BY Rachel Montpelier
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” Receives Highest Ratings Yet
“We are only one menstrual cycle into this presidency and there is blood in the water.” That one-liner is the perfect distillation of Samantha Bee’s late night show: unapologetically feminist,...
Full Cast Announced for “The Little Foxes,” Starring Cynthia Nixon & Laura Linney
The Manhattan Theatre Club has announced the full cast of the new Broadway production of “The Little Foxes.” As previously reported, Cynthia Nixon and Laura Linney are set to alternate the lead...
Trailer Watch: Jessica Biel is a Murderer Without a Motive in “The Sinner”
“I think there’s something wrong with me,” Cora Tanner (Jessica Biel) says in the newly-released trailer for “The Sinner.” That’s probably an understatement, considering she’s talking...
Marjane Satrapi to Direct Marie Curie Biopic
Marjane Satrapi is set to bring another graphic novel to the big screen. The “Persepolis” filmmaker will direct Working Title’s “Radioactive,” based on Lauren Redniss’ graphic nonfiction...
“Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan” Gets Distribution and Release Date
“Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan” has found a home. Abramorama has acquired the theatrical rights to the ballet documentary, the company announced in a press release. Directed and produced by...
STX Options “The New Neighbors” Spec, Leslye Headland Set to Direct
Leslye Headland is gearing up to direct her third feature film. The “Bachelorette” and “Sleeping with Other People” writer-director is attached to helm “The New Neighbors,” Deadline...
New Directors/New Films Festival Announces 2017 Lineup
The lineup for the 46th annual New Directors/New Films Festival (ND/NF) has been announced. A joint effort of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, ND/NF will...
You’re Invited: Join Women and Hollywood in Ireland at “New Horizons” Event
If you will be in Limerick, Ireland in early March, you should add “New Horizons” to your schedule. The one-day event, providing “an opportunity for contributors to lend their voice to the...
Free Screenings for “Hidden Figures” and Public Screenings for “13th” Announced
Haven’t had a chance to see “Hidden Figures”? Want to host a screening of “13th” for your school? You’re in luck: Both films have been granted screening access. According to Deadline,...
Megan Ellison Developing Series About the 2016 Election
Mega-producer Megan Ellison is set to team up with frequent collaborator Mark Boal for a series about the recent presidential race, Deadline reports. Ellison and Boal describe the project as an...
Gurinder Chadha to Direct Film About a Female Indian Spy Set in WWII
“Bend It Like Beckham” director Gurinder Chadha has announced her newest project. The Hindustan Times reports that Chadha is developing “Song for a Spy,” about a female Indian World War II...
LA Women’s International Film Festival Announces 2017 Lineup
The 13th Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival has announced its 2017 program. The festival will kick-off four days of features, documentaries, shorts, and panel discussions with a...
Trailer Watch: Amandla Stenberg Finds Freedom in “Everything, Everything”
Adolescence can be really, really difficult. In fact, plenty of teens only manage to get through it by looking forward to the escape that comes after high school, particularly moving out of their...
“About Ray” Gets New Name and Release Date
“About Ray” is now “Three Generations.” The film, which has been on the shelf since September 2015, will be released May 19, 2017, The Hollywood Reporter writes. Directed by Gaby Dellal and...
Princess Diana Miniseries to Air on ABC in August
Princess Diana: Nick Parfjonov/Wikimedia Commons A documentary miniseries about Princess Diana is coming to ABC. According to Deadline, the four-hour untitled project will air over two nights in...
Trailer Watch: Women Battle for the Throne in “The White Princess”
Attention “Outlander” and “Game of Thrones” fans: your next obsession will be here soon. A trailer for the Starz limited series “The White Princess” just arrived. A follow-up to “The...
Teaser Watch: Titus Announces Season 3 of “Kimmy Schmidt”
Someone really needs to develop a Tituss Burgess-Beyoncé variety show. A teaser for the third season of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” just dropped and it looks surprisingly familiar. The clip...
Quote of the Day: Beyoncé Wants a More Inclusive World for Her Kids
Most of the awards ceremonies of 2017 have been overtly political, and the Grammys on Sunday were no exception. Beyoncé used her platform to speak frankly about why inclusivity and representation...
