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Woman Director 2025

Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day

“Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day” – Croatia’s official nomination for Best Foreign Film in the 2025 Academy Awards, is an historical epic and an ode to love, loyalty and the power of friendship and art.

The film that spans over decades, follows lovers Lovro and Nenad and their long-time friendship with Steven and Ivan, all of them were part of a gay group turned filmmakers while navigating their lives through communist, post-war Yugoslavia.

The film studio they run gains world fame, but they are forced to compromise their arts and beliefs to produce propaganda for the communist regime. The more success they gain the more the fascism of the government seeps into their studio and they suddenly find their lives in danger despite being Nazi fighting heroes.

“Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day” is a luscious, intimate and politically charged cinema and the result is a heartbreaking piece on resistance. This is a film that is crying against oppression, against silencing and for the freedom to live, love and create art without fear.

Talented filmmaker and director Ivona Juka says this film was inspired by a relative of hers that was forced to hide his sexual identity for most of his adult life (homosexuality was still a crime in Croatia up until 1990’s).

Warning: This film contains explicit sex scenes and graphic violence.

This movie is eligible for a special “Monthly TLVfest” price:

4 Tickets – special price 160 NIS (40 NIS per ticket) – purchase here
6 Tickets – special price 225 NIS (37.5 NIS per ticket) – purchase here
12 Tickets – special price 360 NIS (30 NIS per ticket) – purchase here

In association with the European Union

Queens of Joy

In the heart of the horrible war in Ukraine, three drag queens- Diva Monroe, Marlene and Aura refuse to abandon their homeland. Instead of running away to safety they choose to fight- for freedom, the LGBTQ community and for themselves.

From the glamour of the show to the cruelty of war, the film follows their lives- full of loss and fear but also unvanquished bravery.

Marlene is dealing with old wounds, Diva Monroe finds herself again and Aura is fighting for her place, both in the army and on stage. The charity drag show they organise for support of Ukraine becomes a symbol of unity and strength.

This film is a story of self-discovery, love, hope and the strength to find happiness in the darkest times.

Desert Hearts

Donna Deitch, an awards winning documentarist was also the first out lesbian director who paved the way for many others with her debut feature film “Desert Hearts”. The film is based on a novel by Jane Rule written in 1964.

Helen Shaver is starring as Vivian Bell, a 35 years old professor from Columbia University who’s going to Reno to get divorced. She arrives at the farm of Frances Parker (Audra Lindley) in order to stay the required 6 weeks before she can become a Nevada resident and get her divorce.

In the farm Vivian catches the attention of Frances adopted daughter Cay (Patricia Charbonneau) an out and confident lesbian. Cay works at a casino and is a decade younger than Vivian. At first Vivan is trying to stay strong against Cay’s shameless flirting but when the emotions flood over she cannot resist anymore and the two end up in each other’s arms.

Already as its debut release back in 1985 “Desert Hearts” delighted audiences in the most prestigious film festivals around the globe- Locarno, Toronto and Sundance and now you have a chance to get swept into the romance set against the desert backdrop and the country soundtrack that accompanies the film in an original and high quality 35mm version.

Skin of Youth

Saigon, the 90s. San is a sex worker at a night club trying to save enough money for gender affirming surgery in order to achieve her dream of living in a woman’s body. San’s lover, Nam, works as a wrestler in an violent and bloody underground wrestling ring, fighting caged matches to help his lover’s dream come true.

Their young and fiery romance will stand in question as dark forces penetrate their intimate world, which the two lovers will need to deal with as all chances are against them. This conflict could be both catastrophic for their relationship, and also tests the limits of their humanity. “Skin of Youth” is the first Vietnamese film starring a transgender actress in the leading role. Be noted that this film is only permitted for viewers over the age of 18 due to explicit sexual scenes.

Queens of the Dead

A wild night at a party in a Brooklyn club that specializes in bigger than life drag shows and queens. The party planner is stressing out hoping that everything will go according to plan, but even she cannot imagine that her biggest problem is going to be an unexpected zombie attack!

In order to survive the night, the bigger than life drag queens, the club’s staff and a gallery of colorful partygoers must put their differences and rivalry aside.

In her directorial debut Tina Romero, daughter of horror icon George A. Romero, adds to the genre her father created plenty of glam, camp and glitter. “Queens of the Dead” honors Romero senior’s legacy but also reinvent it. The film is full of dark humor, LGBTQ pride and a powerful message on how a united community and self-empowerment can overcome pretty much everything in life.

This film has some seriously kick-ass cast led by lesbian star Katy O’Brian (“Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning”, “The Mandalorian”) alongside Jack Haven (“I saw the TV Glow”), Ricky Lindhome (“Knives Out”), Nina West (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”), Dominique Jackson (“Pose”, “American Gods”), Chayenne Jackson (“American Horror Story”, “Glee”) and standup comedian Margaret Cho. Also starring is horror legend Tom Savini who collaborated with George Romero on several films such as “Dawn of the Dead” and “Land of the Dead”.

