BY Casey Cipriani
Katherine Dieckmann’s “Strange Weather” is HIFF’s Southampton Opening Night Film
Katherine Dieckmann’s “Strange Weather” will be the Southampton Opening Night at the Hamptons International Film Festival, which runs from October 6–10 this year, Variety has...
“Bridget Jones’s Baby” Tops International Box Office
Bridget Jones had a big opening weekend in international markets, topping out at $29.4 million. As Deadline reports, “Bridget Jones’s Baby” debuted at number one in 24 overseas markets this...
2017 WriteHer List Nominations Are Now Open
The nomination period for the 2017 WriteHer list is now open. WeForShe, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping balance the gender-landscape in television, founded the WriteHer list in 2015...
Kristen Bell Takes on the Gender Wage Gap
Kristen Bell, star of “Veronica Mars,” “Frozen,” and the upcoming sitcom “The Good Place,” partook in The Huffington Post’s new comedy sketch series “Celebs Have Issues,” which...
Fox Searchlight Finalizing “A United Kingdom” Buy Out of TIFF
Fox Searchlight is in final negotiations to buy the North American rights to Amma Asante’s “A United Kingdom,” Variety reports. The film is based on the book “Color Bar” by Susan...
Can #FreeTheBid Lead to More Women Directing in Hollywood?
Back in July, we relayed some in-depth reporting done by Mashable that found that less than 9.7 percent of rostered directors on the AdAge Production Company A-List, from which ad agencies cull...
Weekly Update for September 16: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Bridget Jones’s Baby” Films About Women Opening This Week Bridget Jones’s Baby — Directed by Sharon Maguire; Co-Written by Helen Fielding and Emma Thompson After breaking up with...
AFI and 20th Century Fox Team Up To Boost Female Directors
At this point, through multitudinous pieces of research and multiple in-depth studies, it’s pretty clear that women are being shut out of directing jobs at the big studios. Now it’s time for the...
Mill Valley Film Festival Will Honor Nicole Kidman and Julie Dash
The Mill Valley Film Festival announced the complete lineup for the 39th iteration of the fest, which will run from October 6–16 this year and includes tributes to Nicole Kidman and...
Quote of the Day: Rebecca Hall Says Marvel is “Paying for Their Mistakes”
Earlier this spring, “Iron Man 3” director Shane Black revealed why Rebecca Hall’s character was seriously underutilized in the film, and now Hall has spoken on the subject as well. As Women...
Trailer Watch: “Moana” Takes to the Sea
It feels like we’ve been waiting forever for Disney’s “Moana,” and with this new, full-length trailer finally hitting, the reality is that she’s getting closer. “Moana,” Disney’s...
Margot Robbie Signs First-Look Deal with Warner Bros.
Margot Robbie has signed a first-look deal with Warner Bros., The Hollywood Reporter writes. The deal will see Robbie developing and producing films through her LuckyChap Entertainment...
Trailer Watch: A Young Woman Disguises Herself to Play Sports in “Girl Unbound”
Erin Heidenreich’s documentary “Girl Unbound: The War To Be Her” tackles the story of a young Pakistani woman who lived as a boy for many years just to have the chance to play...
New Research Shows Hollywood Is Ageist
Hollywood has an age problem. This is an easily observable fact, but new research reveals just how bad the problem is. In a new study released by the Media, Diversity and Social Change Initiative at...
Storm Reid Lands Lead in Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle in Time”
Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle in Time” has found its young star. Storm Reid has landed the lead role of Meg Murry in the Disney adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s classic children’s book, The...
Trailer Watch: Jessica Chastain Puts Up a Fight in “Miss Sloane”
The best Actress Oscar Race continues to heat up. If the new trailer for “Miss Sloane” is any indication, Jessica Chastain will be joining the running as well. “Miss Sloane,” according to...
Shamim Sarif’s “Despite the Falling Snow” Gets U.S. Distribution
Shamim Sarif’s Cold War thriller “Despite The Falling Snow” has been picked up by ET Pictures for a U.S. release, Screen Daily reports. The film is described as a “romance-thriller about a...
“Fresh Off the Boat” Producer Kourtney Kang Gets Pilot Based on Her Life
NBC has ordered a pilot for a family comedy based on the life of “Fresh Off the Boat” producer Kourtney Kang. The comedy, The Hollywood Reporter writes, will “explore what it’s like to grow...
Pietra Brettkelly’s “A Flickering Truth” Will Represent New Zealand at the Oscars
Film lovers and supporters of female directors will be excited about this one: New Zealand has chosen “A Flickering Truth” as their contender for the Academy Awards in the foreign-language...
Natalie Portman Enters the Oscar Race with “Jackie”
Natalie Portman might be heading for her second Best Actress Oscar. As Deadline reports, the biopic “Jackie,” in which Portman plays Jackie Kennedy before and after the assassination of JFK, has...
