FemaleDirectors.com is a website for female-directed movies: you can find, play, and add them to your Netflix queue, and buy them on Amazon.com. Browse within our genres to find movies from the female perspective.
Documentary
Cleopatra: The First Woman of Power
rating:3.2

Cleopatra: The First Woman of Power

1999Runtime:0 minutes
Narrated by actress Anjelica Huston, this 1999 documentary explores the myths surrounding the legendary ruler of Egypt, separating fact from fiction. Was Cleopatra a captivating temptress who seduced her way to the top? Or was she a capable and intelligent leader? With the help of reenactments, location footage, Hollywood film clips and interviews with historians, the fascinating truth about Cleopatra emerges.

Directed by:

  • Katherine Gilday
    • rating:3.2 3.2 Average Rating

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    Yo Soy Boricua, Pa'Que Tu Lo Sepas!
    rating:3.5

    Yo Soy Boricua, Pa'Que Tu Lo Sepas!

    2005Runtime:0 minutes
    Actress Rosie Perez makes a stunning directorial debut in this heartfelt tribute to Puerto Rican pride, in which she takes an in-depth look at the complex and often controversial history of Puerto Rican-U.S. relations. By turns shocking and celebratory, this wide-ranging documentary examines such rich themes of the Puerto Rican experience as family, language and racism, all with careful consideration of historical context.

    Directed by:

  • Rosie Perez
    • rating:3.5 3.5 Average Rating

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    Riding Giants
    rating:3.9

    Riding Giants

    2004Runtime:0 minutes
    Those who can't get enough of point breaks and "shooting curls" will appreciate this comprehensive look at the history of surfing, from its origins as a tiny subculture to its widespread resurgence -- and surfers' ongoing obsession with the sport. Stacy Peralta (who also helmed the acclaimed skateboard documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys) directs this critically lauded opener to the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.

    Directed by:

  • Stacy Peralta
    • rating:3.9 3.9 Average Rating

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    Sunset Story
    rating:3.4

    Sunset Story

    2003Runtime:0 minutes
    Sunset Hall in Los Angeles is home to two remarkable retirees, 81-year-old Irja and 95-year-old Lucille. Despite their years, Isja and Lucille exhibit a zest for life and show interest in the world at large. They delight in their past accomplishments and take each day as it comes -- full of promise and relying on each other for friendship. Old age can truly be the golden years, as filmmaker Laura Gabbert proves in her life-affirming film.

    Directed by:

  • Laura Gabbert
    • rating:3.4 3.4 Average Rating

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    Music & Musicals
    Atlantic Records: The House that Ahmet Built
    rating:3.8

    Atlantic Records: The House that Ahmet Built

    2007Runtime:0 minutes
    With a $10,000 loan from his dentist, Ahmet Ertegun co-founded Atlantic Records in 1947. By the 1950s Atlantic was the country's premier R&B label. Ertegun's wondrous rise is recounted in this lively episode from the PBS series "American Masters." It took director Susan Steinberg more than four years to capture Ertegun in candid conversations with music greats Robert Plant, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Ray Charles and many others.

    Directed by:

  • Susan Steinberg
    • rating:3.8 3.8 Average Rating

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    You Weren't There: A History of Chicago Punk: 1977-1984
    rating:3.5

    You Weren't There: A History of Chicago Punk: 1977-1984

    2009Runtime:0 minutes
    Often overshadowed by the stars of the New York scene, Chicago punk gets its day in the limelight in this raw documentary that captures the noisemakers and tastemakers who left their mark at venues like La Mere Vipere and Oz. Despite harassment from the authorities and neighbors, local bands and punk legends like Big Black and Naked Raygun ensured that the Windy City would play a key part in the revolution.

    Directed by:

  • Joe Losurdo
  • Christina Tillman
    • rating:3.5 3.5 Average Rating

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    Bluegrass Journey
    rating:3.5

    Bluegrass Journey

    2004Runtime:0 minutes
    A treat for the eyes and ears, this musical documentary charts the history -- and captures the joyful spirit -- of bluegrass through interviews with and performances from some of the most celebrated artists of the genre. Featured acts include the Del McCoury Band, Nickel Creek, Jerry Douglas and Tim O'Brien. Fusing traditional Appalachian folk music with the energy of the blues, the timeless sound of bluegrass continues to win over new fans.

    Directed by:

  • Nancy Kennedy
    • rating:3.5 3.5 Average Rating

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    Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex
    rating:3.3

    Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex

    1993Runtime:0 minutes
    Visually gripping and filled with corruption, murder and heartbreak, this film rendition of Stravinsky's opera-oratorio stars English tenor Philip Langridge in the title role, with Jessye Norman as the commanding Jocasta and Bryn Terfel as Creon. Produced, directed and designed by Julie Taymor, the production also features accompaniment by the Saito Kinen Orchestra, under the baton of maestro Seiji Ozawa.

