BY Rachel Montpelier
Claire Schmidt Leaves Fox to Head Startup Combating Workplace Harassment
Claire Schmidt is stepping down from her post as a VP at 20th Century Fox in order to join new startup AllVoices, a website “where anyone can anonymously report instances of harassment,...
Stana Katic-Led FBI Agent Drama Series “Absentia” Headed to Amazon
You’ll soon be able to stream “Absentia” via Amazon Prime. Having been originally released on Sony’s AXN channels earlier this fall, the thriller drama series starring “Castle” alumna...
DGA Reports Slight Increase in Number of Women and Minority TV Directors in 2016–17 Season
“Insecure” employed 100 percent women and minority directors in 2016–17 The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has published the 2016–17 Episodic TV Director Diversity Report. The annual study...
Emmy Rossum to Portray Mysterious Hollywood Icon Angelyne in Limited Series
Emmy Rossum is bringing a mysterious Hollywood legend’s story to the small screen. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that the “Shameless” star will topline a limited series about Angelyne, the...
Kathleen Kennedy to Receive Top Honor at the 2018 Art Directors Guild Awards
Kathleen Kennedy will take home the top prize at the 22nd annual Art Directors Guild (ADG) Awards. The Lucasfilm president and “Star Wars” producer will receive the Cinematic Imagery Award, an...
Study: Young Female Characters Are MIA in Last Decade’s Top Films
The feeling of being overlooked, misunderstood, or ignored is common amongst adolescents. As such, there’s some inherent irony in a new study from Dr. Stacy L. Smith of the Media, Diversity &...
“Lady Bird” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Impress at the Box Office
Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson and Mildred Hayes make a strong impression as the lead characters of “Lady Bird” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” respectively. So it’s...
Weekly Update for November 10: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Films About Women Opening This Week Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder...
WIF and Los Angeles DA Take Action in Wake of Hollywood Abuse Revelations
Women in Film (WIF) and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office are taking steps to support and protect victims of Hollywood’s rampant sexual harassment and abuse. According to reports from...
Sandra Bullock to Play Texas State Senator Wendy Davis in “Let Her Speak”
Sandra Bullock will portray a contemporary feminist icon in her next project. The Oscar winner will play former Texas state senator Wendy Davis in the spec “Let Her Speak,” Variety confirms....
WIDC Selects Eight Women Directors for Story & Leadership Program at Whistler Film Fest
Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC), a professional development organization for female filmmakers in Canada, has announced the eight women who will participate in its Story & Leadership...
Books, Films, News, Television
“Lady Macbeth” Actress Florence Pugh to Topline John le Carré Miniseries at AMC
Florence Pugh is gearing up to star in another thriller about love and betrayal. Fresh from her turn as a 19th-century femme fatale in this summer’s “Lady Macbeth,” Pugh has signed on for the...
Elizabeth Cantillon Developing Series Based on Souad Mekhennet’s “I Was Told to Come Alone”
Producer Elizabeth Cantillon is working on another series. Just a few weeks after news broke about her collaboration with Lynn Shelton, Liz Tigelaar, and Amy Pascal on Hulu’s “LA Woman,”...
“Empire” Showrunner Ilene Chaiken Has Two Women-Centric Shows in the Works at Fox
Ilene Chaiken is putting the contract she re-upped this summer to good use. The “Empire” showrunner, writer, and EP is penning two new series for Fox, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. One is a...
Megan Colligan Charges Gender Bias Upon Departure from Paramount Pictures
Megan Colligan has exited as Paramount Pictures’ worldwide president of marketing and distribution. And, according to reports from Deadline and Variety, her departure isn’t a run-of-the-mill...
Quote of the Day: Ava DuVernay Says Hollywood’s Exclusionary Hiring Is Intentional
By employing only women directors on “Queen Sugar” and via her film collective ARRAY, which spotlights work from women and people of color, Ava DuVernay has done plenty to fight against...
New Advance “Lady Bird” Screenings Added
As you know, Women and Hollywood has been working with A24 to offer the Women and Hollywood community the opportunity to see advance screenings of “Lady Bird,” written and directed by Greta...
Vice Media to Invest in Female Filmmakers with Newly Launched Broadly Films
Vice Media is expanding Broadly, its female-driven channel and website. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Vice has introduced Broadly Films, a three-year program dedicated to funding and...