“Saturday Night Live” Finally Hires First Latina Cast Member
“Saturday Night Live” announced three new cast members for its upcoming 42nd season yesterday, one of whom will be the sketch series’ very first Latina. Melissa Villaseñor has been added as...
“Transparent” Creator Jill Soloway Talks the Female Gaze at TIFF
Jill Soloway, one of our favorite artists and creator of hit series “Transparent” and the new comedy “I Love Dick,” hit up the Toronto International Film Festival to give a master class on...
Elisabeth Moss’ “The Square” Heading to Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. distribution rights to “The Square,” starring Elisabeth Moss, The Hollywood Reporter writes. The film, THR reports, which is set in the art world, “follows...
Trailer Watch: Issa Rae Makes a Change in New “Insecure” Full Trailer
“Go shorty. It’s your birthday. But no one cares cause I’m not having a party. Cause I’m feeling sorry for myself,” Issa Rae sings into her bathroom mirror, fully capturing the hilarious...
“Muriel’s Wedding” Heading to the Stage
Credit: Miramax Looks like we could soon be hearing more ABBA on Broadway. “Muriel’s Wedding,” the 1994 Australian comedy starring Toni Collette, is heading to the stage in Sydney. As Yahoo!...
Weekly Update for September 9: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“As I Open My Eyes” Films About Women Opening This Week As I Open My Eyes — Directed by Leyla Bouzid; Written by Leyla Bouzid and Marie-Sophie Chambon (Opens in NY; Opens in LA September...
Viola Davis and Quvenzhané Wallis Join Claire McCarthy’s “Personal History Of Rachel Dupree”
Two Oscar nominees are joining forces for Claire McCarthy’s period drama “The Personal History Of Rachel Dupree.” Viola Davis and Quvenzhané Wallis have signed on, with Davis playing the...
Lexi Alexander Returning to Film to Direct Wrestling Biopic “Crossface”
Credit: Aaron Goodwin/Courtesy of Lexi Alexander/NPR Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lexi Alexander has signed on to direct “Crossface,” the story of wrestler Chris Benoit. Alexander will helm the...
Ana Lily Amirpour’s “The Bad Batch” Acquired By Netflix Out of Venice
Ana Lily Amirpour’s “The Bad Batch” has been acquired by Netflix out of the Venice Film Festival, The Hollywood Reporter writes. The deal is for SVOD rights. Amirpour’s second feature after...
Rooney Mara Confronts Her Past in Tension-Filled “Una” Clip
Rooney Mara stars in “Una,” an adaptation of the play “Blackbird,” which follows a young woman seeking answers for long-ago events that have shaped her path in life, for better...
Mindy Kaling and Reese Witherspoon May Join Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle in Time”
Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle in Time” seems like it’s gearing up to being the coolest movie ever. As The Hollywood Reporter writes, Mindy Kaling and Reese Witherspoon may be joining...
“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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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,...
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.”...
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...
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...
Tori Amos Records Song for Netflix Doc “Audrie & Daisy”
Musician Tori Amos has written and recorded the song “Flicker” for Netflix’s upcoming documentary “Audrie & Daisy.” The documentary chronicles the lives of two underage teen girls in...
Issa Rae Signs First Look Deal with HBO
Issa Rae, creator and star of HBO’s upcoming comedy “Insecure,” has signed a first-look production deal with the network, Deadline reports. The two-year contract will have Rae develop...
Anthology Film Archive Devotes Series to Women Directors Before 1950
The Anthology Film Archive of New York has scheduled a screening series devoted to the female directors of the early 20th century. The series, called “Woman With a Movie Camera: Female Film...
Prosecutor Marcia Clark Adapting Her Novel “Blood Defense” for Television
Marcia Clark, who became famous as the prosecutor on the O.J. Simpson murder trial, will adapt her novel “Blood Defense,” for television. The Hollywood Reporter writes that NBC has committed to...
Trailer Watch: “Miss Hokusai” Reveals the Woman Behind Japan’s Most Famous Artist
“We don’t cook. We don’t clean. It gets too dirty, we move,” says O-Ei in the new trailer for “Miss Hokusai.” Instead, she and her father, a famous artist, spend countless hours painting...
Emma Thompson in Talks for Starring Role in “The Children Act”
Oscar winner Emma Thompson is reportedly in talks to star in an adaptation of “The Children Act,” Deadline writes. The book, written by Ian McEwan, follows “a British High Court judge who...
Quote of the Day: Ava DuVernay Explains, “The Onus is Not on the Marginalized to Educate”
Ava DuVernay is about to have a killer fall. Her first television series, “Queen Sugar,” will premiere on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network, and she’s the first woman to open the New York Film...