There’s been a number of female directors whose list of works have become instant classics in recent years, like Greta Gerwig with Lady Bird and Little Women or Sofia Coppola with Lost in Translation and Priscilla. 

But there’s plenty of classic movies you may not have even realized were directed by women, like 1988’s comedy Big, the 1998 animated Prince of Egypt, or 2000’s thriller American Psycho. Yet, the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Director — Kathryn Bigelow — won in 2010, and only two have won since. 

While huge progress has been made, there’s still a wide deficit between male and female recognition. Despite this, some of my favorite movies from the last several years have been directed by women, like Charlotte Wells’s Aftersun or Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire (both of which I only recommend if you’re in the mood to cry).

If you’re as bored as I am watching the same group of old dudes win every directorial award year after year, join me and everyone else in watching our list of features directed by women at this year’s #Raindance2025 as well as a designated shorts program called “Female Gaze” focused on that exact category.

 

“Female Gaze” Shorts Showcase

DANKOVA

Sweden/Iran | Director: Svetlana Sigalaeva | Writer: Svetlana Sigalaeva | Producer: Natalia Belyaeva, William Johansson Kalen | Principal Cast: Anna Patokina, Anna Galinova, Lyudmila Lisova, Taras Shevchenko, Alexander Mizev

Runtime: 31 min

In a dystopian world where love is banned and gas masks are the only way to breathe, a teenage girl is suffocating—without tenderness, without hope, she no longer wants to live. But what happens when she meets her grandmother, a rebel who escaped her assigned death? Dankova is magic realism about resistance and rebirth.

Showings:

Thu, Jun 26th, 9:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5

Fri, Jun 27th, 9:30 AM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Buy tickets for DANKOVA HERE

 

StreetVet

UK | Director: Steph Keelan | Producer: Steph Keelan

Runtime: 24 min

StreetVet delves into the incredible work of vet Jade Statt and the StreetVet team, a dedicated UK-wide network of volunteer vets and nurses who have swapped the practice for the pavements to provide free veterinary care to the pets of those experiencing homelessness. This story explores the transformative power of the human animal bond.

Showings:

Thu, Jun 26th, 9:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5

Fri, Jun 27th, 9:30 AM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Buy tickets for  StreetVet HERE

 

Apathy

UK | Director: E.E.Martin | Writer: E.E.Martin | Producer: David Cormack. E.E.Martin | Principal Cast: John Altman, Imran Cummings, Dionyves, Bronte Elizabeth, Kian Gower

Runtime: 14 min

Two women related by blood but divided by time. The world has changed, but what of the world of womens rights? That the two lead actresses in this film are not just professional actresses playing members of a family line, but are also sisters in real life, offers a unique twist in this film’s story.

Showings:

Thu, Jun 26th, 9:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5

Fri, Jun 27th, 9:30 AM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Buy tickets for Apathy HERE

 

Bygones

USA | Director:  | Writer:  | Producer: | Principal Cast:

Runtime: 20 min

Bygones Charissa, a bright young basketball star with big dreams, meets JJ, a quiet and mysterious older white man who frequents the local gym. Drawn together by their shared love for the game, an unlikely friendship begins to blossom. But as Charissa digs deeper into JJ’s past, she uncovers a history that could shatter their bond and force them both to confront painful truths. Bygones is a moving story about trust, redemption, and the ties that test

Showings:

Thu, Jun 26th, 9:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5

Fri, Jun 27th, 9:30 AM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Buy tickets for Bygones HERE

 

Features

Corina (Debut Feature) (nominated Best Debut Director)

México | Director: Urzula Barba Hopfner | Writer: Urzula Barba Hopfner, Samuel Sosa | Producer: Carlos Hernández, Iván López Barba | Principal Cast: Naian González Norvind, Cristo Fernández, Carolina Politi, Laura de Ita, Mariana Rodriguez

Runtime: 96 min

Set in the director’s hometown of Guadalajara, the film tells the story of Corina, a young woman who, for the past 20 years, has rarely left her house except to work at a local publishing house. When she makes a grave mistake in the final installment of the company’s most famous book saga, her world is thrown into turmoil. To save her job—and the future of the publishing house—she must confront her deepest fears and, with the help of Carlos, embark on a daring journey to track down a mysterious writer whose words hold the key to redemption.

