BY Willa Cuthrell-Tuttleman
Weekly Update for August 9: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING The Kitchen – Written and Directed by Andrea Berloff “The Kitchen” stars Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” “Bridesmaids”), Tiffany...
Trailer Watch: Irene Taylor Brodsky Explores Music and Silence in “Moonlight Sonata”
“Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements” tells the story of a deaf boy growing up with a passion for Beethoven’s famous sonata, written the same year the composer was...
Liselott Forsman Is Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s New CEO
Liselott Forsman has been named the new CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fond (NFTVF), succeeding Petri Kemppinen, Variety reports. She formerly served as executive producer of international drama at...
Jackie Collins Documentary in the Works from Laura Fairrie
Best-selling English romance novelist Jackie Collins, known for penning “Hollywood Wives,” “Chances,” and the Lucky Santangelo series, is getting her own documentary. Laura...
Trailer Watch: Political Columnist Molly Ivins Speaks Out in Janice Engel’s “Raise Hell”
Magnolia Pictures has dropped a trailer for the upcoming doc “Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins.” Janice Engel’s film honors the political columnist’s legacy and...
Ballet Drama “Tiny Pretty Things” Ordered at Netflix
Netflix has ordered 10 episodes of “Tiny Pretty Things,” based on the book by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton, Deadline reports. The drama series’ cast has been confirmed and...
Adaptation of Jenny Lee’s “Anna K” Receives Put Pilot Commitment at HBO Max
A month or so after British producer Expectation announced its TV adaptation of “Anna Karenina,” Deadline confirms another iteration of Leo Tolstoy’s classic is headed for the small...
Michelle Esrick Doc “Cracked Up” to Be Released by Abramorama
Michelle Esrick’s “Cracked Up” is headed to theaters. Abramorama will release the Darrell Hammond documentary in NY on September 13 and in LA on September 20. A press release...
Trailer Watch: Sam Taylor-Johnson Brings James Frey’s “A Million Little Pieces” to the Big Screen
Sam Taylor-Johnson’s latest feature, “A Million Little Pieces,” is set for a U.S. release on December 6. The feature is based on James Frey’s controversial bestselling memoir...
Trailer Watch: Alma Har’el’s “Honey Boy” Details Shia LaBeouf’s Early Life and Adulthood
Award-winning filmmaker Alma Har’el’s debut narrative feature, “Honey Boy,” hits theaters November 8. The biopic won the Special Jury Prize – Dramatic at the 2019...
Anna Paquin’s Dark Comedy “Flack” Gets Season 2 Renewal
Pop TV and UKTV announced that “Flack” will be returning for Season 2, Deadline reports. Set in London’s cutthroat PR world, the dark comedy stars and is executive produced by Anna...
Trailer Watch: Best Friends Travel to Latin America for Medical Help in Netflix Doc “Léa & I”
In her Netflix documentary “Léa & I,” director Camille Shooshani introduces the audience to her best friend, Léa Moret. “She speaks five languages, cannot stop eating Haribo...
Weekly Update for August 2: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING The Nightingale – Written and Directed by Jennifer Kent “The Nightingale” is Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to her 2014 horror hit “The Babadook.”...
Jenny Lumet Will Co-Showrun CBS All Access’ “The Man Who Fell to Earth” Adaptation
“Rachel Getting Married” writer Jenny Lumet is re-teaming with her “Star Trek: Discovery” collaborator Alex Kurtzman for a new CBS All Access sci-fi show. According to The...
Musical Hit About Wives of Henry VIII Coming to Broadway
London musical hit “Six” will be making its way to the Broadway stage. It will begin previews February 13 and officially open March 12, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. Written by Lucy...
Trailer Watch: Hannah Pearl Utt Uncovers Family Secrets in Her Comedy “Before You Know It”
In “Before You Know It,” Hannah Pearl Utt stars as stage manager Rachel Gurner, who still lives with her quirky family of artists — aspiring actress sister, playwright father, and...
“Pretty” Comedy from Kaley Cuoco, Lindsey Kraft, and Santina Muha in Dev at CBS
An inclusive new comedy series from Kaley Cuoco’s Yes, Norman Productions is in the works at CBS. Starring Santina Muha (“Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot”) and...
