Jennifer Phang (Advantageous)
How often do were hear about male directors making a big splash at Sundance only to soon be picked up by a studio to direct a big blockbuster film. Hollywood loves the promise of talent when it comes to male filmmakers while women have to prove time and time again that their efforts are worthy and that they have the skill set to rise up and above the expectations placed upon them. There is little reason to justify why director Jennifer Phang isn’t a big name talent yet beyond the innate sexism of Hollywood. Her feature film Advantageous was a remarkably clever, beautifully acted and eerily shot, marrying the concepts of ageism, sexism and racism all into a sparse science fiction film. It was something stunning in its simplicity, with images guaranteed to haunt you for days after your first viewing. If she was able to take on such big, complex ideas while operating under a small budget, just think about what she could accomplish under the Disney helm with a property just as worthy of a complex gaze.
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