Signature Move


A new romance with Alma forces Zaynab to confront her relationship with her recently widowed mother who escapes to TV dramas and finding her daughter a husband. In this coming-of-age Muslim melodrama, Zaynab copes by taking up Lucha-style wrestling.

One of “The 50 Most Anticipated American Films of 2017”
—Filmmaker Magazine

Grand Jury Prize – Best U.S. Narrative Feature
Outfest Los Angeles

Best Feature – American Spectrum
Hoosier Lens
Indy Film Fest

Best Feature
Columbus International Film + Video Festival

Audience Award – Best Feature
Connecticut LGBT Film Festival

Best Direction – Jennifer Reeder
Audience Award – Best Actress in a Feature – Fawzia Mirza
Film Out San Diego LGBT Film Festival

Jury Award Best Women’s Feature
Audience Award Best Women’s Feature Film
North Carolina Gay + Lesbian Film Festival

Jury Award : Writer, Producer, Actor – Fawzia Mirza
Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival

Best Comedy
Q Cinema: Fort Worth LGBT International Film Festival

Audience Award-Best Feature
Image+Nation Montreal LGBT Film Festival

Best Performance in a Female Role – Fawzia Mirza
Iris Prize Film Festival

Best Director -Jennifer Reeder
Best Cinematography – Christopher Rejano

Midwest Independent Film Festival’s Best of the Midwest Awards

News


Media coverage of the feature film Signature Move

25 of the Best Lesbian Films of All Time (Harper’s Bazaar) June 2022

Marching Shoulder to Shoulder: A Conversation with Cinema Legend and Activist Shabana Azmi on the Eve of her Chicago Debut in “Signature Move” (Newcity) October 2017

Signature Move Is a Queer Love Affair that Crosses Cultures and Chicago Neighborhoods (Chicago magazine) October 2017

Interview: Chicago director Jennifer Reeder on her new film “Signature Move” (Time Out Chicago) September 26, 2017

Nunn on One: Film: Fawzia Mirza shows viewers “Signature Move” (Windy City Times) September 20, 2017

Jennifer Reeder’s Successive Moves: A First Feature, “Signature Move,” And Beyond (Newcity, Chicago) September 18, 2017

Filmmaker and educator Jennifer Reeder hones her signature moves (Chicago Tribune) September 16, 2017

Women Who Film (Village Voice) September 13, 2017

Jennifer Reeder on filmmaking for social justice (The Skinny, UK), September 8, 2017

Review: Signature Move  (Room) August, 2017

Review: VQFF 2017: Signature Move (Geist) August, 2017

Review: Play the Devil and Signature Move at VQFF (SAD) July 27, 2017

Meet the Queer Filmmaker Who Did Feminist Wrestling Before ‘Glow’ (Vice), July 21, 2017

Indy Film Fest, in review (Indianapolis NUVO) July 20, 2017

Signature Move pins down tough relationship and cultural questions at OUTeast Film Festival (LocalXpress, Halifax, Canada) June 14, 2017

Fawzia Mirza talks about Signature Move (Queer Guru) June 14, 2017

[The Daily] BAMcinemaFest 2017 (The Criterion Collection) June 14, 2017

Filmmaker Jennifer Reeder on Lesbian Film, Signature Move (WMOR Healing Wisdom Podcast, Providence, RI) June 8, 2017 

Subverting the Narrative (The Hindu, Chennai, India) June 1, 2017

Inside Out 2017 Profile: Jennifer Reeder (The Muff Blog) May 26, 2017

In ‘Signature Move’ film, queer identity, wrestling, secrets and Shabana Azmi for a mother (Scroll.in) May 27, 2017

Writer-Actor-Producer Fawzia Mirza On Her Latest “Signature Move” (Gaysi) May 23, 2017 

Inside Out: Signature Move, directed by Jennifer Reeder (She Does the City/Toronto) May 18, 2017

Shabana Azmi-starrer film is curtain raiser for Mumbai’s LGBT festival, Kashish 2017(Mid-Day/Mumbai) May 12, 2017

Shabana Azmi’s film will open South Asia’s biggest LGBTQ film festival  (BollywoodTrade.com) May 12, 2017

Amazon Acquires Rights to 40 Films From SXSW, Paying $1.9 Million-Plus in Cash Bonuses (Variety) May 10, 2017

Terms of Endearment: Canadian writer-actor-comic of Pakistani origin, Fawzia Mirza, says the peculiarity of the mother-daughter relationship in ‘desi’ families inspired Signature Move, the opening film of the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival this year. (The Indian Express) May 9, 2017

Fawzia Mirza’s “Signature Move” Has All the Right Moves Indeed (Bella Books) April 27, 2017

Review: Signature Move/MiFo Film Festival (Miami Edge) April 17, 2017

‘Signature Move’: Pakistani Muslims, Lesbians, and Luchadora Wrestlers Have More in Common Than You Think (No Film School) April 6, 2017

Signature Move: A Review (ALotOnMyMind) April 4, 2017

Finding Love Beyond Borders (The Daily of the Cleveland International Film Festival) April 2, 2017