Showings:

Fri, Jun 20th, 9:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Sat, Jun 21st, 3:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Buy tickets for Corina HERE

 

Nawi: Dear Future Me (Debut Feature) (nominated Best International Feature and Best Performance in a Debut Feature)

Kenya | Director: Vallentine Chelluget, Apuu Mourine, Toby & Kevin Schmutzler | Writer: Milcah Cherotich, Kevin Schmutzler, Tobias Schmutzler | Producer: Caroline Heim, Lydia Wrensch, Brizan Were | Principal Cast: Michelle Lemuya Ikeny, Joel Liwan Benson Ochungo Obiero

Runtime: 103 min

13-year-old Nawi finds out her father is selling her to a much older man for a herd of goats. Instead of obeying tradition she chooses to fight her impending marriage and embarks on a journey to reclaim her dream of joining high school.

Showings:

Thu, Jun 19th, 9:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Fri, Jun 20th, 2:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Buy tickets for Nawi: Dear Future Me HERE

 

One-Way Ticket to the Other Side

Belgium/Germany | Director: Jerome Vandewattyne, Severine Cayron, Edgar Pêra, Guillaume Campanacci, David Gregory, Douglas Buck, Truman Kewley, Martina Schöne-Radunski, Buddy Giovinazzo, Andreas Horvath, Patrycja Planik, Jen Gatien, Katsuki Kuroyanagi | Writer: Severine Cayron, Jerome Vandewattyne | Producer: Severine Cayron, Jerome Vandewattyne, Torsten Neumann | Principal Cast: Severine Cayron, Larry Fessenden, Guillaume Campanacci, Erwan Simon, Madeleine Skrzynecka

Runtime: 75 min

One-Way Ticket to the Other Side (75 minutes) is an anthology film that presents a series of deeply personal short films centered around the debut album of the musical duo Pornographie Exclusive (Severine Cayron and Jerome Vandewattyne). It is a cinematic, musical, and surreal journey that follows two stoic outlaws as they wander through a world suspended between end and beginning, dream and reality. Their road trip leads them through strange places and encounters with lost souls, immersing them in both absurd and philosophical reflections.

Produced by the band himself, Torsten Neumann and actress Deborah Kara Unger, shot in a guerrilla filmmaking style with a warm, grainy look, each poetic tableau of their adventure weaves together the different segments of this unique anthology (also in the form of a unique film-concert) directed by international filmmakers (Edgar Pêra, Jen Gatien, Buddy Giovinazzo, Douglas Buck, David Gregory,…). In these parallel realms, it is not the story that inspires the music, but rather the music that gives birth to the stories.

Showings:

Thu, Jun 26th, 9:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2

Fri, Jun 27th, 3:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2

Buy tickets for One-Way Ticket to the Other Side HERE

 

Paternal Leave (Debut Feature) (nominated Best Debut Director and Best Performance in a Debut Feature)

Germany/Italy | Director: Alissa Jung | Writer: Alissa Jung | Producer: Cécile Tollu-Polonowski, Viola Fügen, Michael Weber, Sonia Rovai | Principal Cast: Juli Grabenhenrich as Leo, Luca Marinelli as Paolo, Arturo Gabbriellini as Edoardo, Joy Falletti Cardillo as Emilia, Gaia Rinaldi as Valeria

Runtime: 113 min

Alone and looking for answers, a teenager travels to the North Italian coast to meet her biological father. Their first encounter is tense & fraught with questions, longing and unresolved anger. Can they work towards finding acceptance, love and honesty?

Showings:

Tue, Jun 24th, 8:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2

Wed, Jun 25th, 3:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2

Buy tickets for Paternal Leave HERE

 

Regina (Debut Feature) (nominated Discovery Award for Debut Feature and Best Debut Director)

USA | Director: Ashley De Grandy | Writer: Dan Brat | Producer: Ashley De Grandy, Francesco Senatore, Dan Brat | Principal Cast: Isabella Bobadilla, Roxana Frontini, Loren Swan, David Fields, Gley Viera

Runtime: 103 min

After refusing a flower delivery, Regina’s cat disappears, unraveling her sense of reality. As strange encounters accumulate and familiar faces grow unrecognizable, she’s forced to confront unsettling truths about her mother, her memories, and herself. Regina is a surreal mystery about loss, identity, and the quiet collapse of control.

