BY Laura Berger
Warsaw 2020 Women Directors: Meet Lili Horvát – “Preparations to Be Together For an Unknown Period of Time”
Lili Horvát grew up in Budapest. She studied audio-visual arts at the Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris and film directing at the University of Theatre and Film in Budapest. “The Wednesday...
Tamra Davis to Direct “Slinky” Movie About Female Inventor and Businesswoman
Everyone loves a Slinky — Tamra Davis included. After making a memorable cameo in “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls,” the toy is getting the star treatment in “Slinky,” a...
“Lumberjanes” Animated Series in the Works at HBO Max from Noelle Stevenson
Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thilstle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types is coming to HBO Max. The streamer scored rights to a series adaptation of “Lumberjanes” in a bidding...
Barbara Kopple Docuseries “The Supermodels” Lands at Apple TV+
Barbara Kopple is adding another project to her eclectic resume. The Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker is shifting her focus from the Iran hostage crisis to the catwalk. Deadline reports that the...
Elisabeth Moss Will Play Katie Hill in Adaptation of the Ex-Congresswoman’s Memoir
Elisabeth Moss is taking a trip from Gilead to the Capitol. The Emmy-winning “Handmaid’s Tale” star is set to portray Katie Hill in an adaptation of the former Congresswoman’s...
Trailer Watch: Blackpink Revisit Their Meteoric Rise and Plan Their Next Move in “Light Up the Sky”
Netflix is paying tribute to a global pop sensation. The streamer just released a trailer for “Blackpink: Light Up the Sky,” a doc charting the meteoric rise of the chart-topping K-pop...
Trailer Watch: Jessica Chastain and Lupita Nyong’o Lead an All-Star Cast in “The 355”
Jessica Chastain assembles a dream team with the aim of retrieving a top-secret weapon in “The 355.” A trailer just dropped for the star-studded espionage thriller. “The old wars...
Trailer Watch: An Iranian Activist and Human Rights Lawyer Refuses to Be Silenced in “Nasrin”
A new documentary is paying tribute to Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent human rights lawyer described as “one of the bravest voices in Iran.” Known for taking on cases other lawyers are too...
Women Directors Sweep Main Prizes at Zurich Film Festival
Women-directed films made a major mark at this year’s Zurich Film Festival, taking home all three main prizes. According to Swiss News Channel, Fernanda Valadez won the Golden Eye for best...
Trailer Watch: “I Carry You With Me” Tells a Cross-Border Love Story
“When you dream, it happens so fast. The American dream happens in slow motion. It takes years. I came here to do something. Don’t lose faith in me,” says Iván (Armando Espitia) in...
Trailer Watch: Octavia Spencer Protects Her Grandson from Anne Hathaway and “The Witches”
Octavia Spencer stands between Anne Hathaway and a diabolical plan to transform children into mice in “The Witches,” an upcoming HBO Max pic. A trailer just dropped for the fantasy...
Trailer Watch: Elle Lorraine’s “Bad Hair” Has a Mind of Its Own
“I can’t fault you for doing whatever it takes to get where they keep trying to keep us from getting. In a perfect world, a woman would be able to wear her hair the way she wants...
Pick of the Day: “Dick Johnson Is Dead”
“Dick Johnson Is Dead” sees a filmmaker struggling to come to terms with her father’s mortality the best way she knows how: by making a movie. “Just the idea that I might ever lose this...
Haroula Rose on Telling a Story of Healing and Survival in “Once Upon a River”
Haroula Rose works in both fiction and nonfiction filmmaking. Rose’s pilot “Lost & Found” premiered at Tribeca, and her most recent short film starring Maya Hawke premiered on...
Apply Now: Screenshot Writer Performer Competition, Olivia Colman & Phoebe Waller-Bridge Involved
Before it went on to win six Emmy Awards and shot series creator, writer, and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge to stardom, “Fleabag” existed as a stage play. A new competition is looking to...
“Modern Persuasion” Lands at Samuel Goldwyn Films
“Modern Persuasion” has secured U.S. distribution. A press release announced that Samuel Goldwyn films acquired rights to the modern-day rom-com based on Jane Austen’s...
Karin Gist’s “Our Kind of People” Opens Writers Room at Fox Entertainment
“Our Kind of People” is one step closer to the small screen. Fox Entertainment is opening a writers room for the drama based on Lawrence Otis Graham’s nonfiction book “Our...
