BY Laura Berger
New Mermaid Drama Headed to Freeform
Rebecca Thomas’ live-action version of “The Little Mermaid” starring Chloë Grace Moretz is currently in pre-production, but it looks like we’ll soon be seeing mer-folk on-screen in another...
Trailer Watch: Meg Ryan Reteams with Tom Hanks for Her Directorial Debut “Ithaca”
Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are reuniting on the big-screen, but what makes the collaboration especially exciting is the fact that they are joining forces for Ryan’s directorial debut, “Ithaca.” A...
Venice Film Fest 2016 Lineup: Competition Features Only 10 Percent Female Directors
The Venice International Film Festival has announced its 2016 slate, and female filmmakers do not feature prominently. Venice is recognized as the oldest film festival in the world, but the 73rd...
Women Are EVERYWHERE at the Movies This Weekend: Ladies of Wall Street, Wild Moms, and More
Unless you’re a die-hard fan of blockbusters, summer probably isn’t your favorite season to head to the cinema (besides for the air-conditioning, of course). But this weekend is almost an...
“Winter’s Bone” Helmer Debra Granik to Write and Direct New Adventure Drama
Debra Granik, best known for her 2010 indie sensation “Winter’s Bone,” is set to co-write and direct a new adventure drama. The Tracking Board reports that Granik is working on an adaptation...
Oscar Winner Barbara Kopple on Her Inspiring New Doc “Miss Sharon Jones!”
Barbara Kopple is a two-time Academy Award winning filmmaker. Her recent credits include “Shelter,” which explores the psychological trauma created by military service, the effects that remain...
TIFF Galas and Special Presentations: Mira Nair, Amma Asante, and More
The “Queen of Katwe” is Toronto-bound. The Toronto International Film Festival has announced the first crop of titles for the 41st edition of the fest. A significant number of films selected as...
Mandy Moore Shark Thriller Acquired by Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios
Will it ever be safe to go into the water? It’s been over 40 years since “Jaws” hit theaters, but filmmakers remain committed to ruining your beach vacation. A shark thriller starring Mandy...
“Transparent” Creator Jill Soloway Named Keynote Speaker for SXSW 2017
SXSW won’t kick off until March 2017, but organizers have revealed that “Transparent” creator Jill Soloway will be a keynote speaker at the fest, Deadline reports. This is great...
Alice Lowe’s “Prevenge” To Open Venice Critics’ Week
Prepare for “Prevenge.” Alice Lowe’s feature directorial debut will open the Venice International Film Festival’s Critics’ Week. The fest runs from August 31-September 10 in...
Roxane Gay Makes History and Joins the Marvel Comic Universe
Roxane Gay is set to become the first-ever black woman to pen a Marvel comic book. An announcement at Comic-Con revealed that the “Bad Feminist” essayist will co-write a new Black Panther...
Writer-Director Nijla Mu’min Selected for Panavision New Filmmaker Program
Nijla Mu’min is set to receive some valuable support for her feature film debut: the writer-director has been selected for The Panavision New Filmmaker Program. In “Jinn,” Mu’min will tackle...
Weekly Update for July 22: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” Films About Women Opening This Week Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie — Directed by Mandie Fletcher; Written by Jennifer Saunders The big-screen version of...
Happy Friday: Watch Michelle Obama Perform “This Is For My Girls” on “Carpool Karaoke”
First Lady Michelle Obama continues to delight and inspire. Obama recently appeared in “Carpool Karaoke” alongside “The Late Late Show” host James Corden, and the former Associate Dean of...
Michael Moore’s Film Fest Lineup is Exclusively Women-Directed
Many film festivals talk the talk of gender equality, but when it comes to unveiling their programs, particularly the most high-profile sections, male-directed films continue to dominate. Michael...
New Pilot from “Transparent” Creator Jill Soloway to Hit Amazon in August
Season 3 of “Transparent” won’t debut until sometime this fall, but you can catch a new pilot from Jill Soloway, the show’s creator, on Amazon in August. While “Transparent” was...
Charlize Theron to Produce Drama About War Photographer Marie Colvin
Charlize Theron will produce “Marie Colvin,” a biopic of the late war photographer. The Hollywood Reporter details that the script is based on a Vanity Fair article chronicling Colvin’s...
