Considering this year’s Oscars have already entered the annals of being the most straight, white, male Academy Awards in recent history, it’s more important than ever to highlight women in film. Quarterly, we look at the films that are out and soon-to-be released and devise a list of must-see movies that feature queer female characters, strong women, actresses we love (some of whom play gay often --like Julianne Moore), and movies by female directors. While there aren’t a bumper crop of films about lesbian and bisexual women out this winter, you may be able to catch the lesbian-themed critical darling The Duke of Burgundy if you run to your nearest art house. Even so, we found 11 movies that feature strong female characters, and some that are even directed by women!

Grab your popcorn and Swedish Fish and go to town! 

In Theaters Now 

The Duke of Burgundy 

For queer women feeling left out of the whole50 Shades of Grey dominant/submissive zeitgeist there’s an answer in the form of The Duke of Burgundy, and it’s so much more thoughtful film than that big screen 50 Shades B.S. The Duke of Burgundy features a love affair between two women in which one is master and the other servant. The film, from director Peter Strickland, stars Sidse Babett Knudsenas as a wealthy entomologist who engages in a dom/sub relationship with her lover played by Chiara D’Anna. It’s not long before the audience realizes who really has all of the power. 

Girlhood 

From French director Céline Sciamma's, who previously gave us the queer-themed Water Lilies and Tomboy, comes another beautiful coming-of-age tale. The film follows 16-year-old Marieme as she navigates life as part of a sort of girl gang where friendships between young women play out in a microcosm. 

Two Days, One Night 

Oscar winner Marion Cotillard is a tour de force in this potboiler from Belgian wonder boy directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Cotillard plays a working class mom, Sandra, who's forced to take time off from her job at a solar panel factory due to a nervous breakdown. The opportunistic management at her company offers her coworkers extra money if they can collectively do her job in place of her. She has one weekend to convince 16 coworkers sorely in need of money that she deserves her job. 

Feb. 6 

Jupiter Ascending 

The Wachowski siblings famous for Bound and The Matrix Trilogy are back with another sci-fi thriller -- this one stars Mila Kunis as royalty and the possible heir to earth. Channing Tatum, Eddie Redmayne, and Sean Bean costar. But we really just have two words -- Mila Kunis. 

Feb. 20

The Duff 

Every generation needs its Mean Girls, Jawbreaker, Heathers etc... and this film might just be the one for this day and age. Bella Thorne plays the obligatory head mean girl while the beloved Mae Whitman (Parenthood, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Scott Pilgrim v. The World) plays the DUFF (designated ugly fat friend), who seeks to overcome that designation while finding true self along the way. The always-welcome Allison Janney plays her mom. 

Feb. 27 

The Lazarus Effect 

Olivia Wilde as her own kind of evil dead? Yes please! 

Maps to the Stars 

Oscar nominee for Still Alice, Julianne Moore, is never better than when she's playing unhinged (see Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Chloe), and she's she is off the chain in David Cronenberg's twisted paean to stardom. Julianne plays Havana, a near has-been actress who fights to remain relevant. Solipsism abounds! Mia Wasikowska stars as Havana's mysterious personal assistant who may or may not be pure evil. John Cusack, Robert Pattinson and Olivia Williams (Manhattan) costar. 

Everly 

Salma Hayek stars as Everly, a woman with a vendetta and a whole lot of weaponry. Sign us up. 

March 13

Cinderella 

The glorious Cate Blanchett walks a cat on a leash as Cinderella's evil step-mother. If that's not enough for the price of admission to Disney's live action rendition of the classic tale, then look no further than the remaining cast. Downton Abbey's Lily James (Lady Rose) plays Cinderella, while Helena Bonham Carter plays the fairy godmother and Agent Carter's Hayley Atwell plays Cinderella's mother. 

March 20 

Insurgent 

Are you Duantless, Amity, Candor or so on? Tris (Shailene Woodley) is back in the next Divergent installment, and this time she'll go toe-to-toe with the diabolical Jeanine (Kate Winslet). The killer cast also includes Ashley Judd, Octavia Spencer, Maggie Q, Zoe Kravitz, Naomi Watts, and Theo James and Ansel Elgort as the compulsory hunks. 

March 27

A Little Chaos

Speaking of Kate Winslet, she returns to form in this period piece directed by and starring Alan Rickman. Here's the snyposis according to a press release: "A strong-willed and talented landscape designer, who is chosen to build one of the main gardens at King Louis XIV’s new palace at Versailles. In her new position of power, she challenges gender and class barriers while also becoming professionally and romantically entangled with the court’s renowned landscape artist André Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts)." Plus, it's Kate Winslet!