Seniesa Estrada vs. Leonela Yudica (2023)

Netflix's new thriller Apex, starring Charlize Theron, puts a twist on survival horror. Despite its setting in the beautiful- yet-dangerous Australian wilderness, Apex is not a movie about man vs. nature. Instead, it’s woman vs. man. While checking out the title card and its unpretentious Netflix release might lead viewers to believe Apex is just another celebrity project churned out of the streaming machine, Apex - whether by luck or by intention - is a consistently harrowing film about the reality of being a woman in a public space. 

A recent look at gender and racial diversity in film shows some signs of progress. However, white men still make up the vast majority of actors and directors in top-grossing films.

The Vietnamese perspective is not only completely ignored in 'The Greatest Beer Run Ever', but it is blatantly whitewashed and disrespected. 

'Don't Make Me Go' is what you would expect, Wally and her father, Max, clash tremendously and don't understand each other. Although, it's very heartwarming.

As one of the women said in the film, friendship in your teens is “as important as any lover” and it’s clear they lived that philosophy throughout their early adult lives as well.

We chat with Penelope Lawson about her short film, The Dinner Party, her experience founding her own production company, and fun cinema.