Writers Lab for Women Screenwriters Over 40 Announces 2019 Participants
The Writers Lab for Women Screenwriters Over 40, founded by Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon and produced with New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), has selected the participants for its...
Helena Coan’s Audrey Hepburn Doc Secures Theatrical Release
Good Deed Entertainment has secured the North American rights to “Audrey,” Helena Coan’s documentary about legendary Hollywood star Audrey Hepburn. Produced by Salon Pictures and...
Penny Marshall Tribute Planned by “A League of Their Own” Town Rockford, Illinois
The late “League of Their Own” director Penny Marshall will be honored by the town of Rockford, Illinois. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the home of the Rockford Peaches — the...
Lisa Taddeo Bringing Her Bestseller “Three Women” to Showtime
Lisa Taddeo’s No. 1 New York Times bestseller “Three Women” is coming to the small screen. In a competitive bidding war for the highly esteemed nonfiction book, Showtime landed the...
“Orange Is the New Black” Carrying On Its Work Via the Poussey Washington Fund
Netflix’s groundbreaking series “Orange Is the New Black” is coming to a close, with its seventh and final season premiering today, July 26. Although the show is ending, the...
“The Handmaid’s Tale” Renewed for Season 4 at Hulu
The horrors of Gilead will continue. “The Handmaid’s Tale,” reportedly “the most watched show, original or acquired,” on Hulu, is getting a fourth season, Variety...
Apply Now: Leica Camera’s New Gender Diversity Initiative
Leica Camera USA has launched a new program called the Leica Women Foto Project “to support diversity and inclusion in photography,” a press release has announced. The initiative includes...
Alexandra Daddario-Starrer “Can You Keep A Secret?” Lands at Vertical Entertainment
Sophie Kinsella’s best-seller “Can You Keep A Secret?” is on its way to the screen. Vertical Entertainment snagged the U.S. distribution rights to the film adaptation with plans for...
Jessica Hausner’s “Little Joe” Picked Up By Magnolia
Magnolia Pictures has snagged the North American rights to Jessica Hausner’s sci-fi pic “Little Joe,” with plans for a theatrical release later in the year, Variety reports. The...
Biopic About Activist Diane Latiker in the Works
The inspirational story of activist and Kids Off the Block founder Diane Latiker is on its way to the big screen. According to Deadline, feature “The Power of One: The Diane Latiker...
Women Under the Influence Announces Inaugural Film Festival Lineup
Women Under the Influence (WUTI) has announced the lineup for its inaugural film festival, WUTI Goes IdyllWILD. Set to take place September 20-22 in Idyllwild, California, the fest will showcase...
Judith Helfand to Be Honored with San Francisco Jewish Film Fest’s Freedom of Expression Award
Documentary filmmaker and activist Judith Helfand is set to receive the Freedom of Expression Award at the 39th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF), a press release confirms. The award is...
Writer to Watch: Grace Nkenge Edwards of “Insecure” and MTV’s New “Daria” Spinoff
Grace Nkenge Edwards has a long-standing love of comedy. Born in Guyana, South America, and raised in Michigan, the “Insecure” writer received a BFA in Acting from the University of...
Female Biker Drama “Black Mambas” in Development at BET Networks
“Rebel” creator Amani Walker has a female-led biker series in development at BET Networks. Deadline broke the news. Titled “Black Mambas,” the one-hour New Orleans-set drama...
Ofra Bloch’s “Afterward” Lands at Abramorama
Abramorama has claimed North American theatrical rights to Ofra Bloch’s feature debut, “Afterward.” The doc examining the emotional and psychological wounds of victims and...
Trailer Watch: Michelle Williams & Julianne Moore Have Unfinished Business in “After the Wedding”
In a new trailer for the English-language remake of Susanne Bier’s “After the Wedding,” Michelle Williams’ Isabel has spent her life working with children in a Calcutta...
Women in Animation Launches Global Fund, Has Already Raised Over $500K
Women in Animation (WIA) has announced the launch of the WIA Global Fund as part of its long-held mission to achieve greater gender parity within the animation industry. According to a press relase,...
Kat Wood’s Action Pitch “Diplomatic Courier” Snagged by Skydance
Former Earth scientist and BBC journalist Kat Wood has another feature in the works. The screenwriter sold Jason Bourne-style action pitch “Diplomatic Courier” to Skydance in a...