June was kind of a hectic month, with traveling and family visiting, so my new-to-me watching was kind of low (but I *am* two films away from 5000 new-to-me films ever, so that’s pretty sweet). I did, however, write a great guide to female filmmakers for Dazed and Confused Magazine, guested on the Battleship Pretension Podcast and was interviewed by Authoright (skip to page 16), so all and all it was a good month. As always, my thoughts on a few choice favorites, as well as a list of everything I watched this month can be found after the cut.

1. I Believe in Unicorns
2. Skylappjenta (Little Miss Eyeflap)
3. Go! Go! Go!
4. Lights (1966)
5. Glimpse of the Garden
6. Miss Meadows
7. The Queen of Versailles
8. XXY
9. Ir/Reconcilable
10. All Over the Guy
11. Pelo malo (Bad Hair)
12. Majorité opprimée (Oppressed Majority)
13. The Night and the Moment
14. Una Hora Por Favora
15. Always Cool
16. Pay It Forward
17. Madame Bovary (2015)
18. What Happened, Miss Simone?
19. Advantageous

1880s: 0
1890s: 0
1900s: 0
1910s: 0
1920s: 0
1930s: 0
1940s: 0
1950s: 1
1960s: 2
1970s: 0
1980s: 0
1990s: 1
2000s: 4
2010s: 11

These were the films that really stuck out this month.

I Believe in Unicorns, 2015 (dir. Leah Meyerhoff)

This was such a beautiful film. Vulnerable and daring and inventive, romantic and terrifying and energetic. In short, it was a wonderful peak into the confusing, developing world of teenage girls.

The Queen of Versailles, 2012 (dir. Lauren Greenfield)

Somehow I missed this movie when it was first in theaters (even though I worked in two movie theaters that showed it!). Part schadenfreude, part social commentary, this documentary captures an inside look at how the recession hit and how completely out of touch the 1% really can be. Yet, somehow it’s also very humanizing and sympathetic towards a woman who is doing whatever she can to get her slice of the American Dream.

XXY, 2007 (dir. Lucía Puenzo)

I’ve been watching a lot of great South American cinema this year and they’ve all been outstanding. This film looks at what it’s like to be intersex and dares to ask the question, “What if there’s nothing wrong with that?”

What Happened, Miss Simone?, 2015 (dir. Liz Garbus)

Another great music doc, this one tells the life story of one of America’s most brilliant artists. Using performance footage, archival interview clips and audio, diary transcripts and interviews with her friends and family, we get a glimpse at the genius that was Nina Simone.

Advantageous, 2015 (dir. Jennifer Phang)

Anyone looking for challenging genre cinema from a female filmmaker ought to jump on Netflix and watch this film right away. Set in the near future, this film takes a cold, hard look at today’s terrifying job market, as well as traditional gender roles, motherhood and the fears of women caused by sexism, ageism and desperation. A must see.

July will probably be just as crazy, as we have the 4th of July weekend and San Diego Comic Con followed in close succession, but I will keep watching films and you should keep following the hashtag #AYearWithWomen! I’ve got some big stuff in the hopper!