BY Vicki Lee
Trailer Watch: “Love, Lizzo” Charts of Meteoric Rise of the Grammy-Winning Artist
It’s bad bitch o’clock: the trailer for HBO’s “Love, Lizzo” has dropped. The doc offers insight into the life, career, and work ethic of the inimitable singer-rapper as never seen...
Trailer Watch: Clarisse Albrecht Goes on the Run in Dominican Republic’s Oscar Entry “Bantú Mama”
The trailer for the Dominican Republic’s Oscar submission, “Bantú Mama,” has arrived. The drama tells the story of Emma (Clarisse Albrecht), a French woman of African descent who is on the run...
DOC NYC 2022 Women Directors: Meet Tal Inbar – “Closed Circuit”
Tal Inbar is an independent filmmaker based in Tel-Aviv, Israel. During her studies, Inbar directed “The Home Front,” a short documentary about the Sarona terror attack, for which she won first...
Sophie Turner to Play Jewel Thief in Anna Symon’s “Joan” Series
Sophie Turner has bid the Iron Throne adieu but is still vying for more power and influence. The “Game of Thrones” alumna will be starring in upcoming crime drama “Joan.” Created by...
DOC NYC 2022 Women Directors: Meet Elwira Niewiera – “The Hamlet Syndrome”
Elwira Niewiera is a Polish director and screenwriter of documentary films such as “Domino Effect” and “The Prince and the Dybbuk.” In her artistic work, she focuses primarily on political,...
DOC NYC 2022 Women Directors: Meet Fatimah Dadzie – “Fati’s Choice”
As a filmmaker, Fatimah Dadzie’s forte is in telling compelling stories about marginalized groups. She previously directed “success stories,” about the reproductive health of adolescent girls....
Inside Out Announces Winners of 2022 RE:Focus Fund
The Inside Out Film Fest has named the eight recipients of its annual RE:Focus Fund for women, non-binary, and/or trans filmmakers telling stories about 2SLGBTQIA+ folks. According to Deadline, this...
Kino Lorber Acquires Nobel Prize Laureate Annie Ernaux’s “The Super 8 Years”
Kino Lorber has landed North American rights to Annie Ernaux’s autobiographical film “The Super 8 Years” (“Les années Super-8”). A press release announced that the archival documentary...
Trailer Watch: Emma Corrin & Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre Bring “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” to the Screen
“It’s amazing isn’t it? How someone can get so into your blood,” says Emma Corrin in a new trailer for “Lady Chatterley’s Lover.” The Emmy-nominated star of “The Crown”...
Lauren Ashley Smith Developing Queer Family Comedy “Moore & Moore” for ABC
“A Black Lady Sketch Show’s” Lauren Ashley Smith is developing a family comedy for ABC. The network won the project, titled “Moore & Moore,” in a “competitive...
Apply Now: Women’s Weekend Film Challenge’s Pilot Accelerator
Ever dreamed of pitching to the likes of Netflix and HBO? This spring, that dream could become a reality for selected TV scribes of the 2023 Women’s Weekend Film Challenge’s (WWFC) pilot...
Lena Waithe Named Ambassador of 2023 American Black Film Fest
Lena Waithe will serve as the ambassador of next year’s American Black Film Festival (ABFF). The 27th edition of the fest is set to take place June 14 to 18 in Miami Beach followed by a virtual...
Apply Now: WIF Programs for Writers, Directors, & Cinematographers
Listen up, writers, directors, and cinematographers! Women in Film (WIF) is now accepting applicants to four of its filmmaking programs uplifting women and non-binary industry newcomers. The...
Trailer Watch: “Ziwe” Returns to Tackle Social Issues With Humor & Irreverence in Season 2
“Ziwe” is back to confront hot-button issues and make celebs cringe. “Diversity training isn’t enough. I’m ready to go to diversity war!” a chainsaw-wielding Ziwe Fumudoh declares in the...
Trailer Watch: Lizzie Gottleib’s “Turn Every Page” Pays Tribute to Robert Caro & Robert Gottlieb
“Words matter, mood matters, rhythm matters, commas matter, semicolon matters – and the fights go on,” we’re told in the latest trailer for Lizzie Gottleib’s “Turn Every Page – The...
Jocelyn Moorhouse’s Star-Studded “The Fabulous Four” Goes to Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street has landed North American rights to Jocelyn Moorhouse-directed comedy “The Fabulous Four,” starring Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally, and Sissy Spacek. Deadline...
