BY Laura Berger
Series About Marvel’s Female Superheroes in the Works at ABC
“Wonder Woman’s” scribe is hoping to bring more stories about female superheroes to the screen. This time, Allan Heinberg will bring caped crusaders to TV: he, Marvel Television,...
Trailer Watch: Jodie Whittaker Takes Charge in “Doctor Who”
A new trailer for the upcoming season of “Doctor Who” is a helpful primer for those who have never seen the cult sci-fi series. “When people need help, I never refuse,” the...
Trailer Watch: Sandi Tan Investigates Her Missing Film and Collaborator in “Shirkers”
“When I was 18 the thing I wanted more than anything was to make a movie,” says director Sandi Tan in a new trailer for “Shirkers.” “I had the idea that you found...
International Documentary Association Awards $850,000 to Journalistic Documentaries
Documentary filmmaking is all the more important in the era of “fake news.” So the fact that the International Documentary Association (IDA) has announced a cohort of 12 films that will...
San Sebastian Festival Expected to Sign Gender Parity Pledge
Yet another major festival is set to sign a gender parity pledge. Following the lead of Cannes, Venice, TIFF, and IDFA, among others, Spain’s San Sebastian Festival is expected to sign the...
Angelina Jolie to Topline and Produce Revenge Thriller “The Kept”
As “Tomb Raider,” “Wanted,” and “Salt” have shown, Angelina Jolie is not to be trifled with. The Oscar winner is set to headline another thriller, “The...
Trailer Watch: Brie Larson Is a Renegade Soldier in “Captain Marvel”
“War is a universal language, and I know a renegade solider when I see one,” says Marvel universe fixture Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in the first trailer for “Captain...
Elaine May Film Series to Screen in London
Elaine May’s filmography is being revisited. London’s Badlands Collective is hosting “Painfully Funny: The Complete Directorial Works of Elaine May,” a series celebrating...
Trailer Watch: Emily Blunt Brings Magic and Hope in “Mary Poppins Returns”
Mary Poppins is coming back to earth. The beloved nanny takes another trip from the sky via a kite in the first trailer for “Mary Poppins Returns.” Set 25 years after the events of the...
“Fig Tree’s” Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian Wins Audentia Award for Best Female Director at TIFF
Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian is taking home a major honor from the Toronto International Film Festival. She has been named as the winner of the third edition of the Audentia Award for Best Female...
Trailer Watch: Claire Foy Returns Home in “The Girl in the Spider’s Web”
Lisbeth Salander is back, and this time around the brilliant hacker and vigilante is being played by “The Crown’s” Claire Foy. A trailer has dropped for “The Girl in the...
Elizabeth Banks and LeBron James Team Up for Female-Led Basketball Drama at NBC
Elizabeth Banks is teaming up with one of the NBA’s all-time greats for “Hoops,” a basketball drama in development at NBC. The three-time Emmy nominated actress will exec produce...
Kyra Sedgwick to Direct Supernatural Jennifer Lee Script “The Way Between”
“Frozen” and “A Wrinkle in Time” scribe Jennifer Lee is set to bring another otherworldly story to the big screen, and Kyra Sedgwick is steering the ship. “The...
Trailer Watch: Julia Roberts Loses Memories About Her Shady Job in Amazon’s “Homecoming”
“Have you ever forgotten something? Something big?” asks Julia Roberts in a new trailer for “Homecoming.” Formerly employed as a caseworker at Homecoming, a facility that...
Sales: Claire Denis’ “High Life,” Anne Fletcher’s Jennifer Aniston-Starrer “Dumplin,” & More
A number of women-helmed projects have found homes in recent days. A24 acquired North American distribution rights to Claire Denis’ English-language debut, “High Life”; Netflix...
Jennifer Garner to Star in and Produce “Yes Day” for Netflix
“Yes Day” is coming to Netflix. Jennifer Garner will star in and produce a comedy for the streamer based on Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s best-selling children’s book of the same...
Trailer Watch: Kathryn Hahn Wants to Have a Baby in Tamara Jenkins’ “Private Life”
“Having a baby is an immoral act,” says Kathryn Hahn in a new trailer for “Private Life.” She cites “overpopulation, climate change, [and] rise of neo-fascism” as...
