Girls On Film is a film review podcast from a female perspective, hosted by film critic and broadcaster Anna Smith
Nov 07, 2024
In this special episode from the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival, Anna Smith hosts a panel discussion on women in leadership within the film industry.
In the third iteration of this panel, Anna is joined by three international industry leaders: Kirsty Bell, CEO of the Oscar-winning production company Goldfinch, international film publicity strategist Mia Farrell and Oscar-nominated producer Rebecca Pruzan. Together, they explore the pathways to landing leadership roles, the skills needed to thrive once there, and the shifting dynamics of gender and race in the film industry.
Kirsty Bell shares her experiences starting Goldfinch as a family business and reflects on directing A Bird Flew In—the first film shot during the pandemic, which pioneered COVID protocols on set. She also highlights the importance of supportive men in her life, and how they’ve played a role in her career.
Mia Farrell offers insights from her career as a publicist, discussing her passion for elevating films through strategic PR, as well as her advocacy for greater diversity in the industry. She tells the audience about the genesis of her impactful Screen Daily article, "Why are so few Black people in positions of power in the arthouse film PR sector?'”. Mia also shares her experiences working on Dads, a heartfelt documentary on fatherhood and trans youth, produced by Bryce Dallas Howard for Netflix.
Rebecca Pruzan discusses her transition from a career in IT and consultancy to becoming an Oscar-nominated producer. She reflects on the identity politics at play in producing her short film IVALU, highlighting the challenges of navigating cultural sensitivities in storytelling and discussing the reaction to the film on its festival journey.
This episode is in partnership with Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival.
You can find out more about the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival here: https://www.evolutionfilmfestival.com/tickets
A reminder that you can read a transcript of our episodes on Apple Podcasts by clicking the ‘transcript’ option in settings in the episode description.
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Girls On Film is an HLA production.
Host: Anna Smith
Executive Producer: Hedda Lornie Archbold
Producer: Charlotte Matheson
Intern: Anna Swartz
Audio editor: Benjamin Cook
House band: MX Tyrants
© HLA Agency
00:45:06
Oct 16, 2024
In this festival special, Anna Smith island hops across some of the most unique film festivals of the season, taking listeners from Sea Change festival in Scotland’s Tiree to the London Film Festival before ending in Mallorca to hear about the upcoming Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival 2024.
First, Anna reports from this year’s Sea Change Film Festival in the Inner Hebrides. She speaks with filmmaker Jeanie Finlay (Your Fat Friend, Seahorse) and festival-goers like Reclaim The Frame’s Melanie Iredale about their time at Scotland’s only annual festival dedicated to powering women in film.
Next, she heads to the BFI London Film Festival to meet actor Deba Hekmat and writer Helen Simmons, whose film Last Swim has its premiere at this year’s festival. This coming of age drama tells the story of Ziba, a young woman who celebrates her A-Level results with friends while grappling with a personal secret. With Anna, Deba discusses the authenticity of the film’s dialogue, how it captured Gen Z sensibilities almost perfectly, and how she resonated with the character of Ziba. Helen reflects on working with a translator to capture an authentic Farsi that is spoken by Ziba and her mother in Last Swim, as well as speaking about the lack of representation of driven and intelligent young women in film. Anna also catches up with some friends of the podcast when she is out and about at LFF.
Finally, it’s off to Spain for a preview of the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival. Anna sits down with festival director Sandra Lipski to discuss some of her feminist festival highlights. Sandra gives us an insight into the 2024 lineup, including the festival’s plan to welcome five time Academy Award-nominee Annette Bening to Mallorca's sunny shores.