Director Jennifer Reeder and stars Fawzia Mirza and Sari Sanchez of Signature Move sat down to talk about their new film and SXSW (Kronik TV), March 30, 2017

Filmmaking as Social Justice: How ‘Signature Move’ Breaks Queer Stereotypes (Broadly/VICE) March 29, 2017

Jennifer Reeder Talks About Signature Move (Queer Guru) March 29, 2017

67 Killer Photos Of The Biggest Stars At SXSW (BuzzFeed) March 27, 2017

Signature Move Review: Jennifer Reeder Revives the 90’s New Queer Cinema (Sight & Sound) March 29, 2017

SXSW 2017: Mark’s Film Festival Recap (True Reviews; Signature Move in Top Ten), March 22, 2017

SXSW Review: Assholes Watching Movies March, 21, 2017

SXSW Film Review: Signature Move (Anon Magazine) March 13, 2017

The ladies behind Signature Move talk lucha libre, Texas and losing their SXSW virginity (ATX Gossip/Austin, Texas) March 7, 2017

Cultures and Sexuality Wrestle in ‘Signature Move’ (DNA India) February 23, 2017

Muslim Melodrama’s Signature Move (SXSW World) February 2017

The 50 Most Anticipated Films of 2017 (Filmmaker Magazine) January 16, 2017

SXSW Film Reveals Terrence Malick’s Song To Song As Opening Night Film & Six More Titles (SXSW Conference) January 5, 2017

A look at TV shows, movies filmed in Chicago set to air in 2017 (Chicago Tribune) December 30, 2016

She’s got the moves (The Express Tribune/Pakistan) September 26, 2016

Breaking the Mold (India Abroad) September 9, 2016

Chicago’s Fawzia Mirza on her ‘Signature Move’ (Windy City Times/Chicago) September 7, 2016

Love, Family, Pro Wrestling Enter the Ring in ‘Signature Move’ (NBC News) August 30, 2016

Continue reading “News”

Screenings


Theatrical Engagements

Past

Chicago: Music Box Theatre September 29 through October 12; Regal Webster Place 11 October 20 through October 26
New York City: Village East, October 13 through October 19
Wilmette, IL: Wilmette Theatre October 20 through October 26

Seattle: Northwest Film Forum November 10-11
Potsdam, NY: Cinema 10 at the Roxy November 27
Los Angeles (Beverly Hills): Laemmle Music Hall 3 February 9-15

Film Festivals and Special Events

Upcoming

BKKSR (Bangkok)//July 5-8
Cairns Queer Film Festival (Australia)//July 21

Past

SXSW (Austin, Texas: World Premiere)// March 10-18
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival // March 14 – 19
BFI Flare Film Festival (London: International Premiere & Closing Night) // March 16 -26
Cleveland International Film Festival // March 29 – April 9
Wicked Queer: The Boston LGBT Film Festival (Opening Night) // March 30 – April 9
Athens International Film + Video Festival // April 3 -9
Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival// April 13-29
Columbus International Film + Video Festival (Opening Night) // April 19 – 23
Nashville Film Festival  // April 20-29
OUTshine Miami Film Festival (Ladies Spotlight) // April 21-30
Phi Centre Montreal //May 2
Festival Cinepride (Nantes, France) // May 13
Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (Opening Night) // May 24-28
Inside Out Toronto (Women’s Gala)// May 27
TLVFest: Tel Aviv GLBT Film Festival//June 1-10
Out Film CT: Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Festival//June 2-10
Film Out San Diego (Girls Centerpiece) // June 11
Provincetown Film Festival //June 14-18

Freiburger Lesbenfilmtage (Opening Night)//June 14-18
BAMcinemaFest//
June 14-25

OUTeast Queer Film Festival (Halifax)//June 15-18
Festival MIX Milano//June 15-18
Frameline San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival
//June 23-24

Out Here Now: The Kansas City LGBT Film Festival//June 22-29
LesGaiCineMad (Madrid)//June 26-30
Outfest Los Angeles//
July 6-16
Rainbow Reel Tokyo//July 8-17

Indy Film Festival (Indianapolis)//July 13-23
Damn These Heels: LGBTQ Film Festival (Salt Lake City)//July 14-17
Prairie Pride Film Festival (Lincoln, NE)//July 20-22

L Fest (London)//July 21-24
Asian American International Film Festival (New York)//July 26-August 5

Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (Mississauga, Ontario)//August 3-6
Gaze. LGBT Film Festival (Dublin)//August 3-7

