ALL POSTS
“As I Open My Eyes” Writer-Director Leyla Bouzid on Arab Women and Revolution
Interview by Siân Melton Leyla Bouzid is a Tunisian born and raised filmmaker. She studied French literature at the University of Paris and film directing at La Fémis. Her shorts...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Alison Maclean — “The Rehearsal”
Alison Maclean’s credits include “Crush,” “Jesus’s Son,” and “Kitchen Sink.” She was born in Canada and raised in New Zealand. “The Rehearsal” will premiere at the 2016 Toronto...
Julianne Moore Cast as Opera Singer in “Bel Canto” Adaptation
Oscar-winner Julianne Moore is set to play a world-famous American soprano in an upcoming adaptation of Ann Patchett’s “Bel Canto.” Directed by Paul Weitz , the film finds Moore’s Roxanne...
“Arrival” is Amy Adams’ Movie, and Jeremy Renner Knew That
Jeremy Renner hasn’t exactly been America’s sweetheart. He came under fire in 2015 when he and fellow Avenger, Chris Evans, called Scarlett Johansson’s character Black Widow a “slut” and a...
TIFF 2016 Preview: Women-Directed Films About Athletes, Geniuses, and Cannibals
“A United Kingdom” The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off today, and with nearly 30 percent of the program helmed by women (if you include shorts), there’s lots to look forward to....
Margaret Atwood Releases Graphic Novel
Literary icon Margaret Atwood has released her first graphic novel, Dark Horse Comics’ “Angel Catbird.” The story, The A.V. Club reports, follows, “the tale of Strig Feleedus, a genetic...
Trailer Watch: “My Art” Explores Life as a Female Artist at Age 65
Laurie Simmons might be extra famous for being Lena Dunham’s mom, but for decades she’s had a successful artistic career of her own. Now she’s returning to film in “My Art,” which follows...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Ann Marie Fleming — “Window Horses”
Ann Marie Fleming is an independent Eurasian-Canadian filmmaker, writer, and artist. She has created award-winning work in a variety of genres, and often focuses on the themes of family, history,...
New Research Shows Gender Equality in Hollywood is Stalled
Credit: MDSC Initiative We spend every day at Women and Hollywood educating, advocating, and agitating for gender equality in Hollywood and the global film industry. We know that while there has been...
Melissa McCarthy Developing Family Comedy Series for Fox
Though her hit comedy series “Mike and Molly” was cancelled, Melissa McCarthy isn’t leaving the TV world any time soon. According to Variety, McCarthy is developing a family comedy for Fox as...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Anne Émond — “Nelly”
Anne Émond lives and works in Montreal. Between 2005 and 2011, she wrote and directed seven short films, “Naissances” and “Sophie Lavoie” among them, which screened at several international...
“Heathers” Receives a Pilot Order, Leslye Headland to Direct
Beloved 80s cult classic “Heathers” is being made into an anthology series. The project has received a pilot order, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Leslye Headland (“Sleeping With Other...
The Revolutionary “Fun Home” Ends Its Broadway Run
The Original Broadway Cast of “Fun Home”: Joan Marcus Many will feel the loss when “Fun Home,” 2015’s Tony Award winner for Best Musical, closes on Saturday. I know I will. For roughly 17...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Petra Epperlein — “Karl Marx City”
Petra Epperlein and her co-director/husband Michael Tucker’s previous films include “The Last Cowboy,” “Gunner Palace,” “The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair,”...
Fall 2016 Film Preview
By Rachel Montpelier and Kate Gardner Summer might be over, but the impressive array of fall movie releases guarantees you won’t succumb to the back-to-school and work blues quite yet. The fall...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Ralitza Petrova — “Godless”
Ralitza Petrova studied Directing at the National Film and Television School in the UK. Her films have won acclaim at film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, and Locarno. In 2007 she was awarded the...
The Bold Directorial Sisterhood of “Queen Sugar”
“Queen Sugar”: OWN In the television season that concluded last year, show episodes directed by non-white women made up a whopping three percent of the total. White women, meanwhile, were a...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Susan Johnson — “Carrie Pilby”
Susan Johnson is an Independent Spirit Award winning filmmaker. “Carrie Pilby” marks her feature directorial debut. After a successful career as a music video director, Johnson has produced 10...
Trailer Watch: “Below Her Mouth” Benefited From an All-Female Crew
Sometimes kicking the men off set leads to a more authentic performance, and that’s exactly what “Below Her Mouth” was going for, as is revealed in its steamy new trailer. The film was...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Hope Dickson Leach— “The Levelling”
Born in Hong Kong and educated in the UK, Hope Dickson Leach completed her MFA in filmmaking at Columbia University in New York. Her award-winning thesis film, “The Dawn Chorus,” played at...