“Call Jane,” Planned Parenthood, & Abortion Care Network to Host Screenings & Fundraisers at Clinics
The team behind “Call Jane” is bringing its on-screen activism to the real world. In collaboration with local and national abortion care providers like Planned Parenthood and Abortion Care...
Apply Now: Crimson Honors Scholarship for Queer, BIPOC Women & Non-Binary Folks in Film Journalism
Rotten Tomatoes and GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics are now accepting applications to their joint Crimson Honors scholarship for underrepresented 2SLGBTQIA+ women and non-binary...
Pick of the Day: “Call Jane”
Above all else, Phylliss Nagy’s “Call Jane” is a testament to the bulletproof resilience of women in the face of adversity. Written by Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi, the Elizabeth...
UCLA Report: Cast Diversity at Decade High But BIPOC & Women Remain Underrepresented Off-Camera
The latest Hollywood Diversity Report from UCLA has found, for the first time since the study commenced nine years ago, that BIPOC “collectively reached or exceeded proportionate representation...
The ACA Cinema Project Announces Series Showcasing Women Filmmakers From Japan
The ACA Cinema Project has announced a new film series showcasing women visionaries in Japanese cinema, The Female Gaze: Women Filmmakers from Japan Cuts and Beyond. A press release announced...
Rose Bryne’s Dollhouse Pictures to Adapt Hannah Kent’s Queer Love Story “Devotion”
“Physical” actress Rose Byrne’s Dollhouse Pictures is bringing Hannah Kent’s award-winning novel “Devotion” to the big screen. A press release announced that Dollhouse will be joining...
“P-Valley” Renewed for Season 3 at Starz
Good news, Pynk Posse: two months after concluding its second season, Katori Hall’s strip club drama “P-Valley” has been renewed by Starz. The premium cable network has renewed its most-watched...
Pick of the Day: “Descendant”
What does it mean to be a descendant? The concept of ancestry is nebulous, abstract, and often taken for granted by folks who are lucky enough to be able to trace their genealogy. To be a lineal...
Michelle Williams to Receive Performer Tribute at Gotham Awards
Michelle Williams will have a packed schedule come November. A few weeks following the theatrical release of her latest film, Steven Spielberg’s award-winning drama “The Fabelmans,” the...
Pick of the Day: “The Return of Tanya Tucker – Featuring Brandi Carlile”
“Delta Dawn, what’s that flower you have on / Could it be a faded rose from days gone by?” asks country music legend Tanya Tucker in her 1972 debut hit, “Delta Dawn.” The chart-topping...
Trailer Watch: Kristen Bell & Allison Janney Wreak Havoc in “The People We Hate at the Wedding”
“Eloise is our half sister, which means we can half ass the relationship,” we’re told in the trailer for Claire Scanlon’s “The People We Hate at the Wedding.” The Prime Video comedy stars...
“Boxed In” Report: Streamers Hire More Women Behind the Scenes than Broadcast, WOC Characters Remain Underrepresented
Now in its 25th year, the latest “Boxed In” report reveals that streaming platforms have yet again eclipsed their broadcast TV competition with the representation of women on television. The...
Trailer Watch: Fortune Feimster Cracks Jokes About Her Proposal in “Good Fortune”
Stand-up comedian and actress Fortune Feimster is back with another Netflix comedy special. “I knew pretty early on that Jax was the one,” she says in the trailer for “Fortune Feimster: Good...
Titi Yu Talks Community Organizing & Healing in “Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March”
Titi Yu is an Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, producer, and journalist. Most recently, she won two Emmys for her investigative journalism with VICE News. She is also a recipient of the New York...
Los Angeles Film Critics Association to Honor Claire Denis with Career Achievement Award
Claire Denis is set to receive a Career Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) this year. A press release announced that an in-person ceremony will be held on...
Trailer Watch: Sheila Francisco Is a Screenwriter in a Coma in Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Leonor Will Never Die”
“Do you think Ma will wake up if we make her movie?” the son of a retired cinema legend, now comatose, asks in the newest trailer for Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Leonor Will Never Die. The...
Idina Menzel Doc From Anne McCabe in the Works at Disney+
A new Disney+ documentary will give viewers an intimate glimpse into the world of the vocal powerhouse who gave Queen Elsa her unforgettable voice. A press release announced that “Idina Menzel:...
ARRAY Acquires Dominican Republic’s Oscar Submission “Bantú Mama,” Clarisse Albrecht Stars
Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Releasing has acquired “Bantú Mama,” the Dominican Republic’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film. TV actress Clarisse Albrecht makes her feature debut...