Showings:

Thu, Jun 19th, 6:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Fri, Jun 20th, 12:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Buy tickets for Regina HERE

 

The Academy (Debut Feature) (nominated Best International Feature)

Germany | Director: Camilla Guttner | Writer: Camilla Guttner | Producer: Marcos Kantis, Camilla Guttner, Josef Brandmeier | Principal Cast: Maja Bons, Jean-Marc Barr, Andreas Lust, Luise Aschenbrenner, Christoph Luser, Isolde Barth

Runtime: 104 min

When young Jojo is accepted into one of the most prestigious art academies, she can hardly believe her luck. She is now allowed to attend the painting class of the world-famous Professor Robert Copley, whose work she admires. Before her eyes, a rich panorama of the art world gradually unfolds: students, artists, professors, gallery owners – colorful and eccentric characters, all struggling with their work, love, and life. But soon, this dazzling world reveals itself to be a ruthless terrain. Jojo does everything she can to stay true to herself in this toxic environment.

Showings:

Fri, Jun 27th, 6:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 4

Buy tickets for The Academy HERE

 

The Party’s Over (Debut Feature) (nominated Best International Feature, Best Debut Director, and Best Performance in a Debut Feature)

Spain/Belgium | Director: Elena Manrique | Writer: Elena Manrique | Producer: Belen Atienza, Sandra Hermida, Olmo Figaredo, Carlos Rosado, Hans Everaert | Principal Cast: Edith Martínez-Val, Sonia Barba, Beatriz Arjona, José Manuel Seda

Runtime: 97 min

A young Senegalese immigrant hides in a magnificent Andalusian manor where Carmina, the erratic mistress of the house, and Lupe, the maid, uncover his hiding place. Both women conceal Bilal’s existence from one another, transforming the manor from a sanctuary into a precarious prison and triggering a suspenseful struggle.

Showings:

Thu, Jun 19th, 9:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5

Sun, Jun 22nd, 12:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5

Buy tickets for The Party’s Over HERE

 

Wet Monday (Debut Feature) (nominated Best International Feature, Best Debut Director, and Best Performance in a Debut Feature)

Poland/Estonia/Czech Republic | Director: Justyna Mytnik | Writer: Justyna Mytnik, Rosanna Hall, Monika Dembinska | Producer: Lava Films/ Marta Gmosińska, Alexandra Film, EC1 Lodz – The city of culture Regional Fund (ES), Bionaut (CZ) | Principal Cast: Julia Polaczek, Nel Kaczmarek, Weronika Kozakowska, Jowita Budnik, Maja Kleszcz

Runtime: 84 min

Teenager Klara and her friends are eagerly awaiting Easter and the wild water fight that celebrates the arrival of spring. However, for Klara, the festive holiday marks the anniversary of a painful experience. Tormented by shame, she begins to suffer from nightmares and develops a strange fear of water. With the help of her new friend Diana, Klara embarks on a journey to confront and heal her repressed trauma.

Wet Monday is a magical tale about teenage-hood and the healing power of empathy, set against the colorful backdrop of Polish Easter traditions.

Showings:

Mon, Jun 23rd, 9:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3

Tue, Jun 24th, 3:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3

Buy tickets for Wet Monday HERE

 

500 Days in the Wild

Canada | Director: Dianne Whelan | Writer: Dianne Whelan, Betsy Carson | Producer: Betsy Carson | Principal Cast: Dianne Whelan

Runtime: 124 min

500 Days in the Wild, follows filmmaker Dianne Whelan’s 6-year journey to film and complete all 24000km of the land and water trails across North America on the world’s longest trail. Cut from 800 hours of footage, adventure, personal reflections, stunning wildlife, and human connection are interwoven in this epic documentary.

Showings:

Thu, Jun 26th, 8:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3

Fri, Jun 27th, 2:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3

Buy tickets for 500 Days in the Wild HERE

 

Beam Me Up, Sulu

USA | Director: Timour Gregory, Sasha Schneider | Producer: Sasha Schneider, Timour Gregory, Ashu Rai, Matthew Drake, Robert J. Sawyer | Principal Cast: George Takei, Eugene Roddenberry Jr., Stan Woo, Alexander Siddig, Christina Chong

Runtime: 90 min

In 1985, George Takei helped a group of young Trekkies make a fan film—then the footage vanished. Nearly 40 years later, the search to recover it opens a window into Takei’s extraordinary life, Star Trek’s legacy of inclusion and the ongoing fight for equality and representation.

