, we review Bird, Megalopolis, The Girl With the Needle, and more This episode of Girls On Film comes from Cannes, where Anna Smith speaks to Jane Crowther and Wendy Mitchell about their Film Festival highlights. Anna hosts the very first Girls On Film party at The Members Club, and speaks to some of the guests about their work at the festival and which films they’ve enjoyed. First up, Anna takes us through the soundscape of Cannes and walks the red carpet for Emilia Perez. Anna joins the Women in Film and TV yacht party, to hear CEO Katie Bailiff’s speech, before heading to MUBI’s beach party. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it. Then Anna invites film journalists Jane Crowther and Wendy Mitchell to discuss the films they’ve seen in Cannes so far, which include Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Megalopolis, The Girl With the Needle and On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, as well as Andrea Arnold’s Bird, Wild Diamond, and feminist comedy horror The Balconettes. Jane talks about her new role as editor-in-chief of Hollywood Authentic, a new luxury, glossy magazine, and Wendy discusses her portfolio of projects including the upcoming Sundance London, and San Sebastian Film Festivals. Wendy and Anna are both on the Palm Dog judging panel for Best Canine on screen, so naturally the conversation turns to the various dogs in films at Cannes. They also discuss the impact of #MeToo and Time’s Up, and recent changes at the Cannes Film Festival, including the arrival of signs stating that harassment won’t be tolerated. Finally, we join Anna at The Members Club for Girls On Film’s own Cannes party. We hear from a few of the guests, who include Akua Gyamfi of The British Blacklist and Dame Heather Rabbats of Time’s Up, who talk about the launch of their new initiative around appropriate hair and makeup for diverse requirements on set. Anna also speaks to Nicole Weis of IFC Films, producer and comedienne Ronni Ancona, director Rachel Ramsay, and The Girl With the Needle co-writer Line Langebek Knudsen, and our wonderful supporter, IMDb founder Col Needham. With special thanks to our sponsors for the party, Rebecca Hawkes at Elstree Studios, HLA Agency, Col Needham at IMDb, and JoJo Dye at JJD Consulting. And with gratitude to our lovely partners for this episode, Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer, for their continuing support of the podcast. Films mentioned in this episode: Anatomy of a Fall The Balconettes Bird, Andrea Arnold Black Dog Emilia Perez Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga The Girl With the Needle Megalopolis On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Saltburn Santosh The Second Act The Surfer When the Light Breaks Wild Diamond Sign up to the Girls On Film newsletter below: http://eepurl.com/iEKaM-/ or email girlsonfilmsocial@gmail.com to be signed up Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Girls On Film is an HLA production. Host: Anna Smith Executive Producer: Hedda Lornie Archbold Producer: Charlotte Matheson Intern: Jade Evans Audio editor: Nic Wassell House band: MX Tyrants © HLA Agency

