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.
Drama
Empire of Silver
rating:3.5

Empire of Silver

2009Runtime:0 minutes
This sprawling epic centers on the exploits of a banking dynasty -- headed by patriarch Master Kang -- that controls much of China's wealth at the end of the 19th century, amid political upheaval, romantic rivalries, and outright revolution.

Directed by:

  • Christina Yao
    • rating:3.5 3.5 Average Rating

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    Chutney Popcorn
    rating:3.1

    Chutney Popcorn

    2000Runtime:0 minutes
    When Reena (Nisha Ganatra, in her feature film debut) learns that married sister Sarita (Sakina Jaffrey) can't have a baby, she decides to play surrogate mother, but Reena's girlfriend (Jill Hennessy) worries that three might be a crowd. Themes of love, family obligations and fertility swirl through the story as Sarita grapples with her failure to conceive, and Reena's mother remains in the dark about her daughter's same-sex relationship.

    Directed by:

  • Nisha Ganatra
    • rating:3.1 3.1 Average Rating

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    Danielle Steel's Full Circle
    rating:3.1

    Danielle Steel's Full Circle

    1996Runtime:0 minutes
    Haunted by her rape as a college student, Tana Roberts (Teri Polo) is determined to avoid following in her mother's footsteps when it comes to romance. But when Tana falls for her best friend's married father (Reed Diamond), she finds herself reliving her mother's mistakes. Corbin Bernsen and Erika Slezak co-star in this absorbing made-for-television movie based on Danielle Steel's best-selling novel.

    Directed by:

  • Bethany Rooney
    • rating:3.1 3.1 Average Rating

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    Stranger Inside
    rating:3.3

    Stranger Inside

    2001Runtime:0 minutes
    Treasure Lee (Yolonda Ross) is a bad girl on the move ... out of "juvenile" and into the state penitentiary. There, she befriends Brownie (Davenia McFadden), a lifer who deals drugs, using an extended family of loyal girls who swear their undying allegiance to the cell-block mama. But Brownie's charisma shields a malevolence that just might put Treasure in harm's way.

    Directed by:

  • Cheryl Dunye
    • rating:3.3 3.3 Average Rating

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    Television
    American Experience: Building the Alaska Highway
    rating:3.2

    American Experience: Building the Alaska Highway

    2005Runtime:0 minutes
    During the dark early days of World War II, thousands of American soldiers began one of the most titanic construction efforts ever attempted -- the Alaska Highway, which would eventually span across the sub-Arctic wilderness of British Columbia, the Yukon Territory and Alaska. This documentary features interviews with highway workers, archival footage and, of course, breathtaking scenery. Part of the award-winning "American Experience" series.

    Directed by:

  • Tracy Heather Strain
    • rating:3.2 3.2 Average Rating

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    The Two Cubas
    rating:3.1

    The Two Cubas

    2005Runtime:0 minutes
    Living within the confines of Fidel Castro's intolerant regime, Jose Rodriguez and Jose Luis open up to the creators of this Logo network documentary series and share their experiences on what it's like to be a gay man in Cuba. While Rodriguez never sees himself living any other place than Cuba, it's always been Luis's dream to travel to Germany, and it's the circumstances surrounding this desire that occupies much of this unique series.

    Directed by:

  • Carolina Valencia
    • rating:3.1 3.1 Average Rating

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    Ghostwriter: Season 1
    rating:3.6

    Ghostwriter: Season 1

    1992Runtime:0 minutes
    A diverse group of kids in New York gets written messages from the "Ghostwriter," an enigmatic spiritual entity who communicates by using found letters and words to provide clues to mysteries for the children to solve. This popular PBS series offers young viewers a chance to learn about reading, writing and problem-solving. Samuel L. Jackson appears in several episodes as Reggie Jenkins, the father of one of the kids.

    Directed by:

  • Susan Dansby
    • rating:3.6 3.6 Average Rating

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    Mysteries of the Deep: Legendary Shipwrecks: Lost Ships of the Mediterranean
    rating:3.2

    Mysteries of the Deep: Legendary Shipwrecks: Lost Ships of the Mediterranean

    1999Runtime:0 minutes
    Martin Sheen hosts this fascinating documentary series produced by the award-winning &NFi;National Geographic&NFi_; team. Plunge deep into the ocean and discover an eerie world of shipwrecks, steeped in secrets that hold the key to some of the most tragic maritime disasters in history. Also includes "Lost Ships of the Mediterranean."

