The most amazing thing about the recurring slow-motion sequences of hovering hummingbirds in Every Little Thing is the stillness of their tiny heads, even as their wings flap and their little bodies shift in air. As Terry Masear tells us, among other remarkable things, the wings of a hummingbird flap fifty times per second. She rightly asks, how can you know this and not tap into some magical realism? It might be said that those who do tap into magical realism in our world have much of it in themselves.

There are two species of birds that always leave me awe-struck when I see them in person. One is the majestic bald eagle, a large bird of prey, and the other is the hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world.

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists highlights movies made by and about women. With a vigilant eye toward current releases, we maintain an interactive record of films that are pertinent to our interests. Be they female-made or female-centric productions, they are films that represent a wide range of women’s stories and present complex female characters. As such, they are movies that will most likely be reviewed on AWFJ.org and will qualify for consideration for our annual EDA Awards, celebrating exceptional women working in film behind and in front of the camera.

WILD HOPE: Mission Impossible is a "real-world case study" on turning high-emission animal farms into carbon-capturing forests.

Pat Brown, the founder and CEO of plant-based meat company Impossible Foods, is the subject of a new documentary about his attempt to turn cattle ranches into forests. 

The film, titled WILD HOPE: Mission Impossible, follows Brown and scientist Michael Eisen as they investigate how to convert former cattle ranches into biodiverse, carbon-capturing forests on a thousand-acre property in Arkansas they name “The Carbon Ranch.”

No species exists in a vacuum. It is part of a community, dependent on its neighbors for survival. That’s why recent news that the red-cockaded woodpecker has been moved from endangered to threatened is a reason to celebrate. It also comes with a note of caution and concern for its future.

Exclusive: Sally Aitken’s delicate, immensely touching documentary “Every Little Thing" follows hummingbird rescuer (and real-life hero) Terry Masear through a season of saving some of our most delightful creatures.

For nearly a year, a series of names have buzzed around my brain like so many tiny birds: Cactus. Wasabi. Larry Bird. How are they? What are they doing? Where are they? Spend any amount of time with Sally Aitken’s delicate, immensely touching documentary “Every Little Thing,” and you’ll fall to the same obsessions and curiosities.

Impossible Foods advances its mission to combat climate change with new strides in European regulatory approvals, legal victories, and a focus on sustainable land use initiatives.

It’s been more than five years since Impossible Foods, the California plant-based meat producer, first applied for European approval of its novel burgers. 

Taira Malaney’s “Turtle Walker” (2024) revolves around Satish Bhaskar, an Indian biologist who devoted his life to preserving sea turtles. Although a biographical tale based on Bhaskar’s life, director Malaney treats his story like a fantasy adventure tale. From the get-go, it looks like a Ghibli film where refreshing colors grab your attention through neatly-composed frames. The sand appears in the prettiest tones of ochre while the sky and the ocean bring out tones of aquamarine almost with a pastel-like softness on a paper sheet.