In this episode of Girls On Film, Anna Smith talks about the recent Cinema for Gaza auction with two of the women behind the initiative, Helen Simmons and Julia Jackman, and she reviews some imminent releases with film critic Rhianna Dhillon and film journalist and programmer Cici Peng. First up Anna speaks with Rhianna Dhillon about Italian box-office hit C’è ancora domani or There’s Still Tomorrow. They discuss the representation of domestic violence in this neorealist-style debut from Paola Cortellesi, and pick up on the film’s surprisingly hopeful feel. Next up they discuss The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling as a stunt-double and Emily Blunt as a blockbuster director, which is out in UK cinemas on 2 May 2024. A recent auction raised over £260,000 for Medical Aid for Palestinians or MAP, a charity currently working in Gaza to provide immediate medical aid to those in great need. The auction was an initiative led by film critics Hanna Flint, Leila Latif, and Sophie Monks Kaufman who teamed up with publicist Hannah Farr, and filmmakers Julia Jackman and Helen Simmons. Anna talks with Helen and Julia about the initiative, who also share some insights into the highest-earning lots, which included Annie Lennox’s handwritten lyrics to 1983 hit Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This). Finally, Anna is joined by film journalist and programmer Cici Peng, who shares her thoughts on Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding, and Léa Seydoux’s performance in the upcoming film The Beast. Cici also speaks about her recent archival work to create a programme of hidden gems at Queer East Festival, which showcases queer cinema from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora. Films mentioned in this episode: There’s Still Tomorrow / C'è ancora domani (Paola Cortellesi, 2024) The Fall Guy (David Leitch, 2024) Jungle Cruise (Jaume Collet-Serral, 2021) The Devil Wears Prada (David Frankel, 2006) Ordinary Angels (Jon Gunn, 2024) Hoard (Luna Carmoon, 2024) Abigail (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, 2024) Bonus Track (Julia Jackman, 2024) Love Lies Bleeding (Rose Glass, 2024) The Beast / La bête (Bertrand Bonello, 2024) The River / He liu (Tsai Ming-liang, 1997) Bye Bye Love / Baibai rabu (Isao Fujisawa, 1974) Nezouh (Soudade Kaadan, 2022) You can buy Cinema for Gaza merchandise until 6 May 2024 via the links below: https://www.weareprintsocial.com/campaigns/cinema-for-gaza-2 https://www.weareprintsocial.com/campaigns/cinema-for-gaza Sign up to the Girls On Film newsletter below: http://eepurl.com/iEKaM-/ or email girlsonfilmsocial@gmail.com to be signed up Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Girls On Film is an HLA production. Host: Anna Smith Executive Producer: Hedda Lornie Archbold Producer: Charlotte Matheson Audio editor: Elliana Jay Hamer House band: MX Tyrants © HLA Agency

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 inclusive platform for the voices of diverse women and people of marginalised genders, and we have a mission: to bring about industry-wide change, and to work toward equal representation of women in the film industry: on screen, and behind the camera. As the saying goes: “if she can see it, she can be it”, and that’s why shining a light on the great work women are making can make a real difference. Girls On Film host Anna Smith and co-founder Hedda Lornie Archbold hosted the awards together, and were joined by a stellar group of presenters to give out the awards, including Monica Dolan, Ronni Ancona, Sarah Gavron, Mia Bays, Col Needham, Mark Kermode, Nitin Sawhney and more. The mics didn’t pick up all the sound as well as we’d hoped – but the pod conveys the great atmosphere in the room. We hope you enjoy the awards! For a full list of the nominees and winners, you can find the press release on the HLA Website: https://hlaagency.co.uk/category/projects/girls-on-film-awards/ Contributors to this episode include: Ronni Ancona Anthony Andrews Teanne Andrews Blair Barnette Mia Bays Suzie Davies Charlotte Dirickx Monica Dolan Jacqueline Durran Melanie Iredale Ayo Edebiri Kathryn Ferguson Jo Fernihough Kerry Fox Sarah Gavron Sarah Greenwood Priya Kansara Mark Kermode Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch Molly Manning Walker Nida Manzoor Col Needham William Oldroyd Rose Ryan Nitin Sawhney D. Smith Katie Spencer Holly Waddington Paris Zarcilla Films and television series mentioned in this episode are: ALL OF US STRANGERS AMERICAN FICTION ANATOMY OF A FALL ANOTHER BODY BARBIE THE BEAR BOTTOMS BRICK LANE EILEEN THE ETERNAL MEMORY FAIR PLAY THE FALLING FILMSTARS DON'T DIE IN LIVERPOOL HOW TO HAVE SEX JOY RIDE KOKOMO CITY LADY MACBETH MR BATES AND THE POST OFFICE NOTHING COMPARES NYAD PAST LIVES POLITE SOCIETY POOR THINGS THE POWER PREVENGE PRIDE PRISCILLA RAGING GRACE RETURN TO SEOUL ROCKS RYE LANE SALTBURN SCRAPPER SUFFRAGETTE TILL TYPIST ARTIST PIRATE KING W1A YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE THE ZONE OF INTEREST Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno Subscribe to our newsletter by emailing girlsonfilmsocial@gmail.com Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Girls On Film is an HLA production. Host: Anna Smith Executive and Show Producer: Hedda Lornie Archbold Awards Producers: Hedda Lornie Archbold, Charlotte Matheson, Lydia Scott and Anna Smith Audio editor: Benjamin Cook House band: MX Tyrants © HLA Agency