Films Mentioned:
Last Swim (2024)
Black Box Diaries (2024)
Anora (2024)
Conclave (2024)
All We Imagine As Light (2024)
Twiggy (2024)
The Extraordinary Miss Flower (2024)
Las chicas de la estación (2024)
The Grifters (1990)
The Outrun (2024)
Endurance (2024)
Emilia Perez (2024)
Your Fat Friend (2023)
Widow Clicquot (2024)
Hoard (2024)
Principal Partners: Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer
Our partners for this episode: Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival
You can buy tickets for Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival from the 17th October 2024 via this link: https://www.evolutionfilmfestival.com/tickets
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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: Anna Swartz
Audio editor: Benjamin Cook
House band: MX Tyrants
© HLA Agency
00:44:37
Oct 08, 2024
Anna Smith speaks to Lily Ahree Siegel, director of Equal Play, a new short documentary that discusses the importance of equal access to school sports for disabled children. Anna is also joined by Lindsey Dryden, director, writer, producer, executive producer, as well as co-founder of FWD-DOC, and Clare Baines, the BFI’s Inclusion Partner, to talk about equal access within the film industry and the bigger issues touched on in Equal Play.
First, Clare discusses her personal connection to the documentary, revealing to Anna how losing her eyesight at 15 affected her ability to participate in school sports. Clare also advocates the importance of educating kids about their bodies. As a disabled woman in the film industry, Lindsey highlights the inaccessibility of disabled people entering the world of entertainment. She questions the disparity between disabled stories in documentaries vs narratives and encourages more joyous cinematic portrayals of the disabled experience. Lindsey and Clare share their favourite film depictions that capture the disabled experience. They also call for a disability revolution including more on-screen celebrations about disabilities.
Next up, Lily Ahree Siegel discusses her background within the arts and what inspired her to become a documentary filmmaker. Lily highlights access to PE and sports as an issue affecting kids worldwide, discusses the importance of inclusion passports, and shares her favourite moment on set.
Equal Play is available to watch on Channel 4 - https://www.channel4.com/programmes/equal-play
A reminder that you can read a transcript of our episodes on Apple Podcasts by clicking the ‘transcript’ option in settings in the episode description.
This episode is brought to you by Harder Than You Think.
Films/TV Shows/Books mentioned:
The Gleaners and I (Agnes Varda)
We Might Regret This (created by Kyla Harris) - available on BBC
The Callers (Lindsey Dryden)
Lost In Sound (Lindsey Dryden)
Coda (Sian Heder)
Trans In America (produced by Lindsey Dryden and Shaleece Haas)
Unrest (Jennifer Brea)
Patrice: The Movie (Ted Passon) - available on Hulu and showing at LFF 2024
Crip Camp (James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham) - available on Netflix
I Didn’t See You There (Reid Davenport) - available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Google Play
Is Anybody Out There (Ella Bee Glendining) - available on ITVX and Netflix
The Tube Thieves (Alison O’Daniel) - available on PBS
Feminist, Queer, Crip by Alison Kafer
Websites mentioned: TV Access - https://www.channel4.com/4producers/creative-equity/tv-access-project
Sins Invalid - https://www.sinsinvalid.org/blog/10-principles-of-disability-justice
FWD-DOC - https://www.fwd-doc.org/
TripleC - https://triplec.org.uk/
DANC - https://triplec.org.uk/danc/
Deaf and Disabled People in TV - https://www.ddptv.org/
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 Assistant Producer: Jade Evans Intern: Anna Swartz Audio editor: Benjamin Cook band: MX Tyrants © HLA Agency
00:41:56
Sep 11, 2024
In this episode, Anna Smith welcomes film critic Corrina Antrobus back to Girls On Film to discuss her brand new book, I Love Romcoms and I am a Feminist: A Manifesto in 100 Romcoms. Anna is also joined by film critic Jo-Ann Titmarsh who shares her highlights direct from the Venice International Film Festival.
First up, Corrina begins by discussing two Girls On Film romcom favourites - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and She’s Gotta Have It, which both feature in our pod’s intro jingle. She highlights the romcoms that have often been overlooked in the genre, as well as the underlying feminism of the popular, mainstream romcoms which are often dismissed as anti-feminist. Corrina also notes the importance of diverse representation and some of the challenges of finding examples of trans romances in the romcom genre, but that by pushing for change, she has hope that things will change. **Note that there are mild spoilers for classic romcoms in this segment.**
Next up, Jo-Ann shares the exciting buzz of this year’s Venice International Film Festival and discusses her festival favourites. She notes how this year’s fest consists of all-out glamour and fabulous women rocking the red carpet and discusses her film highlights, including her top performances by women including Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton and Angelina Jolie. She notes the films to look out for, and ends by discussing the long-awaited sequel to Beetlejuice.