“Our Father, the Devil’s” Ellie Foumbi to Receive Mill Valley Film Fest’s Mind The Gap Creation Prize
The Mill Valley Film Festival has named Ellie Foumbi as the winner of the 2022 Mind The Gap (MTG) Creation Prize of $10,000. The MTG prize spotlights up-and-coming filmmakers who exhibit both...
Pick of the Day: “Battleground”
Take a few seconds to picture an anti-abortionist in your head. Did you envision a man? Probably old, probably white, probably Republican, right? While it’s true that, historically, it has been...
Catherine Hardwicke to Be Honored by Santa Fe International Film Fest
Catherine Hardwicke will receive a Visionary Award at the Santa Fe International Film Festival (SSFiFF), a press release announced. The “Twilight” director is also set to lead an actors...
Trailer Watch: Sara Terry’s “A Decent Home” Examines Corporate Greed and the U.S. Housing Crisis
Sara Terry takes on a David and Goliath story in “A Decent Home,” a doc exploring the battle between mobile home owners and profit-hungry private equity firms. “Even though I own my...
Kestrin Pantera on Embracing Fun and Tackling Income Inequality in “Pretty Problems”
Kestrin Pantera is a writer and director whose last feature, “Mother’s Little Helpers” world premiered at SXSW 2019 and landed awards including Best Feature Film, Best Director,...
Morrisa Maltz’s SXSW Drama “The Unknown Country” Lands at Music Box, Lily Gladstone Stars
Music Box Films has acquired the North American rights to Morrisa Maltz’s “The Unknown Country,” a press release announced. “Certain Women” actress Lily Gladstone stars as Tana, a...
Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship Unveils 2022-2023 Class
The Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship (KSFEF) just launched its newly redesigned group fellowship, announcing the 30 documentary editors who will be participating in the 2022-2023 edition of the...
Trailer Watch: Former First Lady of ISIS Tells All in Ricki Stern’s “A Radical Life”
“I wasn’t raised as an extremist but I was hungry for power,” Tania Joya admits in the trailer for “A Radical Life,” the latest from “Reversing Roe” filmmaker Ricki Stern....
Trailer Watch: Chinonye Chukwu’s “Till” Honors the Activism of Mamie Till-Mobley
“That smell is my son’s body reeking of racial hatred. Now I want America to bear witness,” says Mamie Till-Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler) in a new trailer for “Till,” Chinonye Chukwu’s...
Trailer Watch: “The Fire That Took Her” Pays Tribute to Judy Malinowski & Others Affected by Domestic Abuse
“She told detectives over and over: he’s going to kill me,” we’re told in the newly released trailer for “The Fire That Took Her.” October is National Domestic Violence Awareness...
Janelle Monáe to Receive Outfest’s Trailblazer Award for Contributions to Queer Community
Grammy-nominated singer and “Harriet” star Janelle Monáe is being recognized for their ongoing advocacy for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Variety reports that the multitalented artist will...
“Bridgerton’s” Charithra Chandran Will Lead Olivia Hetreed’s “Song of the Sun God” Adaptation
“Bridgerton” actress Charithra Chandran is heading from Regency London to contemporary Sri Lanka. She’ll be starring in Olivia Hetreed’s upcoming drama series “Song of the Sun God,”...
Geeta Vasant Patel, Liz Tigelaar, & More Team Up For “Under the Bridge” Hulu Limited Series
An upcoming Hulu limited series will revisit the tragic murder of Reena Virk, a teenager who was beaten and drowned by bullies in a small Canadian town. According to Deadline, the streamer has...
Malala Yousafzai Has An Apple Doc About a Community of Korean Fisherwomen in the Works
Nobel Peace Prize-winning education activist Malala Yousafzai is bringing the story of “Korea’s mermaids” to Apple. Along with Erika Kennair (“The Flight Attendant”),...
Hannah Gadsby Signs Multi-Title Netflix Deal
Nearly a year after the dispute surrounding Dave Chappelle’s special “The Closer,” Hannah Gadsby is going back into business with Netflix. The Emmy- and Peabody-decorated comedian has joined...
Trailer Watch: Iliana Sosa Pays Tribute to Her Grandfather in “What We Leave Behind”
“Grandpa was a mystery to me as a kid. I didn’t know how to talk to him,” Iliana Sosa narrates in the latest trailer for her acclaimed doc “What We Leave Behind.” The SXSW title sees...
Trailer Watch: Feel the Sugar High in “The Pez Outlaw”
“Pez: it’s like printing money,” rejoices Steve Glew, the self-designated Pez Outlaw, in a new trailer for the directorial debut of Amy Bandlien Storkel. Winner of a Special Jury prize at SXSW...