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. First up, Director of GFF Allison Gardner picks out some of her festival highlights, from Ava DuVernay’s Origin to Viggo Mortensen’s The Dead Don’t Hurt which she describes as a ‘feminist western’. Allison talks about the unique programming at GFF with 126 films included at the festival this year. She picks out the ‘Love is sweet oh!’ strand programmed by Tomiwa Folorunso, the ‘Gestures of Memory’ strand programmed by Natasha Thembiso Ruwona, and ‘What Will the Men Wear?’ programmed by Rosie Beattie. Next up Anna welcomes back Rose Glass to Girls On Film, who first appeared in Episode 60 to discuss her debut Saint Maud, which also showed at GFF in 2019. This year Rose is back with her hotly-anticipated second feature, Love Lies Bleeding, which had its UK premiere as the Opening Gala film at GFF. With Anna, Rose talks about the ‘dream’ casting of Kristen Stewart as moody heartthrob Lou, who meets amateur bodybuilder Jackie when she turns up in Lou’s sleepy hometown. The pair fall hard for one another and Rose describes crafting their fantastical love story, with co-writer Weronika Tofilska, which has ‘one foot in reality, and one foot somewhere stranger’... Anna also speaks to Oscar-nominated director Farah Nabulsi, whose debut feature The Teacher is showing at GFF. Anna asked Farah about her journey into filmmaking, from a background in business to directing her first short The Present, which went on to be nominated for the 2021 Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film. Finally, Anna speaks with BAFTA-nominated director Lucy Cohen, whose coming-of-age film Edge of Summer tells the story of 11-year-old Evie on holiday in Cornwall in the early 1990s. When she meets local boy Adam, a mysterious discovery down an old tin mine changes everything. Lucy talks to Anna about her influences in exploring childhood on screen, citing Ratcatcher (Lynne Ramsay, 1999) and Walkabout (Nicolas Roeg, 1771), and about her excitement to be showing the film at Glasgow Film Festival. Thank you to our partners for this episode, Glasgow Film Festival. The festival runs from 28 February to 10 March. To buy tickets visit the Glasgow Film Festival website glasgowfilmfest.org/home/ Love Lies Bleeding is in UK cinemas from 3 May 2024. You can watch The Teacher in Glasgow on Monday 4 March 2024 at 6pm and Tuesday 5 March 2024 at 3.15pm. You can watch Edge of Summer in Glasgow on Friday 8 March 2024 at 8.30pm and Saturday 9 March 2024 at 3.45pm. Other films mentioned in the podcast: The Mask (Charles Russell, 1994) Origin (Ava DuVernay, 2023) The Dead Don’t Hurt (Viggo Mortensen, 2024) Lousy Carter (Bob Byington, 2023) The Teacher’s Lounge (Ilker Catak, 2023) Thelma and Louise (Ridley Scott, 1991) Walkabout (Nicolas Roeg, 1971) Ratcatcher (Lynne Ramsay, 1999) The Present (Farah Nabulsi, 2021) Saint Maud (Rose Glass, 2019) Girl (Adura Onashile, 2023) Daisies (Vera Chitylova, 1966) The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the organisation or its affiliates. Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Girls On Film is an HLA production. Host: Anna Smith Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold Producer: Charlotte Matheson House band: MX Tyrants © HLA Agency

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 true story to the big screen. The film follows two neighbours: conservative local Edith Swan (played by Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (played by Jessie Buckley). When Edith and fellow residents begin to receive the letters, foul-mouthed Rose is charged with the crime. Anjana Vasan plays Police Officer Gladys Moss, who suspects that Rose may not be the culprit after all… Firstly, Anna speaks with Anjana and Thea about balancing the comedy with some of the more poignant moments in the film. They discuss Anjana’s character Gladys Moss, who is based on the first woman Police Officer in Sussex, and talk about the contemporary relevance of poison pen letters. Next up Anna hears from historical consultant Emily Cockayne, whose book Cheek By Jowl: A History of Neighbours details some of the scandal caused by the Littlehampton case in the 1920s. Finally, Anna is joined by the two stars of the film, Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckely, who recall their delight in receiving Jonny Sweet’s script. Olivia talks about her background in comedy, and the pair give an insight into the set of Wicked Little Letters when they discuss their musical collaboration. WICKED LITTLE LETTERS is released in UK and Irish cinemas on 23 February 2024. Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Girls On Film is an HLA production. Host: Anna Smith Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold Producer: Charlotte Matheson Audio editor: Benjamin Cook House band: MX Tyrants Thanks to our partners for this episode STUDIOCANAL © HLA Agency