You can buy Corrina Antrobus’s book I Love Romcoms and I am a Feminist: A Manifesto in 100 Romcoms at most book retailers including Waterstones, Blackwells, WH Smith and Amazon.
Films mentioned in this episode:
Wolfs (Jon Watts)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks) - Rent on Google Play, Apple TV, Prime Video
She’s Gotta Have It (Spike Lee) - Netflix
Rye Lane (Raine Allen Miller) - DisneyPlus
Palm Springs (Max Barbakow) - Prime Video
While You Were Sleeping (Jon Turteltaub) - DisneyPlus
Pretty Woman (Garry Marshall) - DisneyPlus
Magic Mike XXL (Gregory Jacobs) - Prime Video, Apple TV
Kissing Jessica Stein (Charles Herman-Wurmfeld) - Rent on YouTube, Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play
But I’m a Cheerleader (Jamie Babbit) - Prime Video
Happiest Season (Clea DuVall) - Rent on YouTube, Prime Video
A Room Next Door (Pedro Almodovar) - Releases 25 October 2024
Babygirl (Halina Reijn). Releases 10 January 2025
Maria (Pablo Larraín)
I’m Still Here (Walter Salles)
Familiar Touch (Sarah Friedland)
Queer (Luca Guadagnino)
The Wire (created by David Simon) - Sky, NowTV
The Office (US version developed by Greg Daniels) - Netflix, Sky, NowTV, Prime Video
Birdman (Alejandro González Iñárritu) - DisneyPlus
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Tim Burton) - In cinemas
Beetlejuice (Tim Burton) - Netflix, Prime Video
Firebrand (Karim Aïnouz) - In cinemas
His Three Daughters (Azazel Jacobs) - In cinemas
Lee (Ellen Kuras) - In cinemas
The Queen of My Dreams (Fawzia Mirza) - Releases 13 September 2024
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Girls On Film is an HLA production.
Host: Anna Smith
Executive Producer: Hedda Lornie Archbold
Assistant Producer: Jade Evans
Intern: Anna Swartz
Audio editor: Elliana Jay Hamer
House band: MX Tyrants
© HLA Agency
00:47:54
Aug 23, 2024
Zoë Kravitz joins Anna Smith to discuss her directorial debut, Blink Twice, while Anna also reports from the 2024 Edinburgh International Film Festival, where she speaks with Daisy-May Hudson about her feature debut, Lollipop.
First up, Anna welcomes actor turned writer, director and producer Zoë Kravitz, best known for her roles in ‘The Batman’ and in TV series ‘Big Little Lies’ and ‘High Fidelity’, onto the podcast. With Anna, Zoë discusses the feminist messaging in her slick thriller ‘Blink Twice’. She talks about casting the wonderful Naomi Ackie as Frida, a cocktail waitress who catches the eye of tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) and is transported to his private island for sundrenched luxury, or so she thinks…
Zoë also tells Anna about the writing process behind ‘Blink Twice’, originally titled ‘Pussy Island’, reveals her relief at turning up to set as the director without having to worry about what she looks like, and describes her approach to capturing women on camera to produce a disturbing and believable depiction of gender and power among the megarich.
Next up, Anna reports from Edinburgh International Film Festival, where Girls On Film partners on the festival’s Closing Night sçreening of the powerful feminist music documentary, ‘Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands’.
Anna catches up with first-time feature director Daisy-May Hudson whose film ‘Lollipop’ is a heartbreaking but hopeful depiction of a mother (Posy Sterling) who battles to regain custody of her children after coming out of prison. Daisy-May speaks about the fierce maternal love of her protagonist Molly, what happens when children are required to parent, as well as the challenges faced by a first time director. Plus: karaoke as a symbol of working class joy!
Anna also hears from Karen Needham and Col Needham from the IMDb, plus director of the BFI’s filmmaking fund Mia Bays and costume designer Rachael Fleming about their highlights from the EIFF 2024.
