Highly Impressive First Films
I really like finding the first films made by established directors and writers and during the pandemic I started trying to find and watch really great first films by directors and writers who aren't famous yet. These are some of my favorites I discovered while at home during 2020-2021. ** NOT FULLY ORDERED YET **
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- DirectorEmerald FennellStarsCarey MulliganBo BurnhamAlison BrieNothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be - she's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living a secret double life. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs from the past.
- DirectorRemi WeekesStarsSope DirisuWunmi MosakuMalaika Wakoli-AbigabaA refugee couple makes a harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan, but then they struggle to adjust to their new life in an English town that has an evil lurking beneath the surface.
- DirectorChanning Godfrey PeoplesStarsNicole BeharieLiz MikelMarcus M. MauldinA former beauty queen and single mom prepares her rebellious teenage daughter for the "Miss Juneteenth" pageant.
- DirectorRegina KingStarsKingsley Ben-AdirEli GoreeAldis HodgeA fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the Civil Rights Movement and cultural upheaval of the 60s.
- DirectorDarius MarderStarsRiz AhmedOlivia CookePaul RaciDuring a series of adrenaline-fueled gigs, itinerant punk-metal drummer Ruben begins to experience hearing loss. When a specialist tells him his condition will rapidly worsen, he thinks his music career - and with it his life - is over.
- DirectorBenjamin BryantStarsDavid Eggers IIJordan GettyCate LunaWith his life back East upended, a young man escapes to the electric anonymity of Las Vegas. When an intriguing offer puts him on an unexpected path, he learns how easily things left unresolved find a way of forcing their own resolution.
- DirectorEdson OdaStarsWinston DukeZazie BeetzBenedict WongA reclusive man conducts a series of interviews with human souls for a chance to be born.
- DirectorFran KranzStarsJason IsaacsMartha PlimptonAnn DowdThe parents of both the shooter and one of the victims of a school shooting tragedy agree to meet and talk in an attempt to move forward.
- DirectorsChad BaragerKevin SpeckmaierStarsNick WittmanAndrea StefancikovaYaroslav PoverloA woman's inheritance leads her to Eastern Europe to uncover a dark and disturbing family secret.
- DirectorMaggie GyllenhaalStarsOlivia ColmanJessie BuckleyDakota JohnsonA woman's beach vacation takes a dark turn when she begins to confront the troubles of her past.
- DirectorLauren HadawayStarsIsabelle FuhrmanAmy ForsythDiloneA college freshman joins her university's rowing team and undertakes an obsessive physical and psychological journey to make it to the top varsity boat, no matter the cost.
- DirectorRebecca HallStarsTessa ThompsonRuth NeggaAndré Holland"Passing" follows the unexpected reunion of two high school friends, whose renewed acquaintance ignites a mutual obsession that threatens both of their carefully constructed realities.
- DirectorMichael SarnoskiStarsNicolas CageAlex WolffAdam ArkinA truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregon wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.
- DirectorAmalia UlmanStarsAle UlmanAmalia UlmanNacho VigalondoAmidst the devastation of post-crisis Spain, mother and daughter bluff and grift to keep up the lifestyle they think they deserve, bonding over common tragedy and an impending eviction.
- DirectorCharlène FavierStarsNoée AbitaJérémie RenierMarie DenarnaudUnder the guidance of a strict ex champion, a promising 15 year old girl trains as a professional skiing star.Will she be able to endure the physical and emotional pressures?
- DirectorsJoe DenardoPaul FeltenStarsStephanie HayesChloë SevignyScott ShepherdAfter her relationship with intelligence agent Gerard ends terribly, tired and disillusioned actress Stephanie hides in a house where a band is working on a record, which proves to be less of an escape than she imagined.
- DirectorsQuestloveHal TulchinStarsDorinda DrakeBarbara Bland-AcostaDarryl LewisDocumentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.
- DirectorShatara Michelle FordStarsBrittany S. HallWill BrillGail BeanTest Pattern follows an interracial couple whose relationship is put to the test after a Black woman is sexually assaulted and her White boyfriend drives her from hospital to hospital in search of a rape kit.
- DirectorGlenn BaritStarsIanna TaguinodLeomar BaloranJulian NaragDifferent students from a high school cleaners group each deal with different pressures of being clean and pure while also discovering that the world is dirty and superficial to begin with.
- DirectorKatie FoundStarsArthur AngelMarkella KavenaghSteve MouzakisIsolated Claudia hides away on a remote property after her mother's death. Shocked when spirited local teen Grace appears in her garden, the pair find support and love in each other.