Festival Internacional de Cine de America Hidalgo (Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico)//August 5-9
North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (Women’s Centerpiece)//August 10-13
Vancouver Queer Film Festival//August 10-20
Kaleidoscope LGBT Film Festival (Little Rock, AR)//August 11-19
aGLIFF (Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival)//September 9
QFilms (Long Beach, CA)//September 7-10
Faroe Islands International Minority Film Festival (Closing Night Film)//September 7-10
North Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival//September 8-15
Outflix Film Festival (Memphis)//September 9-14
Perth International Queer Film Festival//September 16
Oslo Fusion International Film Festival//September 19-20
Calgary International Film Festival//September 20-October 1
Fresno Reel Pride//September 22
Florence Queer Film Festival//September 26-October 1
Cinema Queer Stockholm//September 27-October 1
Out on Film (Atlanta)//September 28-October 8
Portland Queer Film Festival (Portland, OR) //September 29-October 5
Scottish Queer International Film Festival (Closing Night)//October 1
Image Out: The Rochester LGBT Film Festival (Rochester, NY) // October 5-15
Rainbow Film Festival: Shropshire LGBT Film Festival (England, UK) // October 6-8
Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival//October 7
Activate: Eau Queer Film Festival (Eau Claire, WI)//October 10-14
The Iris Prize Festival (Cardiff, England, UK)//October 12
Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival With Star//October 12-18
TWIST Seattle Queer Film Festival//October 12-22
LIGLFF: Long Island Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (New York)//October 13-15
SIGLFF: Sacramento International LGBTQ Film Festival//October 13-15
Reel Q Pittsburgh LGBT Film Festival // October 13-21
Way Out West Film Fest (Albuquerque, NM)//October 13-22
Rainbow Reels Queer and Trans Film Festival (Kitchener, Ontario)//October 19-21
Reel Affirmations Film Festival (Washington, DC)//October 19-22
QCinema International Film Festival (Quezon City, Philippines)//October 19-28
Hamburg International Queer Film Festival//October 21
Fusion Film Festival (NYU, New York City)//October 22
Vinokino Turku: The Finnish Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (Finland)//October 22-November 12
Gender Bender Festival (Bologna, Italy)//October 25-November 5
LesGaiCineMad (Madrid, Spain)// October 26-November 12
MIX Copenhagen (Denmark)//October 27-November 5
Twin Cities Film Festival (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota)//October 28
Cineffable Paris Lesbian & Feminist Film Festival (France)//November 2-5
Rainbow Visions (Edmonton, Canada)//November 2-5
Dallas VideoFest Alternative Fiction (Texas)//November 2-5
Driftless Film Festival (Mineral Point, WI)//November 2-5
Queersicht LGBTI Filmfestival Bern (Switzerland)//November 2-8
Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival//November 2-12
OUTwatch : Wine Country’s LGBTQI Film Festival (Santa Rosa, CA)//November 3
Q Cinema: Fort Worth LGBT International Film Festival (Texas)//November 3-4
Cucalorus Film Festival (Wilmington, NC)//November 8-12
Transition International Queer Minorities Film Festival (Vienna, Austria)//November 9-17
Outburst Queer Arts Festival (Belfast, Ireland) // November 9-18
PAAFF: Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival//November 9-19
Inside Out Ottawa LGBT Film Festival (Ontario, Canada)//November 10-12
Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati (Ohio)//November 10-12
Chéries Chéris Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer and ++++ from Paris (France)//November 14-21
Regent Park Film Festival (Toronto)//November 15-18
Festival MIX Brasil (São Paulo, Brazil)//November 15-26
Holebi Film Festival (Belgium)//November 10-December 3
Norrköping Film Festival Flimmer (Sweden)//November 22-28
Image Nation: Montreal Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans Film Festival//November 23-December 3
Bloomington Pride Film Festival (Indiana)//January 25-27
Femme Film Fridays at the Bullock Texas State History Museum (Austin, Texas) //January 26, 2018
The Victoria Film Festival (British Columbia)//February 2-February 11
Toulouse LGBT Film Festival (France)//February 5-February 27
Desperado LGBT Film Festival (Phoenix, Arizona)//February 9-February 11
Sioux Falls Indievents (South Dakota)//February 14, 2018
Queer Screen’s Mardi Gras Film Festival (Sydney, Australia) // February 17, 2018
Reel Representation (Maitland, Florida)//February 17-February 18, 2018
Seattle Asian American Film Festival (Opening Night)//February 22, 2018
BAAD! Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance//February 24, 2018
Desi Lesbians: Where Are You? (London)//February 25, 2018
Latino Film Festival: Latinx Spaces (University of Indiana, Bloomington) // March 2, 2018
NYC Feminist Film Week//March 6-March 11, 2018
Roze Filmdagen: Amsterdam LGBTQ Film Festival//March 8-March 18, 2018
Women’s Film Festival (Brattleboro, VT)//March 9-25, 2018
San Diego Latino Film Festival//March 15-25, 2018
Melbourne Queer Film Festival (Australia)//March 15-26, 2018
Green Mountain Film Festival (Montpelier, VT)//March 16-25, 2018
Aks International Minorities Festival (Pakistan)//March 17, 2018
Out on Screen (Stevens Point, WI)//April 6, 2018
Clexacon (Las Vegas )//April 5-9
Outview (Athens, Greece)//April 20
Exeter Pride (UK)//April 24
Rehoboth Beach Film Society (Delaware)//April 26
Palm Springs International Film Society//April 26
REEL Out Charlotte//May 20
Fairy Tales (Calgary)//May 25
HAAPIFEST (Houston)//May 31

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