BY Rachel Montpelier
WIDC Launches Directory of Canadian Women Directors and Calls for Award Submissions
In honor of its 20th anniversary, Canada’s Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) initiative has announced the launch of an online directory of its filmmakers. The alumnae directory includes...
Cannes Update: Gurinder Chadha’s “Viceroy’s House” Gets U.S. Distribution
“Viceroy’s House” has found a U.S. home. IFC acquired the U.S. rights to the period drama from “Bend It Like Beckham” director Gurinder Chadha at the Cannes market, The Hollywood Reporter...
Marlene Dietrich Retrospective Screening at the Metrograph in NYC
If you’re a fan of actress, camp icon, and anti-fascist Marlene Dietrich or want to learn more about her, you’re in luck. The Metrograph theater in New York City is hosting “Marlene,” a...
Release Dates Set for Elizabeth Banks’ “Charlie’s Angels” and Michelle MacLaren’s “The Nightingale”
Two upcoming women-directed projects have received release dates. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Michelle MacLaren’s “The Nightingale” will hit theaters in summer 2018 and the...
Watch: “Victoria” Season 2 First Look Sees the Monarch Embracing Motherhood
In the inaugural season of “Victoria,” audiences saw the titular young queen (Jenna Coleman) as she settled into her life as a monarch. Victoria was coronated, broke away from her mother...
Women Filmmakers Receive 66% of Doha Film Institute Spring Grants
In much-needed good news, Variety reports that Doha Film Institute (DFI) is awarding more than half of its spring grants to female filmmakers. In fact, women will receive about 66 percent of the...
Trailer Watch: The Bordelon Legacy Is at Stake in “Queen Sugar” Season 2
“We are a family,” Violet Bordelon (Tina Lifford) tells her nieces Nova and Charley (Rutina Wesley and Dawn-Lyen Gardner) in the trailer for Season 2 of “Queen Sugar.” “Somehow, someway,...
“Criminal Minds” Actresses Kirsten Vangsness and A.J. Cook Push for Equal Pay
Kirsten Vangsness and A.J. Cook of Criminal Minds” are fighting for equal pay. The duo are seeking parity with co-stars Joe Mantegna and Matthew Gray Gubler for the CBS procedural’s 13th season...
Trailer Watch: Clone Club Preps for Its Final Fight in “Orphan Black” Season 5
Last time we saw the Clone Club sisters (all portrayed by Tatiana Maslany), they weren’t doing great. Resident Bad Clone Rachel had abducted Sarah’s family, Sarah and Cosima were severely sick...
Cannes Update: Catherine Deneuve to Star in Julie Bertuccelli’s “Claire Darling”
“School of Babel” director Julie Bertuccelli has begun production on her next film, “Claire Darling.” According to Variety, Catherine Deneuve and her daughter Chiara Mastroianni have signed...
Yara Shahidi-Led “Black-ish” Spinoff Greenlit at Freeform
Zoey Johnson is officially heading to college. “Black-ish” star Yara Shahidi will topline a spinoff of the ABC comedy, Variety reports. The 13-episode first season of “College-ish” will...
Industry Double Standards: The Success of “Everything, Everything” and Failure of “King Arthur”
Stella Meghie’s “Everything, Everything” is beating box office expectations. Guy Ritchie’s “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” is bombing. But let’s be real, Ritchie will still get his...
“Mamma Mia!” Sequel Announced
Universal has realized it could never let go of “Mamma Mia!” Variety reports that a sequel for the 2008 musical hit is officially in the works. “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!” will hit...
Directors UK Launches New Mentorship and Career Development Program
Directors UK has launched a new initiative for its members. Directors UK Inspire: A Mentoring and Career Development Programme “aims to inspire and encourage directors across genres to seek...
Weekly Update for May 19: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Everything, Everything” Films About Women Opening This Week Everything, Everything — Directed by Stella Meghie What if you couldn’t touch anything in the outside world? Never breathe in...
Carrie Brownstein to Make Feature Directorial Debut with “Fairy Godmother”
In news that’s sure to please “Portlandia’s” feminist bookstore owners, actress, writer, and Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein has signed on to direct the Chiara Atik-penned...