True/False Film Fest Teams Up with Kickstarter for Childcare Initiative
The past week has been a pretty good one childcare advocates. First, Raising Films launched the Family Support Fund. Now True/False Film Fest and Kickstarter are working together on The Cradle, an...
Meryl Streep Vows Never to Return to the “Bad Old Days” in Speech
“All of us have the human right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Meryl Streep took this oft-quoted sentiment and made it feel revolutionary at a recent fundraiser for the Human...
Ruth Negga to Receive an Oscar Wilde Award from US-Ireland Alliance
No matter what happens at the Academy Awards on February 26, Ruth Negga will still end up with an Oscar. An Oscar Wilde, that is. The “Loving” actress will be honored at the US-Ireland...
Debra Messing Opens Up About Being Body-Shamed by a Predatory Director
Imagine yourself at work. You’re sitting (or standing) there, doing your best on the task at hand. Suddenly, your boss comes over and screams, “How quickly can we get a plastic surgeon in here?...
Emma Watts Named Vice Chairman of 20th Century Fox
Another woman is rising through the ranks at 20th Century Fox Film. The studio has promoted veteran Fox executive Emma Watts, The Hollywood Reporter writes. Watts will now act as its vice...
Nicole Kidman Will Produce, Possibly Star in “The Expatriates” TV Series
Looks like Nicole Kidman is making herself at home in the TV landscape. The star of HBO’s upcoming “Big Little Lies” and the next season of “Top of the Lake” has signed on to produce...
WeForShe Announces 2017 WriteHer List
WeForShe has selected the scripts and writers for the 2017 WriteHer List. According to an announcement on the WeForShe website, the list — which industry executives help...
Broadway Star Cynthia Erivo to Play Harriet Tubman in Upcoming Biopic
Cynthia Erivo is going from the stage to the big screen. According to Variety, the Broadway actress and singer will play Harriet Tubman in a new biopic, currently titled “Harriet.” Set to begin...
Trailer Watch: A Soldier Collides with “Vengeful Bitches” in Sofia Coppola’s “The Beguiled”
You know that badass scene in “Gone with the Wind” when Scarlett O’Hara kills the creepy soldier for trespassing on her beloved Tara and threatening to assault her? It appears that Sofia...
Berlinale 2017 Women Directors: Meet Ildikó Enyedi— “On Body and Soul”
Ildikó Enyedi began her career as a concept and media artist as part of the art group Indigo and the Balázs Béla Studio. Her first film, “My Twentieth Century,” won the Cannes Camera d’Or...
Shonda Rhimes Acquires Rights to Luvvie Ajayi’s Book “I’m Judging You”
Shonda Rhimes has done it again. She’s hard at work at yet another amazing-sounding and inclusive project. Shondaland and ABC Signature Studios obtained the rights to writer Luvvie Ajayi’s first...
Teaser Watch: New Clips, Premiere Dates for “Orange Is the New Black” & “Catastrophe”
Get excited, TV lovers. “Orange Is the New Black” and “Catastrophe” — two of Women and Hollywood’s favorite series — dropped teasers and premiere dates today. The “OITNB”...
Raising Films Hosts Childcare Summit, Announces Family Support Fund
Raising Films recently held an Industry Summit “to discuss practical solutions for parents and carers working in the film and television industries,” the company announced in a press release. It...
Paul Feig Named Distinguished Artist by AFI Directing Workshop for Women
Today’s bit of good news: Paul Feig will continue bolstering women filmmakers. The “Ghostbusters” director is the AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women’s (DWW) 2017 Distinguished...
WIFT Germany Announces Berlinale Event with Lone Scherfig
If you find yourself in Berlin this coming Saturday, you should consider attending “How to Attract Audiences in a Changing Cinema Landscape – Fresh Ideas for Storytelling and Outreach.” The...
Chicken & Egg Pictures Receives Multi-Year MacArthur Grant
Chicken & Egg Pictures is “now officially part of the MacArthur Foundation legacy.” According to a press release, the organization supporting women non-fiction filmmakers is set to receive a...