All-Female Directing Team Assembled for Peacock’s “Dr. Death”: Maggie Kiley, Jennifer Morrison, & So Yong Kim
Maggie Kiley, Jennifer Morrison, and So Yong Kim are teaming up to tell the story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, better known as “Dr. Death.” The trio comprise the all-female directing...
Christina Sun Kim Named as the 2020 Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellow
Christina Sun Kim has been named as the 10th annual recipient of the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship (KSFEF), created in honor of Karen Schmeer, the editor of “The Fog of War,” “Fast,...
Zendaya in Talks to Topline Ronnie Spector Biopic
It looks like Zendaya is celebrating her historic Emmy win by booking another project. The “Euphoria” star is in talks to topline a biopic of Ronnie Spector, best known for fronting the...
NYFF 2020 Women Directors: Meet Heidi Ewing – “I Carry You With Me”
Heidi Ewing’s documentary credits include “Jesus Camp,” which received an Oscar nomination, “One of Us,” and “Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You.” She...
Trailer Watch: A New Generation of Witches Learns the Power of Four in “The Craft: Legacy”
There’s a new coven in town. A trailer for “The Craft: Legacy” introduces the next generation of witches and pays tribute to their foremothers. A sequel to 1996’s “The...
Aisling Walsh and Lucinda Coxon Team Up for Holocaust Drama “One Life”
After tackling the life of Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis, Aisling Walsh is set to tell another tale based on a true story. Deadline reports that the “Maudie” filmmaker is in...
Billie Eilish Doc “The World’s a Little Blurry” in the Works at Apple
After dominating the charts Billie Eilish is ready to dominate the box office. The five-time Grammy winner has a documentary in the works. “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” will...
Trailer Watch: A Secret Society Helps Find a Missing Kid in “A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting”
A high school freshman finds herself squaring off against monsters and joining a 1,000-year-old secret society in a new trailer for Rachel Talalay’s “A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster...
Dea Kulumbegashvili’s “Beginning” Wins Best Film & Other Top Honors at San Sebastian Fest
Dea Kulumbegashvili’s debut feature made a major impression at this year’s San Sebastian Film Festival. “Beginning” scored four of the jury’s seven competition prizes: the...
Eva Longoria to Direct and Star in Sony Pictures’ “Spa Day”
Eva Longoria has lined up another high profile directing gig. The “Desperate Housewives” alumna is already signed on to direct “24/7,” a re-imagined version of “9 to...
Marsai Martin Is Hitting the Market with an Unscripted Series About Trailblazing Black Women
Marsai Martin is expanding her producing resume. The “Black-ish” star, who made history as the youngest person ever to executive produce a major studio feature with 2019’s...
Maïwenn’s “DNA” Lands at Netflix
Maïwenn’s latest has found a home. Netflix snagged English-language rights to “DNA” for the U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the Middle East, TheWrap...
Gina Duncan Named as Sundance Film Festival’s First-Ever Producing Director
Gina Duncan is joining the Sundance Film Festival team. A press release announced that she’ll serve in the newly-created role of Producing Director, reporting to Festival Director Tabitha...
Linda Ronstadt Doc “Linda and The Mockingbirds” Gets a Release Date
Another Linda Ronstadt doc is on the way. Following on the heels of 2019’s “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice,” “Linda and The Mockingbirds” will focus on a...
Janine Sherman Barrois Developing Family Drama “The Kings of Napa” at OWN
Janine Sherman Barrois is shifting her focus from acrylics to Cabernet Sauvignon. Deadline reports that the “Claws” showrunner and exec producer has a new series in development at OWN,...
Trailer Watch: Anya Taylor-Joy Is a Chess Prodigy Battling Addiction in “The Queen’s Gambit”
“Men are going to come along and want to teach you things. Doesn’t make them any smarter,” Anya Taylor-Joy is told in a new trailer for “The Queen’s Gambit.”...
Eva Husson’s “Mothering Sunday” Acquired by Sony Pictures Classics
Eva Husson’s latest has secured distribution. A press release announced that Sony Pictures Classics snagged all rights in North America, Latin America, India, Pan Asia (excluding Japan), the...