Showings:

Wed, Jun 25th, 6:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Thu, Jun 26th, 12:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Buy tickets for Beam Me Up, Sulu HERE

 

God As My Witness (nominated Best Documentary Feature)

USA | Director: Lindsay Q. Pitre | Producer: John Alexander, JC Guest, Shawn Rhodes, Lindsay Q. Pitre, Stephanie Magistretti | Principal Cast: Michael Brandner, Sr., Richard Trahant, Ramon Antonio Vargas, Thomas P. Doyle

Runtime: 82 min

Decades after losing his brother, a man begins to uncover dark secrets within the Archdiocese of New Orleans, exposing a generations-long cover-up. The quest for truth soon leads into one of the largest U.S. archdiocese bankruptcies, as survivors reveal their haunting stories of betrayal, sexual abuse, and corruption in the Crescent City.

Showings:

Thu, Jun 26th, 8:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Fri, Jun 27th, 3:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3

Buy tickets for God As My Witness HERE

 

Immortals (nominated Best Documentary Feature)

Switzerland/Iraq | Director: Maja Tschumi | Writer: Maja Tschumi, Melak Madhi (Milo), Mohammed Al Khalili | Producer: Nadine Lüchinger, Mohammed Alghadhban | Principal Cast: Melak Madhi (Milo), Mohammed Al Khalili, Avin

Runtime: 94 min

Milo, a strong-willed feminist, discovers the long-sought power to wander around freely in Baghdad by dressing in her brother’s clothes. Khalili, a young and ambitious filmmaker, realizes that his camera would be the strongest of all weapons. In the aftermath of the 2019 revolution, Milo and Khalili are the faces, the eyes, and the voices of an Iraqi youth that is relentlessly fighting for a better future. I

MMORTALS is an insight into the hopes and broken dreams of a new generation that has known nothing but war since the U.S.-led occupation.

Showings:

Thu, Jun 19th, 6:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3

Fri, Jun 20th, 12:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3

Buy tickets for Immortals HERE

 

In Symbiosis (nominated Best Director UK)

UK | Director: Helena Berndl, Francesco Maria Gallo | Writer: Helena Berndl | Producer: Helena Berndl | Principal Cast: Vandana Shiva, Peter Brown, Nora McKeon, Peter Melchett, Michael Antoniou

Runtime: 123 minutes

As the world is grappling with the emergent challenges of its development path, In Symbiosis’ striking and vibrant cast of interviewees, from land to lab, unveils the driving forces behind a broken food system and puts forward a path to building true resilience in and around us.

Showings:

Tue, Jun 24th, 9:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3

Wed, Jun 25th, 3:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 3

Buy tickets for In Symbiosis HERE

 

Palestine Comedy Club

UK | Director: Alaa Aliabdallah | Writer: Alaa Aliabdallah and Charlotte Knowles | Producer: Charlotte Knowles | Principal Cast: Alaa Shehad, Hanna Shammas, Diana Sweity

Runtime: 93 min

When six Palestinian comedians hit the road to tour a stand-up show across Palestine and Israel, their search for humour amidst the injustice of everyday Palestinian life becomes a plea for humanity in the face of brutal war.

Showings:

Mon, Jun 23rd, 8:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 4

Tue, Jun 24th, 3:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 4

Buy tickets for Palestine Comedy Club HERE

 

Reaching for Light (nominated for Best Cinematography UK)

UK | Director: Matt Lanning, Eva Yap, Alex Keen | Writer: Alex Keen | Producer: Matt Lanning | Principal Cast: Chris Rose, Alex Baker, Matt Lanning, Alex Keen

Runtime: 47 min

Combining scientific experiment with artistic vision, a team of high-altitude filming experts from the UK set out for the Arctic Circle to document the Northern Lights from closer than ever before. Driven by the need to push their technology to new heights, they aim to deploy an array of 360° cameras at the edge of space, inside the Aurora Borealis. Should they succeed, they seek to inspire the next generation of explorers, scientists and artists. But up against extreme environmental conditions, a narrowing launch window and untested technology, can they capture this fleeting natural wonder, or are they chasing moonbeams?

Showings:

Fri, Jun 27th, 6:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Buy tickets for Reaching for Light HERE

 

The Dark Fantastic

UK | Director: Lg White | Writer: Lg White | Producer: Tim Luna, Bianca Hugens | Principal Cast: Simon Boswell, Dario Argento, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Clive Barker, Nick Willing, Danny Boyle

Runtime: 109 min

Music documentary/ live concert ‘The Dark Fantastic’ directed and written by Lg White, is a psychedelic dive into the mind and work of renowned film composer Simon Boswell. This immersive journey explores Boswell’s innovative approach to music and his impact on cinema.