Cannes Update: New Films with Ashley Judd and Maggie Q on the Way
Films toplined by Ashley Judd and Maggie Q are the latest projects seeking distribution deals at the Cannes Film Market. According to ScreenDaily, Red Sea Media has begun talks with international...
Chelsea Manning Documentary in the Works
A documentary about former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning is in the works. According to a press release, “XY Chelsea” is the result of several years of “unique access” to...
Trailer Watch: Michelle Yeoh and Sonequa Martin-Green Call the Shots in “Star Trek: Discovery”
Before Kirk and Spock there was Captain Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) and Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). A trailer for CBS All Access’ new “Star Trek” series hints that its...
BAFTA Names 15 Female Directors Selected for Elevate 2017 Program
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the participants of its annual Elevate program. As this year’s initiative addresses the gender gap among directors in the...
New Research Shows Number of Women-Directed Films Screening at Fests Hasn’t Improved
If you attend a high-profile U.S. film festival, you are three times as likely to see a feature film directed by a man as you are to see one directed by a woman. And you are twice as likely to catch...
None of CBS’ New Fall Series Are Women-Centric
CBS has unveiled its fall 2017 lineup and, in terms of women-centric programming, it’s a wasteland. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the network is moving forward with eight pilots: four dramas, four...
Film London, BFI, and BBC’s Microwave Commissions Films From Female & Non-Binary Directors
Microwave, the small budget feature film program from Film London, BFI, and BBC Films has revealed its two latest commissions. ScreenDaily reports that trans romance “Violets Are Blue” and...
Julie Taymor, Denée Benton, and More to Be Honored at 2017 Lilly Awards
The honorees of the eighth annual Lilly Awards have been announced. Director Julie Taymor and Broadway star and “UnREAL” actress Denée Benton are among the 2017 recipients, BroadwayWorld...
Trailer Watch: Emma Stone Tackles Sexism on the Tennis Court in “Battle of the Sexes”
“Battle of the Sexes” “I had a great idea,” Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) tells Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) over the phone in the new trailer for “Battle of the Sexes.” “‘Male...
Women in Film and Television UK Launches Research Institute for Gender in Media
Women in Film and Television UK (WFTV) unveiled plans for a new research institute at its recent Making A Difference Conference. According to a press release, the new Research Institute for Gender...
Trailer Watch: A Woman Falls for Her Brother’s Girlfriend in “Heartland”
“Carrie?” Lauren (Velinda Godfrey) says in a new trailer for “Heartland.” “Would you maybe want to do something crazy with me right now?” So begins a couple days of fun and adventure for...
Cannes 2017: Women in Motion to Honor Isabelle Huppert and Maysaloun Hamoud
The face of this year’s Women in Motion program is also the winner of its top prize. In partnership with Cannes, Kering will present the 2017 Women in Motion Award to Isabelle Huppert. The news...
Sign Up for Paula Vogel’s Playwriting Boot Camp
Attention, aspiring playwrights: You have a chance to learn the tools of the trade from Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Paula Vogel. According to BroadwayWorld, the “Indecent” scribe will be...
“Sworn Virgin” Director Laura Bispuri Announces Next Film
Laura Bispuri will examine the complex relationships between mothers and daughters as well as adoptive and biological parents in her next film. Per Variety, the “Sworn Virgin” director is set to...
Apply Now for the Women in Entertainment Workshop Series at LAFF
This year’s Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF) is turning out to be a very welcoming event for women in Hollywood. The fest’s lineup includes plenty of of women-directed films and now Women in...
Reese Witherspoon to Produce Adaptations of Two New Women-Penned Books
Looks like Reese Witherspoon is just as busy as her “Big Little Lies” character, Madeline Martha Mackenzie. The Oscar-winning multi-hyphenate is producing adaptations of Gail Honeyman’s...
Weekly Update for May 12: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Snatched” Films About Women Opening This Week Snatched — Written by Katie Dippold After her boyfriend dumps her on the eve of their exotic vacation, impetuous dreamer Emily Middleton...
Dee Rees Working on a Horror Film About a Lesbian Couple in a Small Town
Dee Rees’ next project will be a horror film exploring domestic life, race, sexuality, and small town America. Originally reported by the New York Times, the Tracking Board and Shadow and Act have...