Quote of the Day: David Oyelowo on the Oscars’ Long Path to Equality, Inclusivity
David Oyelowo is impressed with this year’s slate of Oscar nominations, but doesn’t think the Academy should pat itself on the back just yet. While promoting his new film, “A United...
Octavia Spencer Formally Announces Her Future as a Producer
“I’m really drawn to stories that haven’t really been told,” Octavia Spencer said in a sit-down with Gloria Steinem at the annual Makers Conference. The actress believes movies should...
Trailer Watch: Kristen Stewart Is Waiting for a Sign in “Personal Shopper”
The latest trailer for “Personal Shopper” is here and sees protagonist Maureen (Kristen Stewart) buying haute couture and running errands for her boss, Kyra. “Kyra’s very high-profile,”...
Quote of the Day: Megan Ellison Urges Hollywood to Spread the Wealth
Accepting the Visionary Award at the Producers Guild of America Awards, Annapurna Pictures’ founder Megan Ellison referred to herself as an outsider, albeit one who has received a lot of support...
Zoe Lister-Jones’ “Band Aid” Acquired by IFC Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide
“Band Aid” just got its big break. IFC Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions obtained the rights to the comedy from writer-director Zoe Lister-Jones, IndieWire reports. IFC Films...
Producer Cathy Schulman Launches Welle Entertainment
Women in Film President Cathy Schulman is working on yet another project. According to TheWrap, Schulman just launched Welle Entertainment, a production and finance company. Schulman, who stepped...
Emmy Winner Lili Fini Zanuck to Direct Documentary about Eric Clapton
A documentary about the legendary Eric Clapton is on its way and we couldn’t be happier — because it will be directed by Lili Fini Zanuck. Variety reports that Zanuck, who won an Oscar for...
Mimi Leder to Direct Ruth Bader Ginsburg Biopic Starring Natalie Portman
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Steve Petteway/ Wikimedia Commons/Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States Finally, some good news about the Supreme Court. The long-gestating Ruth Bader Ginsburg...
Athena Film Festival Announces IRIS Screenwriting Lab Participants
The Athena Film Festival has announced the participants for its inaugural Athena IRIS Screenwriting Lab. The Athena IRIS Lab, “whose goal is to develop feature-length narrative scripts with bold...
Oxygen to Rebrand as TV’s Crime Destination for Women
Oxygen is committing to the crime genre. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the women-focused network is pivoting to become “a crime destination network geared toward women.” The rebrand is...
New Dramatists to Honor Producer Daryl Roth and Playwright Paula Vogel
Good news for any feminist theater fanatics out there. Daryl Roth and Paula Vogel will both receive New Dramatists’ Distinguished Achievement Award, BroadwayWorld writes. New Dramatists, the...
Lifetime Named Official Sponsor of the National Women’s Soccer League
In a “historic partnership” the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is teaming up with A+E Networks. The A+E Networks channel Lifetime “will become an official sponsor and broadcast...
Gina Rodriguez to Exec Produce Hulu Bullying Drama
Well, that was fast! Gina Rodriguez is already putting her deal with CBS to good use. According to Deadline, a project from Rodriguez and her I Can and I Will Productions is on its way to Hulu. The...
New Research Shows Number of Women Directors Hasn’t Changed Over the Last Decade
Our sentiments exactly, Ava DuVernay: Democracy Now!/YouTube A new study from USC Annenberg’s Media, Diversity, & Social Change (MDSC) Initiative found that the past 10 years have seen little...
Playwright Leah Purcell Wins Australia’s Top Literary Prize
Leah Purcell, an Indigenous Australian playwright and actress, won Australia’s top literary honor. The Guardian reports that Purcell was awarded $100,000 and “the Victorian prize for literature...
Find Out Why We Are Still Protesting At Meeting During Berlinale
Dortmund Cologne International Women’s Film Festival (IWFF) just said what we’ve all been thinking: “I cannot believe we are still protesting!” According to a press release from the...
Irish Film Board Awards 75% of Production Loans to Women Directors
The Irish Film Board (IFB) has made good on its pledge to “commit to gender parity in its funded projects,” Screen Daily writes. In fact, three of its four latest production loans were given to...