BY Women and Hollywood
Guest Post: Hello, Norma Jeane
* “Please don’t make me a joke.” — Marilyn Monroe Most surprising about Norma Jeane Baker’s grave is this: it does not exist. No tombstone, mausoleum or urn marks her final resting...
Red Band Trailer for Bachelorette Written and Directed by Leslye Headland
Talk about raunch. Yowza. On demand — August 10, in theatres September 8. Synopsis: On the night before an old friend’s wedding, three frisky bridesmaids go searching for a little fun but...
New Trailer for Sparkle written by Mara Brock Akil
Film hits screens on August 17th. MTVNPlayer Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog New ‘Sparkle’ trailer features Cee Lo Green, Whitney Houston (EW)
What Are the Greatest Movies Directed by Women?
Fueled by the anger of another best of list sorely lacking in women, I would like to put forward the following films (which came from people all over the world through twitter and facebook) for the...
Guest Post: Dreams in New York
As the producer of British filmmaker Carol Morley’s films to date and an ex-New Yorker now based in London, I’m thrilled Dreams of a Life is getting a hometown viewing. Dreams of a Life is a...
Celeste and Jesse Forever
Here’s the first installment where we (the folks who bring you Women and Hollywood) give our opinions (sometimes similiar) of a film opening. I loved Rashida Jones before seeing Celeste and Jesse...
Mosquita y Mari — Written and Directed by Aurora Guerrero
Mosquita y Mari is born from the memory of Aurora Guerrero’s adolescence. It is a lovely coming of age story of two Latina girls in the Huntington Park neighborhood in LA. On the surface the girls...
Gender Matters: The Sight and Sound Top 50 Films Of All Time List
Yesterday, the twittersphere went a bit wiggy with the once a decade Sight and Sound Top 50 Films of All Time List. Thie list has been published every 10 years year since 1962 and Citizen Kane made...
Drew Barrymore, Amy Berg Announce New Directing Projects
Two exciting new women-directed projects were announced this week. Amy Berg, Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker, will be directing her first narrative feature. Indiewire reports that Every...
Guest Post: Should the Emmy Statue Get a Sex-Change?
Women are still going backwards and in high heels, but not in a good way. According to recent stats — women TV writers are losing ground. I just perused the Emmy website and counted only...
Interview with Rashida Jones — Co-writer and Star of Celeste and Jesse Forever
Got a chance to meet the whip smart star of Parks and Recreation on TV (do you watch that show?) and the co-writer and star of the very good Celeste and Jesse Forever. Here’s our conversation. The...
Cross Post: Sisters in Cinema: Where are the Black Women Film Directors?
Last week, the Twitterverse was gifted a priceless nugget when film director Ava DuVernay and her guild, AFFRM, released the second trailer for her anticipated movie, Middle of Nowhere. The...
2012 Gucci Award for Women in Cinema Nominees Annnounced
Famed fashion house, Gucci, has announced the 2012 nominees for the Gucci Award for Women in Cinema. The award, which is for women’s artistic achievement in film, is awarded collaboratively with...
Women Directed Additions to Toronto 2012 Lineup
The Toronto International Film Festival rolled out 60 additional titles today. Here are some of the women directed films in the documentary and vanguard programs. (All Synopses from the TIFF press...
Interview with Aurora Guerrero — Writer/Director of Mosquita y Mari
Mosquita y Mari writer and director Aurora Guerrero answered some questions (by email) fresh from the film recently winning Best Actress (Fenessa Pineda) and the Audience Award for Outstanding First...
Interview with Aurora Guerrero–Writer/Director of Mosquita y Mari
Mosquita y Mari writer and director Aurora Guerrero answered some questions (by email) fresh from the film recently winning Best Actress (Fenessa Pineda) and the Audience Award for Outstanding First...
In Appreciation: Lupe Ontiveros
Latina actress Lupe Ontiveros lost her battle with liver cancer last week at 69. She had a long a varied career in Hollywood beginning in 1976 when she appeared in an episode of Charlie’s...
Trailer Watch: Cloud Atlas — Co-Directed by Lana Wachowski
The Wachowskis are an incredibly successful writing/directing duo best known for the Matrix Trilogy. They are also known for the cult classic Bound and for writing V for Vendetta. They’ve been off...
Cross Post: Late-Night TV Stand-Up Demographic Scorecard: First Half, 2012
Remember when The New York Times profiled Eddie Brill into a corner and caused an uproar both within CBS and Late Show with David Letterman — which took away Brill’s power to book stand-up...
Weekly Roundup
Here’s a round-up of some of the stories we didn’t get a chance to cover last week but wanted you to know about. The Opposite Trajectories of Kate Hudson and Anne...