ArcLight to Present Second Annual Women in Entertainment Summit
Theater chain ArcLight Cinemas is set to present the second annual Women in Entertainment Summit, Yahoo! News reports. The event will take place November 10 at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. The...
Women in Film and The Black List Announce Participants of Inaugural TV Lab
Earlier this year Women In Film, Los Angeles and The Black List announced that they would join forces to launch a new episodic television lab for women writers. The eight-week lab offers an...
Kirsten Dunst to Direct Dakota Fanning in “The Bell Jar”
Kirsten Dunst is set to helm her debut feature. The “Fargo” star and Emmy nominee is bringing an adaptation of Sylvia Plath’s influential 1963 novel “The Bell Jar” to the big-screen. Dunst...
Trailer Watch: Patricia Arquette and Gloria Steinem Talk Women’s Rights in “Equal Means Equal”
Patricia Arquette’s 2015 Oscar speech continues to make waves. The “Boyhood” winner used her time at the podium to call for equal rights and equal pay for women, a demand she’s expounding on...
Trailer Watch: Ava DuVernay and Oprah Tackle Love, Loss, and Race in “Queen Sugar”
Ava DuVernay is finally coming to TV, and we have a newly released trailer for “Queen Sugar” to tide us over until the drama premieres on OWN. The emotional spot kicks off with the event that...
TIFF Industry Conference Announces “Visionary Women” Programming
While the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is best known for its high-profile film screenings, the festival also hosts a bustling Industry Conference where topics such distribution,...
“Making a Murderer” is Getting a Second Season
Great news for the many fans of Netflix’s “Making a Murderer.” The streaming service has announced that that Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos — the show’s creators, executive producers,...
AMBI Classics Makes its Debut with Niki Caro’s “Whale Rider”
Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi’s AMBI Group is forging its way into specialty distribution. AMBI has a library of more than 400 titles from Exclusive Media Group to draw on, and are planning...
Books, Films, News, Television
Kyra Sedgwick to Make Directorial Debut with Lifetime Coming-of-Age Drama
Kyra Sedgwick is stepping behind the camera. The “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actress is set to make her directorial debut with “Story of a Girl,” an adaptation of Sara Zarr’s YA novel, a finalist...
Trailer Watch: Emily Blunt is Afraid of Herself in “The Girl on the Train”
A new trailer has been released for this fall’s highly anticipated “The Girl on the Train.” In it, we hear more from Rachel Watson, the unreliable narrator who has galvanized readers since...
Women Win Big at Outfest Los Angeles
Female filmmakers took home two out of three Audience Awards at this year’s Outfest, an LA-based LGBTQ film festival. Annalise Ophelian won the U.S. Documentary Audience Award for “Major!” and...
Toni Braxton Named Winner of the BMI President’s Award
Singer Toni Braxton is set to receive yet another trophy. The chart-topping singer has been named the 2016 recipient of the BMI President’s Award. She’ll accept her honor September 1 in Atlanta...
Melissa McCarthy Receives Gilda Radner Award and “Life of the Party” Release Date
It’s been a great week for Melissa McCarthy — and we aren’t just talking about the fact that she had her biggest opening weekend numbers ever for “Ghostbusters.” McCarthy led the...
Rose Byrne and Oprah to Star in HBO’s “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”
Rose Byrne is set to join Oprah Winfrey in HBO’s “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” The film is based on Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 best-selling nonfiction book of the same name. According...
Jane Birkin To Be Honored at Locarno Film Fest
Jane Birkin will be honored at this year’s Locarno Film Fest. The Switzerland-based festival will pay tribute to the the English actress and singer with a career retrospective. Birkin made her...
True Crime Doc “Southwest of Salem” Gets Worldwide Distribution
If you’re looking for the next “Making a Murderer,” “Serial,” or “West of Memphis” you’re in for some good news: an award-winning true crime documentary by Deborah S. Esquenazi has...
Weekly Update for July 15: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Ghostbusters” Films About Women Opening This Week Ghostbusters — Co-Written by Katie Dippold “Ghostbusters” bursts onto the screen with several of our country’s funniest...
Books, Films, News, Television
Reed Morano to Direct “The Handmaid’s Tale” Starring Elisabeth Moss
Reed Morano has been confirmed to helm “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s classic 1985 dystopian novel. The streaming service has given a straight-to-series...