Katherine Langford to Play the Lady of the Lake in New Netflix Series “Cursed”
Katherine Langford is headed back to Netflix. The “13 Reasons Why” breakout has signed on to topline another coming-of-age series for the streamer, Variety confirms. “Cursed”...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Eva Husson — “Girls of the Sun”
Eva Husson is a writer and a director. Her short “Hope to Die” gained international recognition, including nominations at the Student Academy Awards, the American Society of...
Laura Moss to Make Feature Debut with “Frankenstein”-Inspired “After Birth”
A retooling of the “Frankenstein” tale is in development, and this version of Mary Shelley’s classic story centers on women. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Fangoria has...
Aleshea Harris to Adapt Her Award-Winning Play “Is God Is” for the Screen
“Is God Is” is heading to the big screen. Aleshea Harris will adapt her award-winning play about twin sisters on the revenge trail for Scott Rudin and A24, Broadway World...
Trailer Watch: A Legend Sings Her Heart Out in “Maria By Callas”
“An artist develops. You do things by instinct, but we learn, we suffer, we mature. I have to feel what I do,” says Maria Callas in a trailer for a new doc about the iconic opera singer....
Halle Berry to Direct and Star in MMA Drama “Bruised”
Halle Berry is set to channel Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey in her next pic. Deadline reports that the Oscar-winning actress will make her directorial debut with “Bruised,” a mixed...
Mary Harron’s Manson Family Drama “Charlie Says” Acquired by IFC Films
Mary Harron’s latest has found a home. IFC Films snagged North American rights to the “American Psycho” helmer’s take on the Manson Family, “Charlie Says.” The...
Pic About Aviation Pioneer Pancho Barnes in the Works
Florence “Pancho” Barnes soared her way into history books, and now the trailblazer will have her story told on the screen. Genius Produced, a developer and producer of online learning...
Trailer Watch: Susan Sarandon Risks It All to Save Her Son in “Viper Club”
“Do you think I’m afraid of a jail sentence?” asks Susan Sarandon in the first trailer for Maryam Keshavarz’s “Viper Club.” The drama sees the Oscar winner playing...
TIFF Deals: “The Elephant Queen,” “Maiden,” and “Aniara”
Dozens of films are screening daily at the Toronto International Film Festival, but the fest is also a business hub. Just as many deals are being made behind the scenes, and these are just a few that...
Jennifer Kent’s “The Nightingale” Wins Two Awards at Venice
“The Nightingale” has taken home two awards from Venice Film Festival, where the revenge thriller recently made its world premiere. Set in 1825 Tasmania, Jennifer Kent’s second...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Soudade Kaadan – “The Day I Lost My Shadow”
Soudade Kaadan is a Syrian director who was born in France. Her films have screened at several venues nationally and internationally and have received international awards. Her latest documentary,...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Lila Avilés – “The Chambermaid”
After her start as a theater actress, Lila Avilés moved into directing. Her work as a theater director includes “Gardenia Club,” “Microdermoabrasión,” “Antígona,” and “The...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Shannon Service – “Ghost Fleet”
Shannon Service is an independent reporter and filmmaker whose work has appeared in The New York Times, the BBC, and The Guardian. She primarily focuses on crimes at sea, but her stories covered...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian — “Fig Tree”
Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian was born in Awash, Ethiopia. She has directed the short films “Transitions” and “Facing the Wall.” “Fig Tree” is her feature directorial...
“Liyana” Acquired by Abramorama
Abramorama has snagged the rights to “Liyana,” a documentary featuring South African storyteller Gcina Mhlophe. Directed by Amanda and Aaron Kopp, the film made its world premiere at the...
Quote of the Day: Felicity Jones on Wanting to Play a Female Genius
“What was so important to me was to play a female genius,” Felicity Jones tells Vanity Fair in a newly released cover story. The Oscar-nominated actress is discussing her latest role, which sees...
Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan Will Sing to the Queen in “Military Wives”
Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan are teaming up and showing off their pipes. Variety confirms that the pair have signed on to star in “Military Wives,” a feature inspired by a BBC...