Trailer Watch: “Equal” Docuseries Celebrates LGBTQ+ Trailblazers
A four-part docuseries, HBO Max’s “Equal” pays tribute to some of the unsung heroes who helped lead the charge for queer liberation, and revisits the untold events leading up to the...
The Majority of NewFest LGBTQ+ Film Fest’s 2020 Lineup Is Directed by Women & Non-Binary Filmmakers
NewFest has unveiled the lineup for its 32nd edition. A press release from the New York-based LGBTQ+ film and media organization and film fest announced that 63 percent of films set to screen this...
Trailer Watch: Sunita Mani Battles Deadly Pouffes in “Save Yourselves!”
“Prepare yourselves for a new form of extraterrestrial terror,” a new trailer for “Save Yourselves!” announces. The retro spot hints at the “incredible tale of how...
Patricia Arquette to Star in Apple TV+ PI Comedy “High Desert”
Patricia Arquette has signed on to another Apple TV+ series. The Oscar and Emmy winner is already attached to star in workplace thriller “Severance” for the streamer, and now word comes...
Amy Ziering & Kirby Dick Have a Docuseries About the Beauty Industry in the Works at HBO Max
Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick are set to investigate the ugly side of the beauty industry. Deadline report that HBO Max has greenlit “Not So Pretty,” a four-episode half-hour docuseries from...
Alia Shawkat and Nastasha Lyonne Team Up to Develop “Desert People” for Amazon
Alia Shawkat and Natasha Lyonne are joining forces. The multi-hyphenates are developing “Desert People,” a half-hour series at Amazon. Variety broke the news. Co-created by Shawkat and...
“Ms. Marvel’s” Directors Roster Includes Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Meera Menon
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Meera Menon are among the directors who will bring “Ms. Marvel’s” historic story to the small screen, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. Penned by Bisha K....
Trailer Watch: “The Glorias” Pays Tribute to Gloria Steinem’s Life on the Road
“Taking to the road changed who I thought I was,” says Julianne Moore in a new trailer for “The Glorias.” Julie Taymor’s nontraditional biopic of Gloria Steinem sees...
Women Directors Sweep TIFF Audience Awards: “Nomadland,” “Inconvenient Indian,” & More
Women directors cleaned up at the 45th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, sweeping the audience awards. All films in TIFF’s Official Selection were eligible for the...
Zeitgeist Films, Kino Lorber Score Rights to Bettina Oberli’s “My Wonderful Wanda”
More good news for Bettina Oberli’s “My Wonderful Wanda.” After making history as the first woman-directed film to open Zurich Film Festival, the comedy has secured North American...
Roseanne Liang’s Chloë Grace Moretz-Starrer “Shadow in the Cloud” Secures Distribution
“Shadow in the Cloud” will be soaring into theaters next year. A press release announced that Vertical Entertainment and Redbox Entertainment snagged North American rights to the campy...
Marielle Heller and Heidi Schreck Are Bringing “What the Constitution Means to Me” to Amazon
Marielle Heller is set to follow up her celebration of American hero Mister Rogers with a civics lesson for Amazon Prime Video. The “Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” helmer directed a...
Mona Fastvold’s Venice Hit “The World to Come” Lands at Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street has acquired U.S. rights to Mona Fastvold’s “The World to Come,” Variety reports. The period romance premiered to rave reviews at Venice Film Festival earlier this...
Kat Coiro to Direct “She-Hulk” Series for Disney+
Kat Coiro is bringing a different kind of “hulk out” to Disney+. Deadline reports that the director is in negotiations to helm the pilot and several other episodes of Marvel’s...
Trailer Watch: Joey King Kills Her Friend in Veena Sud’s “The Lie”
“How do you undo something really bad?” asks Joey King in a new trailer for “The Lie.” Veena Sud’s latest sees the “Act” actress playing a Kayla, a teenager...
April Mullen Conspiracy Thriller “Wander” Lands at Saban Films
April Mullen has secured distribution for her latest film. A press release announced that Saban Films acquired North American rights to “Wander,” a conspiracy...
Dana Nachman’s “Dear Santa” Acquired by IFC Films
Dana Nachman’s got another crowd-pleaser on the way. The director is following up “Pick of the Litter,” her 2018 doc about puppies training to become guide dogs for the blind, with...