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 of the night will be the award for the category 'Female Orgasm on Screen, sponsored by Intimacy On Set' for the second year running. In this episode, Intimacy On Set founder Ita O’Brien talks with Hedda Lornie Archbold, Girls On Film co-founder, about the four nominated films in this category: Fair Play, Joy Ride, Poor Things and Saltburn, as well as about some of the other notable films of the past year. Ita O'Brien is an Intimacy Coordinator and Movement Director for film, television, and theatre. Since 2014, she has been developing best practice when working with intimacy, scenes with sexual content, and nudity in film, TV, and theatre. Ita pioneered the role of Intimacy Coordinator, which is being adopted in leading production houses, including HBO, Netflix, and the BBC. Ita founded Intimacy on Set to provide trained, professional Intimacy Coordinators to the industry. Also in this episode, Anna Smith recommends some great films by women filmmakers in the run up to International Women’s Day 2024. Films mentioned in this episode: Men Up Saltburn Poor Things Fair Play Joy Ride How To Have Sex Barbie Oppenheimer Memory Four Daughters Copa 71 Origin Operas mentioned in this episode: Anthony and Cleopatra Television series mentioned in this episode: Bridgerton Brave New World Men Up is on BBC iPlayer Fair Play is on Netflix Joy Ride is streaming platforms including Apple TV. Saltburn is on Prime Video Poor Things is on streaming platforms including Prime Video and Apple TV from 27 February 2024. Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Girls On Film is an HLA production. Host: Anna Smith Producer: Hedda Lornie Archbold Audio editor: Emma Butt House band: MX Tyrants This episode is in partnership with Intimacy On Set © HLA Agency

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 Cuba to Florida, without a shark cage. She was supported by a team including her best friend and coach Bonnie Stoll. Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the film has a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Annette Bening as Diana, and Supporting Actress for Jodie Foster as Bonnie. The bond between Diana and Bonnie is beautifully depicted, whether they are sharing witty banter, second guessing each other or finding their strong friendship tested by Diana’s relentless and risky ambition. It’s the reason that Nyad is nominated for the Female Friendship on Screen award at the 2024 Girls On Film Awards. In partnership with Netflix we arranged a special Girls On Film screening of Nyad, the feature written by Julia Cox, adapted from the memoir Find A Way by Diana Nyad. We invited some of the Girls On Film community to watch this extraordinary true story on the big screen, followed by a discussion about some of the themes of the film, including friendships between women, achieving your goals no matter what your age, and the great pleasure of seeing the story of two complex, older lesbian characters on screen in mainstream cinema. Thanks to our partners for this episode, Netflix UK Other films mentioned in this episode are: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Blindsight Booksmart Chariots of Fire Free Solo Girl Picture How to Have Sex A League of Their Own Polite Society The Rescue She Said The Silent Twins The Swimmers Thelma and Louise The Woman King Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Girls On Film is an HLA production. Host: Anna Smith Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold Producer: Charlotte Matheson Audio editor: Emma Butt House band: MX Tyrants © HLA Agency

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 identities in an arranged marriage as Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith. The eight-part series explores their relationship as they take on each new mission, with an all-star supporting cast including Parker Posey, Paul Dano, Sharon Horgan, Michaela Coel and more. In this conversation, Francesca discusses the conception of Mr. & Mrs. Smith and how she moved from being offered jobs ‘cleaning in her underwear’ in LA to being the showrunner of this series. She speaks to Anna about subverting gender roles in this reimagining of the 2005 film starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and turning Donald Glover into a ‘Bond Girl’ figure. She also talks about the unique experience of leading a writing room made up exclusively of women of colour, and how the plot of the series came to interrogate questions of race and visibility. Mr. & Mrs. Smith is available on Prime Video now. Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Girls On Film is an HLA production. Host: Anna Smith Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold Producer: Charlotte Matheson Audio editor: Emma Butt House band: MX Tyrants This episode is in partnership with Prime Video