The film features conversations with directors of the films for which Boswell has composed memorable scores, including Alejandro Jodorowsky, Dario Argento, Richard Stanley, Michele Soavi, Lamberto Bava, Álex de la Iglesia, Clive Barker, Nick Willing, and Danny Boyle, among others. It also highlights Boswell’s unique embrace of roles such as the devil’s voice. Through intricate visuals and evocative soundscapes,

The Dark Fantastic celebrates Boswell’s contribution to the film industry and invites viewers to experience a perfect marriage of heaven and hell in the realm of music and cinematic storytelling.

Showings:

Thu, Jun 26th, 6:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5

Fri, Jun 27th, 12:00 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 5

Buy tickets for The Dark Fantastic HERE

 

The Social Trap: 5 Women vs The Big 5 (nominated Best Documentary Feature)

France | Director: Elisa Jadot | Writer: Elisa Jadot | Producer: Stéphanie Lebrun, Nathalie Darrigrand

Runtime: 80 min

For the first time in history, in order to protect children and their childhood, state legislators and parents in the US and Europe are joining forces to fight digital giants like Meta, Tiktok, or Snapchat X and Discord. Among them are five women: Alexis, Elisabet, Sofia, Laure and Socheata.

Showings:

Sat, Jun 21st, 8:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Sun, Jun 22nd, 4:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Buy tickets for The Social Trap: 5 Women vs The Big 5 HERE

 

Turtle Walker (nominated Best Documentary Feature)

India/USA | Director: Taira Malaney | Writer: Taira Malaney, Sam Rogers | Producer: Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Vikram Malaney, Angad Dev Singh, Taira Malaney | Principal Cast: Satish Bhaskar, Rohan Joglekar, Adhith Swaminathan

Runtime: 75 min

In the late 1970s, Satish Bhaskar embarked on an epic journey along India’s coastline and the spectacular Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where he uncovered the vital nesting beaches of sea turtles. During his death-defying quest, he unravels mysteries surrounding these enigmatic ocean creatures – and sets out to save them from extinction. After a devastating tsunami strikes in 2004, Bhaskar grapples with a pressing question: What happens to sea turtles when their nesting beaches disappear?

Showings:

Thu, Jun 19th, 6:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2

Mon, Jun 23rd, 1:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2

Buy tickets for Turtle Walker HERE

 

Emma: One Last Dance (nominated Best Documentary Feature and Best Director UK)

UK | Director: Maya Amin-Smith | Producer: Felicity Cross

Runtime: 75 min

Emma: One Last Dance tells the story of Emma Hayes, the most successful manager in WSL history, charting the impact she has had on the growth of women’s game, and following her last six months at Chelsea Football Club as she attempts to lead her team to victory one last time.

Showings:

Sat, Jun 21st, 6:15 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Sun, Jun 22nd, 2:45 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 1

Buy tickets for Emma: One Last Dance HERE

 

Snatchers (Debut Feature) (nominated Discovery Award)

Australia | Director: Craig Alexander, Shelly Higgs | Writer: Craig Alexander | Producer: Craig Alexander, Shelly Higgs, Sebastian Chan, Denai Gracie | Principal Cast: Hannah McKenzie, Craig Alexander, Justin Hosking

Runtime: 82 min

A pair of old friends try to make a quick buck selling the organs of a fresh corpse but get thrown a curveball when she wakes up on the operating table.

Showings:

Sat, Jun 21st, 8:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2

Buy tickets for Snatchers HERE

 

The First 

USA | Director: Susan Ruth | Writer: Susan Ruth | Producer: Susan Ruth, John Penney | Principal Cast: Carlos Cameron, Tiffany Cornwell, Jamieson Rhyme, Emma Rose Maloney

Runtime: 15 min

Michael Phillips is a man. At least that’s what his father has informed him on the day of Michael’s fourteenth birthday. The year is 1928, and the fidgety, unsure boy waits his turn to experience a family tradition that has been a rite-of-passage in his family for generations. As the night progresses, his anticipation is met with terror, as he navigates expectations and a millennia of wrongdoing.

Showings:

Sat, Jun 21st, 3:30 PM @ Vue Piccadilly – Screen 2

Buy tickets for The First HERE

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