Stay tuned for upcoming episodes of Girls On Film as we move into autumn and host Anna Smith heads to Sea Change Film Festival 2024.
Find out about their festival, dedicated to women in film at https://screenargyll.co.uk/sea-change-2024/
Films mentioned in this episode:
Timestalker - Alice Lowe
Xibalba Monster - Manuela Irene
Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands - Blair Young, Carla J Easton
Blink Twice - Zoë Kravitz
Rosemary’s Baby - Roman Polanski
To Kill A Wolf - Kesley Taylor
Sunlight - Nina Conti
Lollipop - Daisy-May Hudson
Blink Twice was released in the UK by Warner Bros. Pictures on 23rd August, 2024
Lollipop had is world premiere at the 77th edition of Edinburgh International Film Festival (on August 20th)
Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands will hit UK cinemas from 18th October and Glasgow girl band Sophisticated Boom Boom will reform for one night only at a special screening of the film in Glasgow on the night of the release.
For more information visit sinceyesterdayfilm.com
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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: Benjamin Cook
House band: MX Tyrants
© HLA Agency
00:43:52
Aug 02, 2024
For our 180th episode, Girls On Film gets the festival buzz at Latitude in front of a live audience! First up we hear from host Anna Smith as she boogies to the song ‘Girls On Film’ sung by one of the Latitude headliners, Duran Duran! Plus, Anna had the chance to meet some band members after the show.
Also in this episode, Anna is joined by Rachel Ramsay, the co-director of Copa 71, to discuss her brilliant documentary on the scandalously overlooked Women’s World Cup which took place in Mexico City in April 1971.
With Anna, Rachel discusses the process of uncovering this compelling forgotten story and reaching out to the women from Argentina, Mexico, Denmark, France, England and Italy who played in the tournament to participate in the doc. Rachel shares some of the triumphs and challenges of creating a multilingual documentary that positions older women as subjects. She also talks about the ‘archaeologist’s mission’ of scouring the archives to bring Copa 71 to the big screen.
Copa 71 can be seen in an abridged version on BBC iPlayer.
Listeners in the UK can stream it in full on iTunes, Sky, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, BFI Player, Virgin and Dogwoof on demand.
Other films mentioned:
Calendar Girls
Bend It Like Beckham
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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:
House band: MX Tyrants
© HLA Agency
00:34:45
Jul 04, 2024
Anna Smith speaks to director Susan Seidelman about her highly anticipated new memoir, Desperately Seeking Something, as well as Rosanna Arquette, who starred in Seidelman's 1985 cult classic, Desperately Seeking Susan.
Anna begins by speaking to Susan Seidelman about her memoir and her recollections of working with Madonna and Rosanna Arquette. Susan talks about the explosion of Madonna’s stardom during filming, sharing some of her cherished memories from that time. She reflects on the enduring cultural impact of Desperately Seeking Susan as well as more broadly on her career.
Next, Anna speaks to Rosanna Arquette about her memories of starring in Desperately Seeking Susan. Rosanna talks about the celebrated female friendship between her and Madonna’s much-loved characters in the film, and how that translated into their off-screen friendship, sharing some of her hilarious highlights of working with Madonna. Rosanna also talks about the Time’s Up movement, discussing her powerful allyship with the other women who were amongst the first to speak out against Harvey Weinstein, and sharing insights into the monumental impact that it had on her life.
Susan Seidelman’s memoir Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir about Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls is published by Macmillan Publishers and is available online and in bookstores in the US, and through Amazon and Blackwells in the UK.
UK Blackwells:
https://tinyurl.com/4xfnn8ud
UK Amazon:
https://tinyurl.com/2z6uakkt
US Macmillan:
https://tinyurl.com/3z8hnp9c
US Amazon:
https://tinyurl.com/26ub6sas
Trigger warning: The interview with Rosanna Arquette in this episode contains potentially upsetting conversations relating to Harvey Weinstein. This episode also contains very strong language.
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www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z
Other films mentioned:
Desperately Seeking Susan
Smithereens
After Hours
Basic Instinct
Thelma and Louise
Midnight Cowboy
The Graduate
Sex and the City
The Sopranos
She Devil
Baby It’s You
The Linguini Incident
Searching for Debra Winger
00:38:39
Jun 26, 2024
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.
