BY Laura Berger
Regina King’s Feature Directorial Debut “One Night in Miami” Lands at Amazon Studios
Regina King’s feature directorial debut has secured distribution ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Amazon Studios snagged the rights to “One Night in...
Trailer Watch: “Teenage Bounty Hunters” Tackle Bail Skippers and Homework
Sterling (Maddie Phillips) and Blair Wesley (Anjelica Bette Fellini) are determined to become the best bounty hunters in Atlanta, but they’re totally swamped. When they’re not bringing in...
Trailer Watch: Evan Rachel Wood Is a Scammer in Miranda July’s “Kajillionaire”
“We can only ever be how we are,” says Evan Rachel Wood in a new trailer for “Kajillionaire.” Miranda July’s latest sees the Emmy-nominated “Westworld”...
TIFF’s 2020 Feature Lineup Is 46 Percent Women-Directed, Will Close with Mira Nair’s “A Suitable Boy”
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced its 2020 feature lineup, and of 50 titles set to screen, 23 are directed or co-directed by women, amounting to 46 percent of the slate....
Tamara Shogaolu to Direct Black Girl Magic-Inspired “Anouschka”
Tamara Shogaolu is celebrating the Black Girl Magic ethos and Black girls around the globe. She’s been tapped to helm “Anouschka,” a mixed reality (XR) film experience for Ado Ato...
Exclusive: Climate Change and Feminism Podcast “Mothers of Invention” Is Back With Season 3 Trailer
“Mothers of Invention” is here to help save the world — or at the very least, provide listeners with “plenty [of content] to clog their racist uncle’s inboxes...
Issa Rae and Jordan Peele Team Up for “Sinkhole,” Bidding War Erupts
“Insecure’s” Issa Rae has a hot new project in the works. She’s teaming up with “Get Out” and “Us” writer-director Jordan Peele on...
Olivia Hetreed Is Adapting “Song of the Sun God” for TV
Olivia Hetreed is bringing “Song of the Sun God” to the small screen. The “Girl with the Pearl Earring” scribe has been tapped to adapt Shankari Chandran’s debut novel for...
Quiara Alegría Hudes Penning “Life Is a Carnival,” a Latin Music-Infused Warner Bros. Film
Quiara Alegría Hudes has two high-profile projects on the way and just signed on for a third. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright is attached to write “Life Is a Carnival,” a Latin...
Teaser Watch: Megan Rapinoe Opens a Dialogue with Change-Makers in “Seeing America”
One of soccer’s biggest stars is looking to shape the cultural conversation. “Is there an opportunity to shift our country?” asks Megan Rapinoe in a new teaser for “Seeing...
Venice Film Festival’s 2020 Competition Lineup Marks Historic High for Women Directors
Venice Film Festival is finally getting with the times. After years of programming dominated by men, this year’s main Competition lineup features an encouraging number of women directors. The...
Teaser Watch: Gillian Flynn and Sasha Lane Bring “Utopia” Stateside
Sasha Lane makes her small screen debut with “Utopia.” The “American Honey” breakout is teaming up with “Gone Girl” author and screenwriter Gillian Flynn on the...
Chloé Zhao’s Frances McDormand-Starrer “Nomadland” to Make World Premiere at Venice and TIFF
Frances McDormand last appeared on the big screen in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” a revenge drama that won her a Best Actress Oscar. Her latest pic could land her back on...
Elisabeth Moss Will Topline “Shining Girls” Series Adaptation at Apple
Elisabeth Moss has boarded another TV series based on a woman-penned book. Variety reports that the “Handmaid’s Tale” star will topline and exec produce “Shining Girls,”...
Bentonville Film Festival’s Feature Film Showcase Is Over 80 Percent Women-Directed
Bentonville Film Festival (BFF) has announced its 2020 lineup. Now in its sixth edition, the annual film fest is dedicated to celebrating underrepresented voices in film, entertainment, and media....
Pick of the Day: “Yes, God, Yes”
Described by writer-director Karen Maine as “a love story between one woman and her vagina,” “Yes, God, Yes,” stars “Stranger Things’” Natalia Dyer as a teenage girl who discovers...
Taraji P. Henson Signs First Look Deal with 20th Century Fox, “Empire” Spinoff in the Works
Cookie’s reign is far from over. According to Deadline, Taraji P. Henson has signed a new two-year first-look deal with 20th Century Fox and the “first order of business” is...
