#Women Directors
Katie Aselton on Directing Diane Keaton & Telling a Grounded Body-Switch Story in “Mack & Rita”
Katie Aselton is perhaps best known for her starring role as Jenny in the FX comedy “The League.” She made her directorial debut with “The Freebie,” which she also wrote and starred...
Women’s Weekend Film Challenge Returns to Host Fifth Edition
The grassroots women-in-film initiative Women’s Weekend Film Challenge (WWFC) is set to host its fifth edition today, August 11, through August 14 in New York City. The challenge will see 180...
Films from Kamila Andini and Chandler Levack Picked Up for Distribution
Kamila Andini’s latest film, period drama “Before, Now & Then,” has secured distribution, with Film Movement picking it up for the North American market. Variety broke the...
Trailer Watch: Marriage & Death Are Equally Appealing in “Catherine Called Birdy,” Lena Dunham’s TIFF Pic
Lady Catherine, who prefers to called Birdy (Bella Ramsey), does not want to get married. Can you blame her? She’s only in her teens and her father (Andrew Scott) just wants her to get hitched...
Women Directed 41 Percent of New York Film Fest’s 2022 Main Slate
The New York Film Festival (NYFF) has lined up titles from Kelly Reichardt, Claire Denis, Alice Diop, Joanna Hogg, and more for its Main Slate this year. Overall, women directed or co-directed 13 of...
Trailer Watch: Love Is Rekindled & Secrets Resurface for Sigourney Weaver in “The Good House”
“I feel like myself with you,” says Hildy Good (Sigourney Weaver) in the new trailer for “The Good House.” “Usually I only feel like myself when I have a drink in my...
Trailer Watch: Two Teen Girls “Do Revenge” in Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s Latest
If you’re questioning the grammatical structure of the title of Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s new film, “Do Revenge,” Camila Mendes’s Drea — who coins the term in the...
Mary Harron’s “Dalíland” Set as TIFF 2022’s Closing Night Gala Film
The 2022 Toronto International Film Festival will be bookended by films directed by women. A couple weeks after the fest unveiled Sally El Hosaini’s “The Swimmers” as its Opening Night Gala, it...
Sundance Institute and TAAF Announce Inaugural AAPI Fellowship and Scholarship Awardees
The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and the Sundance Institute have teamed up to launch a new fellowship and scholarship for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists, in order to provide...
Awards Roundup: Honors for Dede Gardner, Sara Summa, and Milena Aboyan
Powerhouse producer Dede Gardner is set to be honored later this year at Austin Film Festival. According to a press release, she will be awarded the Polly Platt Award for Producing at the...
Taskovski Films Nabs Susanna della Sala’s Locarno Pic “Last Stop Before Chocolate Mountain”
More announcements out of Locarno: Susanna della Sala’s “Last Stop Before Chocolate Mountain,” which is due to have its premiere at the fest August 9 as part of the Critics Week section, has...
Camilla Nielsson’s Political Doc “President” Banned in Zimbabwe
Camilla Nielsson’s “President,” a documentary following Nelson Chamisa’s challenge to incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa during Zimbabwe’s 2018 presidential race — the...
Trailer Watch: A Group of Plus-Sized Women Summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in Ida Rodriguez Joglar’s Doc “Kili Big”
“It seems to me that there is a subtle suggestion that climbing a mountain is the reserve of the gym junkie and smaller bodied individuals,” says one of the women at the center of...
Trailer Watch: Laura Mora Centers a Found Family in Her San Sebastián Pic “The Kings of the World”
Featuring a roster of non-professional actors, Laura Mora’s San Sebastián-bound “The Kings of the World” (“Los Reyes del Mundo”) follows a group of five boys, aged 12 to 19,...
Isabel Castro’s Doc “Mija” Screening Free for One Week in Select Theaters
Before Isabel Castro’s “Mija” bows on Disney+ September 16, audiences will get a chance to see the doc for free in select theaters in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco for a...
Heretic Acquires World Sales Rights to Marian Mathias’ “Runner” Ahead of Toronto Premiere
Marian Mathias is set to have a busy fall, with her feature debut “Runner” soon to enjoy its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival in September, and its European premiere...
Pick of the Day: “Memory Box”
Family secrets always seem to get spilled during the holidays, don’t they? They definitely do in “Memory Box,” Joana Hadjithomas’ semi-autobiographical drama centering three...