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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
00:38:24
Jun 11, 2024
Ep 177: Feminist Filmmaking with Maisy Stella, Vicky Krieps, Viggo Mortensen, Shuchi Talati and more
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:
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Follow us on socials:
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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
00:41:46
May 22, 2024
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
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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
00:40:40
Apr 30, 2024
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)
You can buy Cinema for Gaza merchandise until 7 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:
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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
00:41:37
Mar 12, 2024
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
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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
00:45:12
Mar 01, 2024
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.
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Girls On Film is an HLA production.
Host: Anna Smith
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Producer: Charlotte Matheson
House band: MX Tyrants
© HLA Agency
00:50:47
Feb 20, 2024
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.
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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
00:44:37
Feb 15, 2024
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
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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
00:39:19
Feb 13, 2024
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
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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
00:25:26
Feb 06, 2024
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.
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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
00:22:04
Jan 30, 2024
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 desperate to get their hands on. By turns richly emotional and crackling with humour, her nuanced portrayal foregrounds the story of Mollie and her fellow women in the community as an integral part of the film. Making history as the first Native American woman to receive a best actress nomination, Lily’s performance is a powerful testament to the suffering of the Osage women, and their incredible strength in the face of it.
She joined Anna after a screening of the film in Soho’s Ham Yard Hotel, where she shared the depth of her preparation for the role, from spending time with the real Mollie’s family to wearing a 100-year-old Osage blanket as part of her costume. She talks working with Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese – now the most nominated living director in Oscars history. Praising his skill and sensitivity in telling the story of Killers of the Flower Moon, she also makes a call to support Native American filmmakers bringing their own narratives to the screen – and answers questions from our audience.
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Girls On Film is an HLA production.
Host: Anna Smith
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Producer: Heather Dempsey
Assistant Producer: Charlotte Matheson
Audio editor: Jack Howard
House band: MX Tyrants
Photographer: Julie Edwards
This episode is in partnership with Apple Original Films and Killers of the Flower Moon
00:27:57
Jan 26, 2024
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 after a screening of Maestro in London on 23rd January 2024 - the very day she was announced as a nominee for the Oscar for Actress in a Leading Role. This exclusive recording sees Carey sharing her thoughts on preparing for this complex role, working with Bradley Cooper and the incredible craft departments such as Hair and Make-Up. Recalling Carey’s first appearance on episode 3 of Girls On Film, Anna and Carey spoke frankly about how things have progressed for women in film, and how much has changed since we launched the podcast. You can also hear Carey answering questions from our audience of Girls On Film listeners.
Other films mentioned in this episode:
Promising Young Woman (dir. Emerald Fennell)
She Said (dir. Maria Schrader)
Subscribe to our newsletter and invitation list to hear about future screenings by emailing:
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www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z
Girls On Film is an HLA production.
Host: Anna Smith
Executive Producer: Hedda Archbold
Assistant Producer: Charlotte Matheson
Audio editor: Jack Howard
Live sound recordist: Cam Griffiths
House band: MX Tyrants
This episode is in partnership with Netflix
Photo: Julie Edwards Photography
© HLA Agency
00:28:42
Jan 09, 2024
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 women across the world as its basis, Hite and a small team of grassroots feminists exposed some of the harmful ideas around female sexuality that were prevalent at the time.
In this episode, Nicole describes how she first got involved in the project, about the contemporary relevance of Shere Hite, and how Dakota Johnson became the voice of Shere Hite. With Anna, Nicole discusses some of the tragedy as well as triumph in the story of Shere Hite and the desire to explore what she calls the ‘the architecture of silence’ that attempted to remove Hite from the history books.
Other films mentioned in this episode:
Crip Camp, Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht, 2020
You can watch The Disappearance of Shere Hite from the 12th January in UK cinemas.
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www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast
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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: Alex Jones
House band: MX Tyrants
This episode is in partnership with Dogwoof and NBC Universal
© HLA Agency
00:22:15