Natalie Chaidez and Eva Longoria Team Up for “Chicano,” a Family Drama in the Works at ABC
Natalie Chaidez and Eva Longoria are joining forces for a multi-generational story about a Mexican-American family. Deadline reports that “Chicano” is in development at ABC. Penned by...
Karen Maine Talks “Yes, God, Yes,” Her Coming-of-Age Comedy About Female Self-Pleasure
Karen Maine wrote and directed the 2017 short “Yes, God, Yes,” which premiered as a Vimeo Staff Pick and received 2.9 million views. It won Best Short at the St. Louis International Film...
rePRO Film Festival Announces Inaugural Lineup
rePRO Film Festival has unveiled its inaugural lineup. Dedicated to exploring “women’s reproductive healthcare, awareness, advocacy, and bodily integrity in America,” the five-day...
Bridget Everett Lands Series Order from HBO for “Somebody Somewhere”
Bridget Everett is getting her own HBO show. The premium cable network has ordered “Somebody Somewhere,” a comedy inspired by the comedian and singer’s life, to series. A press...
Cynthia Erivo, Lena Waithe, and Gandja Monteiro Team Up for Universal Musical Drama “Talent Show”
Cynthia Erivo will have the chance to show off her acting and vocal chops in “Talent Show.” The Hollywood Reporter confirms that the two-time Oscar nominee is set to topline the Universal...
Olivia Newman Will Direct “Where the Crawdads Sing” Adaptation, Reese Witherspoon Producing
“Where the Crawdads Sing” has found its director. Olivia Newman has been tapped to helm the adaptation of Delia Owen’s best-selling novel, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. Boasting...
Maimouna Doucouré’s “Cuties” Gets Netflix Release Date
Maimouna Doucouré’s feature debut has a release date. Netflix announced that “Cuties,” or “Mignonnes,” will start streaming September 9 worldwide, excluding...
Trailer Watch: Chelsea Peretti Is Single and Struggles to Mingle in “Spinster”
“Why should I have to defend my life to a table of strangers?” asks Chelsea Peretti in a new trailer for Andrea Dorfman’s “Spinster.” Nearing her 40th birthday and...
Yara Shahidi Inks Overall Deal with ABC Studios
Yara Shahidi will continue to grow and evolve with her ABC family. The “Grown-ish” star and exec producer has signed an overall deal with ABC Studios’ Disney Television Studios...
Venice Film Festival Will Honor Tilda Swinton and Ann Hui with Golden Lions for Career Achievement
Venice Film Festival is set to honor Tilda Swinton and Ann Hui with Golden Lions for career achievement, Variety reports. Scheduled to take place September 2-12, the the 75th edition of the Italian...
Trailer Watch: A Fake Clinic Takes a Newborn Away from Her Mother in “Song Without a Name”
A radio ad for a clinic offering medical assistance to pregnant women leads a young Peruvian woman down a tragic path in Melina Léon’s “Song Without a Name.” A trailer for the drama...
Kate Winslet to Be Honored with TIFF’s Tribute Actor Award
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is paying homage to Kate Winslet. A press release from the fest announced the British actress as the recipient of this year’s TIFF Tribute Actor...
Leslye Davis & Catrin Einhorn on Exploring the Effects of Military Service in “Father Soldier Son”
Leslye Davis has been a documentarian and photographer at The New York Times since 2012. Her work highlights salient modern conditions, including the American opioid crisis, the proliferation of mass...
Gitanjali Rao’s Hand-Painted Animated Pic “Bombay Rose” Goes to Netflix
Gitanjali Rao’s feature debut has secured distribution. Deadline reports that Netflix snagged rights to “Bombay Rose,” which made history as the first animated pic to open Venice...
Sarah Spillane to Direct Netflix Feature About Jessica Watson, the Youngest Person to Sail the World
Netflix is paying tribute to Jessica Watson’s record-breaking voyage around the the globe. Variety reports that the streamer is developing a feature about Watson, who made history as “the...
Diana Peralta’s “De Lo Mio” Lands at HBO
HBO has landed exclusive broadcast and streaming rights to “De Lo Mio,” Diana Peralta’s award-winning feature debut. Deadline reports that the family drama is set to premiere in...
The Soska Sisters Are Directing an Adaptation of “BlindSide”
Another popular game is being adapted into a movie. Earlier this month it was reported that “Westworld” creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan are bringing “Fallout,”...