    Directed by:

  • Gail Willumsen
    • rating:3.2 3.2 Average Rating

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    Gay & Lesbian
    Better Than Chocolate
    rating:3.4

    Better Than Chocolate

    1999Runtime:0 minutes
    Scant hours before her uptight mother (Wendy Crewson) and brother move in with her, Maggie (Karyn Dwyer) meets the woman of her dreams (Christina Cox). Though Mom is oblivious to her daughter's sexual orientation, it's a tough thing to hide in close quarters. Meanwhile, Maggie's transgender friend (Peter Outerbridge) falls in love with the owner of the lesbian bookstore where Maggie works. Anne Wheeler directed this sexy romp about love and lust.

    Directed by:

  • Anne Wheeler
    • rating:3.4 3.4 Average Rating

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    Desert Hearts
    rating:3.4

    Desert Hearts

    1985Runtime:0 minutes
    Uptight literature professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) heads to Reno, Nev., in 1959 for a quickie divorce. While staying with Frances Parker (Audra Lindley) at her ranch to establish residency, Bell meets Parker's adopted daughter (Patricia Charbonneau), a casino worker 10 years her junior. Bell finds herself increasingly drawn to the open and self-assured lesbian, and their developing intimacy releases buried emotions Bell has never explored.

    Directed by:

  • Donna Deitch
    • rating:3.4 3.4 Average Rating

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    Beautiful Thing
    rating:3.7

    Beautiful Thing

    1996Runtime:0 minutes
    The iconoclastic, underachieving denizens of a southeast London apartment building get an emotional wake-up call when two teenage boys -- next-door neighbors Jamie (Glen Berry) and Ste (Scott Neal) -- unexpectedly fall in love. This moving slice of affecting kitchen-sink realism from Britain's esteemed Channel Four Films is adapted from the hit West End play penned by Jonathan Harvey, who also directs.

    Directed by:

  • Hettie MacDonald
    • rating:3.7 3.7 Average Rating

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    Bedrooms and Hallways
    rating:3.1

    Bedrooms and Hallways

    1998Runtime:0 minutes
    At the suggestion of a friend, gay Leo (Kevin McKidd) enters therapy after many failed relationships make him fear for his social life. In a group session (led by Simon Callow), Leo comes clean about his feelings for a straight member of the group (James Purefoy), which leads to an affair between the two. The situation becomes further complicated by the appearance of Leo's high school sweetheart (Jennifer Ehle), who still has feelings for him.

    Directed by:

  • Rose Troche
    • rating:3.1 3.1 Average Rating

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    Faith & Spirituality
    The Preacher's Wife
    rating:3.3

    The Preacher's Wife

    1996Runtime:0 minutes
    When God overhears a church preacher (Courtney B. Vance) despairing the potential loss of a youth center, he dispatches an angel (Denzel Washington) to help him out. Trouble is, the preacher isn't easily convinced that his guardian angel is the real thing. An inspired reworking of the uplifting 1940s movie The Bishop's Wife, The Preacher's Wife stars Washington and Whitney Houston at their dazzling best.

    Directed by:

  • Penny Marshall
    • rating:3.3 3.3 Average Rating

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    Hidden Heroes
    rating:3.1

    Hidden Heroes

    1999Runtime:0 minutes
    Through narratives, period film and still photographs, this compelling documentary chronicles the harrowing stories of Dutch Jews who were persecuted and methodically isolated at the hands of the Nazis. The subjects -- all children during World War II -- recount their resonating tales of terror and subsequent deliverance thanks to the brave Dutch souls of the resistance, who saw the fallacy in Adolf Hitler's extermination plan.

    Directed by:

  • Karen Pascal
    • rating:3.1 3.1 Average Rating

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    The Jews: A People's History
    rating:3.1

    The Jews: A People's History

    2009Runtime:0 minutes
    Exploring 4,000 years in the history of the Jews -- from their ancient roots in the Middle East all the way to modern-day Judaism -- this exhaustivedocumentary weaves stories from the past and present to reveal a rich tapestry of Jewish identity. Seeking to represent the diversity of the Jewish people, director Nina Koshofer's ambitious film spotlights Jews both rich and poor, famed and obscure.

    Directed by:

  • Nina Koshofer
  • Sabine Klauser
    • rating:3.1 3.1 Average Rating

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    Household Saints
    rating:3.4

    Household Saints

    1993Runtime:0 minutes
    In post-World War II New York, Joseph (Vincent D'Onofrio) wins Catherine (Tracey Ullman) in a pinochle game. They marry and have a daughter, Teresa (Lili Taylor), who becomes a religious zealot as she seeks purity through prayer -- much to the consternation of Teresa's boyfriend (Michael Imperioli) and parents. Director Nancy Savoca's third film is based on Francine Prose's novel of the same name.

    Directed by:

  • Nancy Savoca
    • rating:3.4 3.4 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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    frances 'at' femaledirectors.com