Hot Milk

Straight from the official competition of the Berlin Film Festival comes the debut directorial of the excellent screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz who wrote the Oscar winning screenplay for “Ida” and the lesbian drama “Disobedience”.

“Hot Milk” is a story of a mother and daughter unfolding during a hot Spanish summer and is based on the critically acclaimed novel by Deborah Levy. Sofia (Emma Mackey, star of “Sex Education”) is taking care of her demanding mother Rose (veteran actress Fiona Shaw) who is wheelchair bound. They come to Spain to meet with a local doctor (Vincent Perez) who is known for his unconventional treatments to find a potential medicine for the mother’s mysterious illness.

The visit takes a turn when the young girl meets a German woman on the beach (Vicky Krieps “Love Me Tender”) and allows herself for the first time to test her boundaries and experience sexual enjoyment for the first time on her way to unshackle herself from her mother and towards self-fulfillment and adolescence.

In her debut directorial Rebecca Lenkiewicz explores the interpersonal relationships between a mother and her daughter and creates a thrilling psychological drama that burns itself under the skin. Mackey and Shaw are excellent in the leading roles.

A Wolf Among the Swans

A new film by screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (“21 Grams”, “Babel”) and starring the wonderful Argentinian actor Dario Grandinetti (“Talk to Her”, “Wild Stories”)

The film, which was shot in Rio de Janeiro and Paris, was inspired by the story of a Rio-born dancer, Thiago Soares – portrayed by Matheus Abreu and the unique relationship he developed with his mentor – Cuban-born Dino Carerra (Grandinetti). Soares, who grew up on the outskirts of Rio, used to perform with his friends on the streets of the city during the day and at local dance competitions at night. In between he tried to pick up girls and make a living doing odd jobs.

When he’s offered a scholarship to join a professional ballet school Thiago Soares doubts he’d survive even a day there, but a meeting with Dino- a sharp and brilliant Cuban dance teacher (who also hides an illness that was not to be talked about in those years) will change the course of his student’s life and turn him into an international star and the lead dancer of the Royal Ballet in London for 14 years.

“A Wolf Among the Swans” is an inspiring film with precise cinematography, snappy editing and a wonderful soundtrack. With a well written script and superb performances from its cast the result is a thought provoking film about a firm friendship between two men from completely different worlds and the ability to change and become the best version of oneself.

The Black Hole

A feminist rom-com which is also a type of trash horror movie and 80’s style erotic movie that includes sci-fi and grotesque aliens as well.

In a small Estonian town, three stories converge: Sirje and her friend voluntarily sign up for a scientific experiment away from earth. Jüri falls for his lascivious neighbour. Uma, a fearless bodybuilder, dreams of a world without abusive men so that she could help her partner Marillis. Along the way the characters will have to deal with aliens, a giant spider and an Austrian door to door salesman of vacuums who always wears shorts.

The clever and multi layered script written by director Moonika Siimets provocs thoughts of the reality in which we live in and at the same time provide us with a cinematic piece that is pure fun.

1 Girl Infinite

Two teenage girls live together in the frenzied and colorful town of Changsha in China. When one of them gets attached to a drug dealer, the other girl’s love for her will cause her to risk everything to keep her loved one beside her.

The film is based on a real life experience of director and film star Lilly Hu.

“1 Girl Infinite” is a live portrait of current youth and the nature of puppy love, obsession and lust. Hu’s hometown of Changsha, with its beauty parlors, internet cafes, shopping centers and hotels is a character all on its own. It is a bustling city with something interesting happening in every corner.

Inside all this hubbub is an intimate and personal creation that is well made and gives us very impressive performances of both its heroines.

Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day

“Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day” – Croatia’s official nomination for Best Foreign Film in the 2025 Academy Awards, is an historical epic and an ode to love, loyalty and the power of friendship and art.

The film that spans over decades, follows lovers Lovro and Nenad and their long-time friendship with Steven and Ivan, all of them were part of a gay group turned filmmakers while navigating their lives through communist, post-war Yugoslavia.

The film studio they run gains world fame, but they are forced to compromise their arts and beliefs to produce propaganda for the communist regime. The more success they gain the more the fascism of the government seeps into their studio and they suddenly find their lives in danger despite being Nazi fighting heroes.

“Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day” is a luscious, intimate and politically charged cinema and the result is a heartbreaking piece on resistance. This is a film that is crying against oppression, against silencing and for the freedom to live, love and create art without fear.

Talented filmmaker and director Ivona Juka says this film was inspired by a relative of hers that was forced to hide his sexual identity for most of his adult life (homosexuality was still a crime in Croatia up until the 90’s).

Warning: This film contains explicit sex scenes and graphic violence.

In association with the European Union

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