Jamie Babbit’s “The Stand-In” Acquired by Saban Films, Drew Barrymore Stars
Jamie Babbit’s latest has secured distribution. Deadline reports that Saban Films snagged North American rights to Drew Barrymore-starrer “The Stand In.” The Sam Bain-penned pic...
Lynn Shelton Grant Program to Support Filmmakers 39 and Over
A newly announced grant will honor the legacy of Lynn Shelton. Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum and Duplass Brothers Productions are launching the Lynn Shelton “Of a Certain Age” Grant. The...
Gina Prince-Bythewood to Direct Viola Davis-Led African Warrior Pic “The Woman King”
“The Woman King” has found its director. Hot off her Netflix hit “The Old Guard,” Gina Prince-Bythewood has signed on to helm the Viola Davis-starrer. Variety broke the...
Ella Greenwood to Make Feature Debut with “Faulty Roots,” a Teen Drama Tackling Mental Health
“Gavin & Stacey” alumna Melanie Walters and “Sanditon” actress Kayleigh-Paige Rees are set to topline “Faulty Roots,” a coming-of-age drama that will mark Ella...
Trailer Watch: Natalia Dyer Discovers Masturbation in Karen Maine’s “Yes, God, Yes”
“Your body is a gift from God. You need to honor it,” Natalia Dyer is told in a trailer for “Yes, God, Yes.” Karen Maine’s feature debut sees the “Stranger...
Jean Smart to Topline “Miss Macy,” Beth Henley Penning the Script
Jean Smart will follow up HBO’s acclaimed adaptation of “Watchmen” by teaming up with a Pulitzer Prize-winning and Oscar-nominated writer. The actress has signed on to topline...
Kelly Oxford to Direct “Son of a Bitch” for HBO Max
Kelly Oxford has lined up her next directing gig. The Twitter sensation and two-time New York Times best-selling author made her feature debut with “Pink Skies Ahead,” a...
“Spice Girls” Doc in the Works at Channel 4
Clare Cameron and Rob Coldstream are readying to spice up your life. The directing duo behind Channel 4’s “Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain” are working on a Spice Girls...
“Hanna” Renewed for Season 3 by Amazon
“Hanna” has been renewed for a third season less than two weeks after the launch of Season 2. Amazon wasted no time in picking up the assassin thriller. “Like other streaming...
Trailer Watch: Rosamund Pike and Marjane Satrapi Tell Marie Curie’s Story in “Radioactive”
“When have other people’s opinions ever affected anything I’ve done?” asks Rosamund Pike in a new trailer for Marjane Satrapi’s “Radioactive.” The biopic sees the...
Trailer Watch: “The Squad #Notheretodance” Doc Celebrates a Women’s Soccer Team
“I didn’t have a role model because I didn’t see any on TV. I didn’t know who was playing. When I started, I didn’t even know there was a national team,” says one...
Isabel Sandoval’s History-Making Drama “Lingua Franca” Acquired by ARRAY Releasing
“Lingua Franca” made history as the first film directed by and starring a trans woman of color to screen in competition at Venice Film Festival, and now it’s secured distribution....
Trailer Watch: Gillian Jacobs Returns to Her Alma Mater in Kris Rey’s “I Used to Go Here”
“Community” graduate Gillian Jacobs is heading back to a college campus with “I Used to Go Here,” Kris Rey’s latest feature. A new trailer for the comedy sees...
“Better Things” Renewed for Season 5
Sam and her brood are sticking around. FX has renewed “Better Things” for a fifth season. Pamela Adlon, the critically acclaimed comedy’s creator, star, and exec producer, also...
Pick of the Day: “Relic”
A manifestation of dementia wreaks havoc on three generations of women in “Relic,” Natalie Erika James’ terrifying and touching feature debut. Inspired by her grandmother’s...
Chelsea Winstanley to Direct Māori Art Doc “Toi Tu Toi Ora – Visual Sovereignty”
Taika Waititi became the first Māori person to win an Oscar when he accepted the award for Best Adapted Screenplay at this year’s ceremony. “I dedicate this to all the indigenous kids in the...
Lena Horne Limited Series from Jenny Lumet in Development at Showtime
Jenny Lumet is paying tribute to a trailblazer — and family member — with her latest project. The “Star Trek: Discovery” scribe has a limited series about actress, singer,...