Trailer Watch: The Monarchy Struggles to Keep Up with the World in “The Crown” Season 2
“The Crown” “Britain has changed beyond recognition,” Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy, “Wolf Hall”) watches a commentator say on television. “Yet the monarchy continues its pre-war...
Weekly Update for November 3: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Lady Bird” Films About Women Opening This Week Lady Bird — Written and Directed by Greta Gerwig Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against but is exactly like her...
Study: 91 Percent of Showrunners Are White and 80 Percent Are Male
Despite the success of inclusive-on-both-sides-of-the-camera shows like “Queen Sugar” and “Insecure,” as well as Shonda Rhimes’ oeuvre, TV showrunners and writers are still overwhelmingly...
“Gypsy” Actress Poorna Jagannathan to Topline Pippa Bianco’s Feature Directorial Debut
“Gypsy” and “The Night Of” actress Poorna Jagannathan has been tapped to lead Pippa Bianco’s first feature film. She will portray a mother seeking justice after an explicit video of her...
Teaser Watch: Darkness Is Rising in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
“This is not going to go the way you think,” Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) informs Rey (Daisy Ridley) in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Rey — who is possibly Luke’s...
Women and Hollywood Invites You to Screenings of Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird”
We’re working* with the folks at A24 to offer the Women and Hollywood community the opportunity to see an advance screening of “Lady Bird,” written and directed by Greta Gerwig. This is a...
Film About Special Olympics Founder Anne Burke in the Works
The story of the woman who launched the first Special Olympic Games is being made into a movie. “Special” will center on Anne Burke, who was just 24 when she created the inclusive competition in...
All-Women Tech Comedy from Paul Feig and Kim Rosenstock in Development at Freeform
Ever wish the series “Silicon Valley” featured more women? Well, Paul Feig, “New Girl’s” Kim Rosenstock, and Freeform are here for you. Per Variety, “Girl Code” is currently in...
Elizabeth Banks and WhoHaHa Team Up With YouTube Space for Women in Comedy Program
Actress, director, and producer Elizabeth Banks and the online comedy platform she co-founded, WhoHaHa, are joining forces with YouTube Space to support and inspire female voices in comedy....
Kimberly Peirce Will Direct Underground Abortion Network Drama “This Is Jane”
Amazon’s abortion drama “This Is Jane” has found its director. “Boys Don’t Cry’s” Kimberly Peirce will helm the film about an underground abortion network in Chicago, which went by the...
DP Nancy Schreiber to Receive Susan B. Anthony Award at High Falls Film Fest
Prolific cinematographer Nancy Schreiber will be honored Thursday at the High Falls Film Festival, an annual event celebrating female filmmakers. The “Better Things” DP is set to receive the...
Julie Taymor To Receive SDCF’s 2018 Mr. Abbott Award
Julie Taymor is set to add another award to her stacked résumé. The Tony-winning director of “The Lion King” will be honored with the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation’s (SDCF)...
Weekly Update for October 27: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Novitiate” Films About Women Opening This Week Novitiate — Written and Directed by Margaret Betts (Opens in NY and LA) Spanning over a decade from the early 1950s through to the mid-60s,...
Ryan Murphy’s New Show Casts Five Trans Actors as Series Regulars, Makes History
“Pose,” a pilot from Ryan Murphy and FX, has already made history — and it hasn’t even begun filming yet. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the 1980s New York City-set series will feature five...
Report: Just 14 Percent of Studio First-Look Deals Are With Women-Led Companies
The latest round of first-look production deals have been finalized and, according to a report from Variety, there are very few pacts with women-led organizations. Of the 139 total first-look deals,...
Exclusive: A Security Guard Confronts Her Workplace Harassers in “Wexford Plaza” Clip
Betty (Reid Asselstine) is starting her shift as a security officer at Wexford Plaza when she notices something strange on the security booth’s computer. A coworker took one of Betty’s private...
Universal Head Donna Langley to Receive Producers Guild’s 2018 Milestone Award
Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley will be recognized by the Producers Guild of America (PGA) this winter. Deadline confirms that Langley is the 2018 recipient of the Milestone Award, the...