Take Part in the #DirectedByWomen Worldwide Film Viewing Party
Call September Women’s Cinema History Month. #DirectedByWomen is hosting a month-long Worldwide Film Viewing Party to celebrate and recognize the thousands of films, television shows, web series,...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Maren Ade — “Toni Erdmann”
Maren Ade‘s second feature, “Everyone Else,” won two Silver Bears at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival: the Grand Jury Prize and Best Actress for Birgit Minichmayr. The modern relationship drama...
“Bad Moms” Passes the $100 Million Mark
“Bad Moms” has passed the $100 million benchmark at the domestic box office, Forbes reports. The film sees Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, and Kathryn Hahn playing three mothers who endeavor to stop...
Maggie Gyllenhaal Working on Victoria Woodhull Project for Television
Maggie Gyllenhaal is reportedly working on a project focused on Victoria Woodhull, a leader of the American suffrage movement who ran for president in 1872. No news has officially been announced,...
“Nocturnal Animals”: First Reviews and Twitter Reactions (Updated)
Amy Adams was on double-duty this Venice as the female lead in both Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival” (see reviews and reactions here) and Tom Ford’s “Nocturnal Animals.” Her festival...
“Arrival” Festival Reviews and Twitter Reactions (Updated)
Starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, Denis Villeneuve’s brainy sci-fi thriller “Arrival” is receiving strong buzz after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Following “Sicario,”...
Trailer Watch: Family Drama Fuels Hope Dickson Leach’s “The Levelling”
A young woman returns home under terrible circumstances in “The Levelling,” writer-director Hope Dickson Leach’s feature debut. A tense trailer has been released for the drama, starring...
Watch: Women & Hollywood Founder Melissa Silverstein Talks Gender Equality
Earlier this summer, Women and Hollywood’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief Melissa Silverstein spoke at the Natalie Miller Fellowship event in Melbourne, Australia. The Fellowship, named in honor of...
Weekly Update for September 2: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“White Girl” Films About Women Opening This Week White Girl — Written and Directed by Elizabeth Wood (Opens in NY; Opens in LA September 9 and nationwide September 16) Street-wise college...
Going to TIFF? Join Women & Hollywood and Many Others for Happy Hour Event
Women and Hollywood is joining 11 other women’s film and television organizations, film festivals, media outlets, and production companies at the Toronto International Film Festival to continue...
Dutch Animated Short Film by Digna van der Put Joins the Oscar Race
Dutch animated short “Parade” by Digna van der Put has been selected by a film committee in The Netherlands for submission into the Best Animated Short Film category for the Academy Awards. Van...
Trailer Watch: Kristen Stewart Teaches Her First Class in “Certain Women”
“It’s so lovely to think that, if I were a man, people would listen and say OK. That’d be so restful,” says Laura Dern in the new trailer for Kelly Reichardt’s “Certain Women.”...
“Pitch Perfect 3” Director Announced
The Barden Bellas have secured a captain to steer them towards box-office glory. A new director for “Pitch Perfect 3” has been named after its original helmer, Elizabeth Banks, pulled out due to...
Watch: Alicia Keys Pens Song for “Queen of Katwe”
Fifteen-time Grammy award-winner Alicia Keys is teaming up with Disney’s “Queen of Katwe.” Keys recorded a new song titled “Back to Life” for Mira Nair’s hotly anticipated underdog story...
Message Received: Jyn Featured Heavily in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” Toy Line
It looks like we won’t be seeing a #WheresJyn? hashtag come December when “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” premieres. The toy companies seem to have gotten the message that, not only do girls...
BFI London Announces 2016 Fest Lineup: “Queen of Katwe,” “Divines,” and More
The program for the 2016 BFI London Film Festival has been revealed. As previously announced, Amma Asante’s “A United Kingdom” will open the 60th edition of the fest. Based on a a true story,...
“Better Things” Gives Pamela Adlon a Turn to Shine — and Snark
Pamela Adlon in “Better Things”: FX Pamela Adlon, a writer and actress who ought to be way more famous than she is, finally gets her own show, the dark comedy “Better Things,” debuting...
Judge Judy Developing Scripted Series
The eminently quotable star of “Judge Judy” is entering the world of scripted television. Judy Sheindlin, arguably the U.S.’s most recognizable judge, is developing a drama series at CBS,...
“La La Land” First Reviews and Twitter Reactions (Updated)
August 31 marked not only the end of an overly heated month (both on and off the web), but also the beginning of this year’s fall festival season. That’s right. It’s Venice (#Venezia73) time....
Trailer Watch: Isabelle Huppert Fights Back in “Elle”
Isabelle Huppert’s latest film “Elle” is bound to be considered controversial. Telling the story of a woman’s reaction to and actions after being violently raped, the story veers into...
Attention, Female Filmmakers: CIR Now Taking Applications for Two Opportunities
The Center for Investigative Reporting is now accepting applications for two new opportunities for women in film — one geared towards filmmakers early in their careers, and the other for more...