Clio Barnard Considers Her New Film “Ali & Ava” a Joyful Act of Resistance
Clio Barnard’s first feature-length documentary film, “The Arbor,” received The Douglas Hickox Award at the BIFAs, Best British Newcomer and the Sutherland Award at the BFI London...
Gigi Saul Guerrero Set to Direct Biopic of Singer Jenni Rivera
A long-gestating biopic about Mexican American singer Jenni Rivera has finally found its director. Gigi Saul Guerrero, who has been developing the pic with screenwriter Shane McKenzie, has now also...
TIFF: Women & Non-Binary Folks Directed Majority of Discovery, Midnight Madness, & Wavelength Titles
TIFF announcements continue to flood in, and the filmmaker gender stats are getting better and better. The festival has confirmed the 2022 slates for its Discovery, Midnight Madness, and Wavelengths...
Frances O’Connor’s “Emily” to Open TIFF’s Platform Section, Women Directed Half of Overall Lineup
Now this is more like it. Nearly a week after unveiling its Gala and Special Presentation slates — which fell well short of director gender parity — the 2022 Toronto International Film...
Intramovies Acquires Sales Rights to Tereza Nvotovà’s Locarno Pic “Nightsiren”
International sales rights for Czech filmmaker Tereza Nvotovà’s new film, “Nightsiren,” have been snapped up by Intramovies ahead of the picture’s world premiere at Locarno...
TV News: Elisabeth Moss to Star in Thriller “The Veil,” Amazon Greenlights Lady Jane Grey Series
Elisabeth Moss is set to add to her ever-busy slate with a new limited series for FX on Hulu. The “The Handmaid’s Tale” star will topline thriller “The Veil.” According to...
Just Three Features from Women Directors to Screen in Competition at San Sebastián 2022
Laura Mora, Marian Mathias, and Pilar Palomero are the only women who will be competing for the Golden Shell at this year’s San Sebastián International Film Festival. The fest has added 12...
August 2022 Film Preview
From horror-thrillers to coming-of-age stories, animated pics, and docs, there’s something for everyone to look forward to in August. The month starts off strong with “Mija,”...
Sundance Institute Announces Inaugural Latine Fellowship and Collab Scholarship Participants
The Sundance Institute has launched a new program, the Latine Fellowship and Collab Scholarship, with the aim of bolstering Latinx representation in indie filmmaking, according to a press...
Trailer Watch: A Young Law Student Discovers BDSM in Julia Murat’s Locarno Entry “Rule 34”
Ahead of its premiere at Locarno Film Festival this month, Variety has exclusively shared the first trailer for Brazilian filmmaker Julia Murat’s third feature, “Rule 34.” In it, we...
August 2022 Television Preview
As we head into the second half of summer, what could be a better new show for Women and Hollywood readers to check out than Abbi Jacobson’s spin on “A League of Their Own”?...
Kari Skogland Attached to Direct Teen Girl Soccer Success Story, Liz Flahive & Carly Mensch Wrote Script
Kari Skogland (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) has signed on to direct feature film “Dallas Sting,” about a group of female high school soccer players from Dallas who...
Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum Discusses Making “Purple Hearts” as a Response to Political Divisions
Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum is a DGA Award-nominated film and television director. She has helmed many television pilots — all of which have been picked up to series. Most recently, she directed...
Pick of the Day: “Alma’s Rainbow” 4K Restoration
You know how when you were a teenager, you felt out of control in your changing body, your emotions were a rollercoaster, and you were convinced your parents just didn’t understand what you...
Watch: A Woman Observes Another’s Trial in This Clip of Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer”
In Alice Diop’s latest film, “Saint Omer,” a novelist looking for inspiration attends the trial of a woman accused of killing her toddler daughter — and she’s shaken up...
TIFF Announces Gala and Special Presentation Films, 30 Percent Are Directed by Women
New films from Sarah Polley, Catherine Hardwicke, and Alice Winocour will join Sally El Hosaini’s “The Swimmers,” Lena Dunham’s “Catherine Called Birdy,” Gina Prince-Bythewood’s...
ReFrame Rise Expands to Support Women DPs Along With Directors, Announces 2022-24 Class
ReFrame Rise, a program launched in 2019 to nurture established women filmmakers, is growing. From Women In Film Los Angeles (WIF) and Sundance Institute’s ReFrame Project and supported by...