Trailer Watch: Hailee Steinfeld Has Growing Pains in “The Edge of Seventeen”
A NSFW trailer has landed for “The Edge of Seventeen,” a coming-of-age dramedy starring Oscar-nominated actress Hailee Steinfeld (“True Grit,” “Pitch Perfect 2”) as Nadine, an awkward...
“Catastrophe” Renewed for Two More Seasons
You have a lot more “Catastrophe” to look forward to. The Peabody Award-nominated series has received a two-season renewal from both Amazon and UK’s Channel 4. Season 2 debuted on Amazon Prime...
Mia Hansen-Løve Announces Two New Projects
“Goodbye First Love” writer-director Mia Hansen-Løve revealed information about two new projects in an interview with ScreenDaily. “Maya” will star Roman Kolinka, an actor Hansen-Løve...
Jessica Chastain Joins the Oscar Race with Gun Control Drama “Miss Sloane”
Two-time Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain is joining this year’s Oscar race. Variety reports that EuropaCorp and FilmNation have decided on “an awards-season release” of December 9 for...
Locarno Film Fest’s International Competition Lineup is Nearly 50 Percent Female-Directed
The Locarno Film Festival has announced its lineup for the 69th edition of the fest. The Switzerland-based festival boasts an International Competition that’s nearly 50 percent female-directed, or...
Jennifer Aniston Stands Up to Tabloids and Speaks Out Against Sexism
Jennifer Aniston gets to determine her own “happily ever after” — tabloids and societal pressure be damned. The “Friends” actress penned a candid essay for The Huffington Post, where...
Trailer Watch: A College Student Tailspins in Elizabeth Wood’s Sundance Hit “White Girl”
A trailer has landed for “White Girl,” Elizabeth Wood’s feature directorial debut. The film premiered to rave reviews at Sundance, where it was compared to Larry Clark’s “Kids,” another...
Meshell Ndegeocello to Score Ava DuVernay’s “Queen Sugar”
Yet another amazing woman has been added to the “Queen Sugar” roster. Meshell Ndegeocello will score the OWN series. Ava DuVernay, the co-creator of “Queen Sugar,” announced the news via...
“Deadpool’s” Brianna Hildebrand and “X-Men’s” Alexandra Shipp Join Forces for “Tragedy Girls”
Two comic book heroines are set to team up for a new horror comedy with an enticing premise. “Deadpool’s” Brianna Hildebrand and “X-Men: Apocalypse’s” Alexandra Shipp will star in...
Trailer Watch: Gina Prince-Bythewood Uncovers Racism and Police Corruption in Fox’s “Shots Fired”
A new trailer has arrived for “Shots Fired,” a 10-hour TV event from Fox. The police drama was created by wife-husband duo Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Beyond the Lights,” “The Secret Life of...
Weekly Update for July 1: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Our Kind of Traitor” Films About Women Opening This Week The Innocents — Directed by Anne Fontaine; Co-Written by Anne Fontaine, Sabrina B. Karine, and Alice Vial (Opens in NY...
Event Invite: Join Us in Australia to Discuss Diversity in Action
Do you want more diversity on-screen and behind-the-scenes? If so, you may be interested in a panel taking place in Ultimo Sydney on July 25. Screen Vixens and Film Fatales are hosting the third...
Virginia Woolf’s Romance with Vita Sackville-West Comes to the Big-Screen
The love affair between two literary greats will serve as the inspiration for an upcoming film by “Burn Burn Burn” director Chanya Button. According to Deadline, Button will helm a script...
New Research Shows How “Underutilized and Undervalued” Women Are in the Film Industry
People in power don’t have faith in women. We’ve been saying this for a long time — and data backs us up. New research from Slated paints a strikingly similar picture to the one we’ve...
Annette Bening and Elle Fanning Family Comedy “20th Century Women” Sells to A24
It looks like four-time Academy Award nominee Annette Bening may be a name that pops up during awards chatter yet again. The U.S. rights to “20th Century Women,” a new comedy starring Bening,...
Drew Barrymore May Host a Talk Show
Drew Barrymore may be the next purveyor of cute animal videos and water-cooler chatter. Deadline reports that sources have confirmed that Barrymore is “in discussion with Warner Bros. TV for a...