Director Jacques Audiard Speaks Out About Gender Inequality at Fests
French filmmaker Jacques Audiard is speaking out on behalf of his female peers. Rather than standing idly by as women fight for better representation at fests, the director is using his voice to add...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Renée Beaulieu — “The Naturally Wanton Pleasure of Skin”
Renée Beaulieu holds a degree in screenwriting from INIS (the National Institute of Image and Sound), a PhD in film studies, and is a certified pharmacist. Her previous features include “Le...
Quote of the Day: Viola Davis Explains How Her “Widows” Hair Makes a Statement
In just a few short days “Widows” will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The caper’s star, Viola Davis, is speaking out about her look in the film,...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Patricia Rozema – “Mouthpiece”
Patricia Rozema’s first comedy feature, “I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing,” screened at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, where it won the Prix de la Jeunesse. It then...
Trailer Watch: Emma Stone & Rachel Weisz Vie for Olivia Colman’s Attention in “The Favourite”
Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz duke it out in a new trailer for “The Favourite.” Set in 18th century England, the comedy sees the Oscar winners at war with one another and England at war...
“Sesame Street’s” Joan Ganz Cooney Becomes First Woman to Receive Top IBC Honor
Joan Ganz Cooney is making her way into history books. She’ll be the first woman to receive the International Broadcasting Convention’s International Honor for Excellence. Ganz Cooney is...
Trailer Watch: Amandla Stenberg in a Holocaust Story Unlike One That Has Ever Been Seen Before
“It wasn’t that I had not known I was different,” says Amandla Stenberg in a new trailer for “Where Hands Touch.” “As I reached 16 I realized Hitler had a plan for...
Venice 2018 Women Directors: Meet Nicole Palo – “Emma Peeters”
Nicole Palo’s credits include the 2005 short “Anna Doesn’t Know” and the 2008 feature “Get Born.” “Emma Peeters” will premiere at the 2018 Venice Film...
YouTube Orders Theresa Rebeck Pilot About Gender Inequality in Gaming Industry
Theresa Rebeck has a new show in the works. The “Smash” creator is taking on the world of gaming — and tackling its infamous misogyny. Deadline reports that YouTube has given a...
Teaser Watch: Elena Ferrante’s Epic Tale of Female Friendship Comes to HBO in “My Brilliant Friend”
Elena and Lila’s story is just months away from its small screen premiere. The first teaser has dropped for “My Brilliant Friend.” Based on Elena Ferrante’s international...
Dana Nachman on Her Guide Dog Documentary “Pick of the Litter”
Dana Nachman is an award-winning filmmaker of both fiction and documentary films. Nachman’s 2018 feature documentary, “Pick of the Litter,” was sold within 48 hours of its premiere at...
Venice 2018 Women Directors: Meet Elsa Amiel — “Pearl”
Elsa Amiel previously directed two short films, “Ailleurs seulement” and “Faccia d’Angelo.” “Pearl” is her feature debut. “Pearl” will premiere...
Foreign-Language Oscar Submissions: Colombia Picks “Birds of Passage,” Estonia “Take It Or Leave It”
Two more women-directed films have joined the foreign-language Oscar race. Colombia named Cristina Gallego — and Ciro Guerra’s — “Birds of Passage” as their entry, and...
Trailer Watch: Anjelica Huston Won’t Be Bullied in Theresa Rebeck’s “Trouble”
Anjelica Huston and Theresa Rebeck are re-teaming for “Trouble.” A trailer for the drama about siblings feuding over property recently dropped. Huston and Rebeck previously collaborated...
Trailer Watch: Elle Fanning Faces the End of the World in “I Think We’re Alone Now”
Elle Fanning (“Mary Shelley”) and Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”) cross paths in a post-apocalyptic world in “I Think We’re Alone Now.” “Has anyone told you...
Venice 2018 Women Directors: Meet Sarah Marx — “L’Enkas”
Sarah Marx previously directed “Fatum,” a 2012 short about about a man struggling to reintegrate into society after serving time in jail. She later shot a documentary in a prison in...