Trailer Watch: “Jeanette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc” Is a Musical Ode to Martyrdom
Chances are you’ve heard of Joan of Arc — the famous martyr and feminist icon who disguised herself as a man in order to fight in the Hundred Years’ War and was eventually burned at the...
Mimi Plauche Named Artistic Director of Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival will have a new artistic director for its 53rd edition in October. According to the Chicago Tribune, Mimi Plauche has been promoted from program director to...
June Diane Raphael Is Writing a Book About Women Running for Office
June Diane Raphael wants more women to run for political office — so she is writing a book encouraging women to do just that. As People reports, the actress-comedian will pen “Represent: The...
Miranda Richardson to Star in New Series from Kay Mellor
Oscar-nominated actress Miranda Richardson will topline “Girlfriends,” a new drama from Kay Mellor (“In the Club”). Per Deadline, Phyllis Logan (aka Mrs. Hughes of “Downton Abbey”) and...
Venus Williams to EP & Star in Unscripted Series About Female Entrepreneurs
World champion tennis player Venus Williams will be showcasing her skills as a businesswoman in a new unscripted series. According to Variety, the founder/CEO of interior design company V*STARR...
Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2017 Lineup: 41% Women-Directed
The lineup for the 2017 Human Rights Watch Film Festival has been announced. According to a press release, the selected films will “serve as inspiration and motivation for the audience, from...
Apply Now for NYWIFT Fund for Women Filmmakers Grants
The New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) Fund for Women Filmmakers is now accepting submissions for its 2017 grants. According to a NYWIFT press release, female filmmakers are welcome to...
Playwright Katori Hall Named Artistic Director of Memphis’ Hattiloo Theater
“The Mountaintop” playwright Katori Hall will be the next artistic director of the Hattiloo Theater, the New York Times reports. Located in Hall’s hometown, Memphis, the Hattiloo is an...
Paley Center to Celebrate Women in Media and Honor Carol Burnett
Women will be the main focus of the upcoming Paley Center Honors gala. According to Variety, the Paley Center will celebrate “the achievements of women in media” during its May 17 ceremony. The...
“Westworld” Co-Creator Lisa Joy Renews Overall Deal with Warner Bros. TV
Lisa Joy will continue doing business with Warner Bros. TV. The “Westworld” co-creator/co-showrunner/EP has extended her overall deal with the studio. Joy will stay on as co-showrunner of the...
Trailer Watch: Kirsten Dunst Loses Touch with Reality in “Woodshock”
“Woodshock” “Remember when we used to play in the woods together? I got lost that one summer. When I turned around, you were gone,” Theresa (Kirsten Dunst) recalls in the newly released...
Jill Soloway Renews Overall Deal with Amazon Studios
Jill Soloway will be sticking with Amazon Studios for the foreseeable future. The “Transparent” creator and showrunner has extended her overall deal with the streaming service for another three...
Doc About “Muriel’s Wedding” Musical in the Works from Nel Minchin
Somebody break out the ABBA records. “Making Muriel,” a documentary following director P.J. Hogan as he adapts his beloved cult film “Muriel’s Wedding” into a musical, is headed our way....
Tina Gharavi and Samantha Harrie Selected for HETV Director Program
Directors UK and Creative Skillset’s High End TV (HETV) Council have announced two directors set to participate in the High End TV Drama Directors Career Development Programme. According to a...
Spec Script About Underground Abortion Service Acquired by Amazon
Amazon could be bringing the story of underground abortion providers in Chicago to the cinema. Per Deadline, the studio has obtained “This Is Jane,” a spec screenplay by Dan Loflin...
Trailer Watch: Final “Wonder Woman” Spot Follows the Rise of the Warrior
“Be careful of mankind, Diana,” Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) tells her daughter, a pint-sized Diana, Princess of Themyscira aka Wonder Woman. “They do not deserve you.” If the final...
Weekly Update for May 5: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“3 Generations” Films About Women Opening This Week Tomorrow Ever After — Written and Directed by Ela Thier “Tomorrow Ever After” Shaina (writer-director Ela Thier) is a historian...