    Directed by:

  • Julie Taymor
    • rating:3.3 3.3 Average Rating

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    Drama
    The Unloved
    rating:3.1

    The Unloved

    2009Runtime:0 minutes
    Abused by her father, Lucy is removed by social services and placed in a group children's home. While intended to help Lucy, the move inflicts a new brand of torture on the young girl: bullies, capricious rules and loneliness.

    Directed by:

  • Samantha Morton
    • rating:3.1 3.1 Average Rating

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    Thousand Pieces of Gold
    rating:3.4

    Thousand Pieces of Gold

    1991Runtime:0 minutes
    In the late 19th century, Lalu (Rosalind Chao), a poor Chinese woman, is sold into marriage in America. She's sent to a tough Idaho mining town -- not to marry, but to work as a prostitute in a saloon run by fellow countryman Hong King (Michael Paul Chan). When Lalu refuses the job, her dignity proves irresistible to King's partner, Charlie (Chris Cooper). Dennis Dun co-stars in this "American Playhouse" presentation, based on a true story.

    Directed by:

  • Nancy Kelly
    • rating:3.4 3.4 Average Rating

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    Eve's Bayou
    rating:3.6

    Eve's Bayou

    1997Runtime:0 minutes
    Louis Batiste (Samuel L. Jackson) is a popular physician in 1960s Louisiana who has a beautiful wife (Lynn Whitfield), a loving family and a weakness for women. While his wife ignores his infidelities, his youngest daughter (Jurnee Smollett) is crushed when she catches dad in a compromising situation. Her subsequent revelations tear the family apart in Kasi Lemmons's powerful film, which won Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards.

    Directed by:

  • Kasi Lemmons
    • rating:3.6 3.6 Average Rating

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    Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
    rating:3.6

    Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

    2012Runtime:0 minutes
    As an asteroid hurtles toward Earth, a man whose wife has abandoned him spends the planet's final days on a road trip to reunite with his high school sweetheart. But a lovely neighbor who tags along for the ride complicates his plans.

    Directed by:

  • Lorene Scafaria
    • rating:3.6 3.6 Average Rating

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    Thrillers
    Black Rock
    rating:3.5

    Black Rock

    2012Runtime:0 minutes
    Childhood pals Sarah, Abby and Lou's reunion on a remote island off the coast of Maine turns into a nightmare when they realize a sinister neighbor doesn't appreciate their presence -- and they wind up fighting for their lives.

    Directed by:

  • Kathryn Aselton
    • rating:3.5 3.5 Average Rating

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    K-19: The Widowmaker
    rating:3.4

    K-19: The Widowmaker

    2002Runtime:0 minutes
    The amazing true story of Russia's first nuclear ballistic submarine, which suffered a nuclear reactor malfunction on its maiden voyage in the North Atlantic in 1961. The unyielding Capt. Vostrikov and his second-in-command must race against time to prevent a Chernobyl-like nuclear explosion that not only threatens the lives of the crew it could also ignite a world war between the superpowers.

    Directed by:

  • Kathryn Bigelow
    • rating:3.4 3.4 Average Rating

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    The Rich Man's Wife
    rating:3.3

    The Rich Man's Wife

    1996Runtime:0 minutes
    When the beautiful, young wife (Halle Berry) of a wealthy older man (Christopher McDonald) realizes that her prenuptial agreement benefits only her husband, she muses aloud about doing him in over drinks with a stranger. When hubby is killed in a botched carjacking, the grieving widow becomes the prime suspect. Plenty of twists and red herrings follow in this suspense drama with echoes of Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers On a Train.

    Directed by:

  • Amy Holden Jones
    • rating:3.3 3.3 Average Rating

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    While She Was Out
    rating:3.1

    While She Was Out

    2008Runtime:0 minutes
    What starts out as a Christmas Eve trip to the mall ends up as an exercise in terror for suburban mom Della Myers (Kim Basinger) when she finds herself stranded in a forest and pursued by a quartet of thugs -- all because she's left an angry note on their car. The baddies (including Lukas Haas) chase her from the mall, and when she crashes her car in a wooded area, she has nothing to fend off her attackers but her wits and her toolbox.

    Directed by:

  • Susan Montford
    • rating:3.1 3.1 Average Rating

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    Now and Then
    rating:3.8

    Now and Then

    1995Runtime:0 minutes
    Waxing nostalgic about the bittersweet passage from childhood to puberty in this tender coming-of-age tale, four childhood girlfriends -- Teeny, Chrissy, Samantha and Roberta -- recall the magical summer of 1970. During their walk down memory lane, they reconcile experiences with boys, secrets, bullies and more. Lesli Linka Glatter directs; Gaby Hoffmann, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Cloris Leachman, Thora Birch and Christina Ricci co-star.

    Directed by:

  • Lesli Linka Glatter
    • rating:3.8 3.8 Average Rating

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    Now and Then (1995)
    A heartwarming movie about four childhood girlfriends who, in adulthood reunion, relive their experience of the life-changing summer of 1970, including a mystery death, divorce, standing up to the boys, first kiss, and the meaning of true friendship. Each explores her unique identity amidst family and friends. Beautifully directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.
    - Frances   
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