| Femme | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | Femme by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | James Rhodes |
| Edited by | Selina Macarthur |
| Music by | Adam Janota Bzowski |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Signature Entertainment |
Release dates |
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Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Femme is a 2023 British thriller film written and directed by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping in their feature debut. It is a feature-length adaptation of their BAFTA-nominated 2021 short film of the same name.
The film had its world premiere in the Panorama section of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on 19 February 2023. It is set to be released in cinemas in the United Kingdom on 1 December 2023 by Signature Entertainment.
Cast
- Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Jules
- George Mackay as Preston
- Aaron Heffernan
- John McCrea as Toby
- Asha Reid as Alicia
- Peter Clements
- Antonia Clarke as Molly
- Moe Bar-El as Donovan
Production
Harris Dickinson and Paapa Essiedu led the 2021 short. In May 2022, it was announced George Mackay and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett would lead the forthcoming feature-length adaptation.[1] Directors Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping credit producer Sam Ritzenberg and Agile Films founder Myles Payne helping them get the idea off the ground when they originally boarded the short.[2]
Principal photography began in London in June 2022.[1]
Release
Femme had its world premiere in the Panorama section of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on 19 February 2023.[3][4] In August 2023, Signature Entertainment acquired UK and Ireland distribution rights to the film.[5] It is set to be released in cinemas in the United Kingdom on 1 December 2023.[6]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Sexually charged and riddled with tension, Femme redresses the noir genre and may leave audiences biting their nails to the nub."[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[8]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Berlin International Film Festival | GWFF Best First Feature Award | Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping, Myles Payne, and Sam Ritzenberg | Nominated | |||||||||||
| Teddy Award for Best Feature Film | Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping | Nominated | |||||||||||||
| 2023 | British Independent Film Awards | Best Costume Design | Buki Ebiesuwa | Won | [9] | ||||||||||
| Best Make-Up & Hair Design | Marie Deehan | Won | |||||||||||||
| Best Cinematography | James Rhodes | Nominated | |||||||||||||
| Best Music | Adam Janota Bzowski | Nominated | |||||||||||||
| Best Music Supervision | Ciara Elwis | Nominated | |||||||||||||
| Best British Independent Film | Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping, Myles Payne, and Sam Ritzenberg | Pending | |||||||||||||
| Best Director | Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping | Pending | |||||||||||||
| Best Joint Lead Performance | Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay | Pending | |||||||||||||
| Best Screenplay | Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping | Pending | |||||||||||||
| The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director | Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping | Pending | |||||||||||||
| Best Debut Screenwriter | Pending | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Jerusalem Film Festival | Best International Debut | Nominated | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | Valladolid International Film Festival | Recoletas Award for Best Feature Film | Won | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | Zurich Film Festival | Best International Feature Film | Nominated | ||||||||||||
References
- 1 2 Yossman, K. J. (6 May 2022). "'1917's' George MacKay, 'Candyman's' Nathan Stewart-Jarrett Set to Star in Drag Queen Revenge Thriller 'Femme'". Variety. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (10 February 2023). ""There Are Rarely Queer Characters In These Films": How Directors Behind Berlin-Bound Thriller 'Femme' Wanted To Challenge Genre Stereotypes". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (18 January 2022). "Berlin: George MacKay, Béatrice Dalle, Fan Bingbing, Sandra Hüller & Joan Baez Movies Head To Fest". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ↑ "Programme – Femme". Berlin International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (16 August 2023). "Drag Queen Revenge Thriller 'Femme' Acquired for U.K., Ireland by Signature Entertainment (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
- ↑ Cooper, Brenna (18 October 2023). "First trailer for critically acclaimed drag queen thriller Femme". Digital Spy. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ↑ "Femme". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ↑ "Femme". Metacritic. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ↑ Dalton, Ben (November 20, 2023). "'All Of Us Strangers' leads Bifa 2023 craft winners with three awards; 'Femme', 'The Kitchen' take two each". Screen International. Retrieved November 20, 2023.