For Your Consideration - Boss Lady Edition

For Your Consideration is a weekly round-up of upcoming indie limited releases. The idea is to either expose you to or remind you of films that can't afford to plaster their posters on the sides of buildings or accompany your Happy Meal in toy form.

This weeks indie offerings combine to form a relative rarity in the world of cinema - an overwhelmingly female directed line-up of movies. From war films to horror crime films, these ladies aren't afraid to step into the boy's club of genre film-making. It's also interesting to note that the sole romantic drama on the list is also directed by the sole male director.

THE HURT LOCKER
What: The eighth feature length effort from director Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break, Near Dark). Based on true events, The Hurt Locker follows three members of the Army's elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad as they fight insurgents - and each other - on their quest through Baghdad to find and disarm a series of roadside bombs.

Where: Arclight Hollywood, The Landmark in Los Angeles and AMC Loews Lincoln Square 12 and Landmark Theatres Sunshine in New York City

Why: Nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and sweeping every other award it was up for at the event, The Hurt Locker has been building a lot of buzz across the festival circuit. Directed by a woman who has never been afraid to express herself in traditionally male genres and starring some of the most underrated actors in Hollywood including headliner Jeremy Renner this is exactly the kind of film worth supporting.

SURVEILLANCE

What: The second film by director Jennifer Lynch and her first in 16 years, Surveillance tells the tale of two FBI agents trying to hunt down a serial killer. They enlist the help of three of the killer's would-be victims - but their stories feature nothing but contradictions and confusion.

Where: A week long limited engagement at the Nuart in Los Angeles and an unspecified run at the Cinema Village 12th Street in New York.

Why: Since David Lynch seems to be taking a sojourn away from the world of films, why not settle down with Surveillance for a dose of Lynch family existential horror?

CHERI

What: Stephen Frear's latest outing, Cheri is a romantic drama set in 1920s Paris. Forced to stop seeing the older woman who taught him to love, the son of a courtesan begins to live in his own fantasy world.

Where: The Royal Theater and Playhouse 7 in Los Angeles and The Paris Theater, Kew Gardens Cinema, Angelika Film Center and Clearview Chelsea in New York.

Why: On the plus side, it is Stephen Frear's latest movie. On the negative side, I'm burnt out on period romantic dramas.

AFGHAN STAR

What: Havana Marking's first feature length documentary. After 30 years of Taliban rule, pop Idol has reached Afghanistan. Afghan Star follows four contestants striving to become the nation's favorite singers on the wildly successful new 'Afghan Star' television program.

Where: Cinema Village in New York.

Why: If you enjoy documentaries on often unreported subjects, you should find some value about the democratic process of a pop talent show being introduced to a conservative country trying to find it's bearing after years of oppressive rule.