Sarah Paulson to Star in Horror Thriller “Dust,” Karrie Crouse and Will Joines Directing
If you count “American Horror Story,” “Bird Box,” and “Run” among your fave titles on Sarah Paulson’s resume, you’ll want to put “Dust” on...
Sally El Hosaini’s “The Swimmers” Will Be TIFF 2022’s Opening Night Gala Presentation
This year’s edition of the Toronto International Film Festival will kick off with Sally El Hosaini’s depiction of Olympian Yusra Mardini and her sister Sara’s heroic swim from...
Venice Film Fest 2022: Women Directed Just 23 Percent of Competition Titles
Another year, another Venice Film Festival that severely underrepresents women filmmakers. The prestigious fest has unveiled the lineup for its 79th edition, taking place August 31-September 10, and...
Chinonye Chukwu’s “Till” to Premiere & Host Community Screenings at New York Film Fest, Releases Trailer
Today, July 25, on what would have been Emmett Till’s 81st birthday, several announcements have been made about “Till,” Chinonye Chukwu’s historical drama about Till’s...
Lena Dunham’s “Catherine Called Birdy” Will Make World Premiere at TIFF
Lena Dunham kicked off her year by premiering her latest directorial effort, “Sharp Stick,” at Sundance. Now there’s word she’ll be starting her autumn by screening yet...
Watch: Comic Con Trailers for “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Marvel teased a ton of upcoming projects this past weekend at Comic Con, including the Disney+ series “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” in...
Amandla Stenberg Joins “Star War” Series “The Acolyte,” Leslye Headland Directing
Amandla Stenberg is joining one of the most beloved franchises of all time. The “Hunger Games” grad will lead “Star Wars: The Acolyte.” “Honored is an...
Gracie Otto’s Dolly Parton Impersonator Pic “Seriously Red” Lands at Gravitas Ventures
Tired of working “9 to 5” in real estate, a woman decides to try her luck as a Dolly Parton impersonator in “Seriously Red.” Gravitas Ventures recently scored North American...
Trailer Watch: Florence Pugh Won’t Keep Calm and Carry On in Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling”
“It’s all about control,” says Florence Pugh in a new trailer for “Don’t Worry Darling.” Olivia Wilde’s sophomore directorial effort sees the “Little...
Renée Webster Discusses the Relatable, Human Story of “How to Please a Woman”
Renée Webster is an Australian writer-director. Her two short films, “Scoff” and “Edgar and Elizabeth” garnered multiple awards and screened at numerous international film...
Uzo Aduba, Sanaa Lathan, & Aunjanue Ellis Join Friendship Drama from Tina Mabry & Gina Prince-Bythewood
Tina Mabry and Gina Prince-Bythewood have booked a helluva cast for their “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” adaptation at Searchlight Pictures. Uzo Aduba, Sanaa Lathan, and Aunjanue...
Trailer Watch: Zoey Deutch Is Living a Lie in Quinn Shephard’s Social Media Satire “Not Okay”
Zoey Deutch’s white lie goes nuclear in “Not Okay.” A new trailer for Quinn Shephard’s sophomore feature introduces us to Danni Sanders (Deutch), an unfulfilled photo editor...
Jennifer Lawrence-Starrer “Causeway” Acquired by Apple TV+, Lila Neugebauer Directs
Apple has acquired “Causeway,” Lila Neugebauer’s feature directorial debut. Jennifer Lawrence toplines the A24 drama, which will launch in theaters and on Apple TV+ later this year,...
Edinburgh Film Fest’s Main Competition Lineup Achieves Gender Parity
Ten features are set to screen in Edinburgh International Film Festival’s main competition this year, and six of them are directed or co-directed by women. The fest just announced its full...
Isabel Coixet Will Head Venice Film Fest’s Horizons Jury
Isabel Coixet is heading to the Lido. Variety reports that the Spanish filmmaker will preside over the jury of the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons section, which is dedicated to unconventional,...
Trailer Watch: Lili Reinhart’s Life Diverges Into Different Paths in Wanuri Kahiu’s “Look Both Ways”
“Can a single moment change your life?” asks Lili Reinhart in a new trailer for Wanuri Kahiu’s “Look Both Ways.” The “Riverdale” and “Hustlers”...
“Yellowjackets” & “Abbott Elementary” Among Reframe TV Stamp Recipients for Gender-Balanced Hiring
Ninety-four of the 200 most popular series of the 2021-2022 season have earned the ReFrame Stamp for gender-balanced hiring. This amounts to 47 percent, a seven percent decrease from the previous...