Exclusive: A Friend’s Prank Goes Awry in “Suck It Up” Clip
“Does anything taste a little bit odd about that lemonade? Maybe, like, something special?” a laughing Ronnie (Grace Glowicki) asks her best friend in a clip for Jordan Canning’s “Suck It...
“Breadwinner” Helmer Nora Twomey to Be Recognized at Women in Animation’s Diversity Awards
Director and animator Nora Twomey will be among the honorees at Women in Animation’s first WIA Diversity Awards, which recognize artists and organizations dedicated to building a more inclusive...
You’re Invited: Women and Hollywood’s 10th Anniversary Celebration in London
Women and Hollywood’s final 10th anniversary event, to be held in London, is fast approaching. As we honor a decade of educating, advocating, and agitating for greater gender diversity in film on...
Gina Rodriguez Set to EP Women-Centric Series from “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” Writers
Gina Rodriguez is becoming quite the multi-hyphenate. According to Variety, the actress, producer, author, and new Carmen Sandiego has signed on to executive produce “Femme,” a drama series from...
Mary Harron and More to Be Honored at WIFT-T’s Crystal Awards
Mary Harron has a lot to celebrate. In a little over a week, “Alias Grace” — the Netflix miniseries she directed — will premiere. And in December Harron will receive the Creative...
Trailer Watch: A Dying Woman Considers One Last Fling in Joan Carr-Wiggin’s “Love of My Life”
“I’m happily married and dying — not the best time to start dating [my] ex,” Grace (Anna Chancellor, “This Beautiful Fantastic”) says in the trailer for “Love of My Life.” Too...
Issa Rae Teaming Up with Author Angela Flournoy on ‘90s-Set HBO Drama
“Insecure” star and co-creator Issa Rae has another show in the works at HBO. She and “The Turner House” author Angela Flournoy are working on an untitled ‘90s-set family drama for the...
Amy Irving, Helen Slater, and Zhu Zhu to Star in Ann Hu’s “Confetti”
“Shadow Magic” director Ann Hu has tapped Amy Irving (“Alias”), Helen Slater (“Supergirl”), Zhu Zhu (“Marco Polo”), and newcomer Harmonie Zhu to star in her next film,...
“Hidden Figures” Writer Allison Schroeder to Pen Drama About Uber Sexual Harassment
Susan Fowler’s story is headed for the big screen. The woman behind the headline-making “Reflecting On One Very, Very Strange Year At Uber” blog post is joining forces with “Hidden...
“Star Trek: Discovery” Renewed for a Second Season
Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham will be going on even more intergalactic adventures. Entertainment Weekly reports that the Martin-Green-led “Star Trek: Discovery” has been renewed for...
Trailer Watch: Queen Latifah Fights for Clean Water in “Flint”
“There’s absolutely nothing to worry about,” a government official assures the public in the new spot for “Flint,” Lifetime’s original movie about the Flint Water Crisis. That lie hangs...
Rachel Weisz and Mira Nair Award “Suicide by Sunlight” at Through Her Lens Program
Nikyatu Jusu’s “Suicide by Sunlight” took home the top prize at this year’s Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program. Jury members Rachel Weisz (the upcoming...
Weekly Update for October 20: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Tragedy Girls” Films About Women Opening This Week Tragedy Girls “Tragedy Girls” is a twist on the slasher genre following two death-obsessed teenage girls (Alexandra Shipp and Brianna...
Watch: Jane Goodall Observes a Supportive Mother Chimp in This “Jane” Clip
Prepare for your heart to melt. A clip from “Jane,” the Jane Goodall documentary that opens today, has been released and it shows the most adorable baby chimp you’ve ever seen. As the...
DOC NYC’s 2017 Feature Lineup Is 40 Percent Women-Directed
DOC NYC, the largest American documentary film festival, has unveiled its 2017 program. The fest’s eighth edition will screen 111 feature docs, 44 of which, or about 40 percent, are women-helmed....
Trailer Watch: A Family’s Life Goes to the Dogs in Marianna Palka’s “Bitch”
“We thought you’d be home. I postponed dinner as long as I could,” Jill (Marianna Palka) says as she leaves a message for her husband, Bill (Jason Ritter, “Parenthood”), in the new trailer...