Interview with Anne Emond and Catherine de Lean — Writer/Director and Star of Nuit #1
I met Anne last spring in Cologne, Germany at the International Women’s Film Festival where her film played. We were able to reconnect when she came to town to promote her provocative film,...
New Trailer: Middle of Nowhere — Written and Directed by Ava Duvernay
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE | In theaters October 12, 2012 Synopsis: Winner of the Best Director Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, MIDDLE OF NOWHERE follows Ruby, a bright medical student who sets...
Interview with Anne Emond and Catherine de Lean – Writer/Director and Star of Nuit #1
I met Anne last spring in Cologne, Germany at the International Women's Film Festival where her film played. We were able to reconnect when she came to town to promote her provocative...
Guest Post: Until the Fat Girl Swims
Many filmmakers talk about how their vocation is a “labor of love.” For most of us, the “labor” can frequently exceed the “love.” However, when we release our films out into the world it...
4 Women Directors in Competition at 2012 Venice International Film Festival
Contrary to the folks at Cannes who seem to not be able to find any women directed movies for their competition, Alberto Barbara has gotten 4 films with women directors (or co-directors) in the...
The Public Shaming of Kristen Stewart
Yesterday, the highest paid film actress, Kristen Stewart, — she of Twilight fame — released a very bizarre press release apologizing to her boyfriend and Twilight co-star Robert...
Trailer Watch: Jack and Diane
Film will open in the US on November 2. Synopsis: Jack and Diane, two teenage girls, meet in New York City and spend the night kissing ferociously. Diane’s charming innocence quickly begins to...
Ruby Sparks- Written by Zoe Kazan and Directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton
It’s no surprise that Zoe Kazan who penned the delightful new film Ruby Sparks opening today is a good writer. Both her parents — Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord are also top tier Hollywood...
Feminist Dad of the Day: Christian Bale
I was reading the Batman cover story in EW and I wanted to shaare this quote from the interview with Christian Bale. What was the last great kids’ film you saw? I have a daughter, so it becomes...
Guest Post: Why Catwoman is the Best Part of The Dark Knight Rises
I owe Christopher Nolan and Anne Hathaway an apology. Four years ago, I left The Dark Knight fuming at the death of Rachel Dawes and its utter predictability from Nolan, who likes to kill off his...
Producer Janet Yang to Receive 2012 Asian American Media Award
Tonight, on the opening night of the 2012 Asian American International Film Festival, Asian CineVision will award Janet Yang with the 2012 Asian American Media Award. Yang is a deeply respected...
Toronto 2012: Women Centric Galas and Special Presentations
Yesterday we listed the women directed galas and special presentations. Here are the women centric films that will premiere in Toronto. GALAS Dangerous Liaisons Hur Jin-ho, China North...
Toronto Trailer Watch: Lore — Directed by Cate Shortland
Australian Director Cate Shortland’s first film Somersault was great and this film looks to be even better. This is one at the top of my list to see in Toronto. Music Box has the US rights but no...
Political Animals Preview: The Woman Problem
This week’s episode is entitled “The Women Problem.” Vanessa Redgrave stars as a gay Supreme Court judge who is a mentor to Elaine Barrish. Have you been watching? Are you...
First Toronto 2012 Lineup News — Women Directors
Unlike the folks at Cannes, Toronto seems to understand that there are many great women directors, making films that can play at the highest level and this year is no different. The first wave of...
Remembering Sally Ride
So sad to hear about the loss of Sally Ride. She made many young girls believe that they too could go to space. Here’s some of the shit she had to go through when she first went to space. This is...
Women Directors Make Up Half of the 27th International Film Critics Week at the Venice Film Festival
The 69th Annual Venice International Film Festival announced the lineup for the 27th International Film Critics Week (SIC), the festival’s independent section. In this year’s selection of films,...
Trailer Watch: Detropia — Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
This doc opens September 7. More info here. Detroit’s story has encapsulated the iconic narrative of America over the last century — the Great Migration of African Americans escaping Jim...
Viral Video: US Olympic Women Soccer Players Party in the USA
Olympic fever is here. Getting excited for the festivities starting this weekend. Here’s the US Women’s Soccer team showing us they have a serious sense of humor. Go team!
Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist to Open The Venice Film Festival
Mira Nair’s new film The Reluctant Fundamentalist will open the 69th Venice Film Festival on August 29th. It will screen out of competition. Festival director Alberto Barbera said this about...
Two Women Written Shows Bound for Broadway This Fall
Katie Holmes’ first professional engagement in her post Tom Cruise life will be on the Broadway stage in Theresa Rebeck’s latest play Dead Accounts. The play premiered in January in Cincinnati...
Trailer Watch: Bachelorette — Written and Directed by Leslye Headland
This is based on the play by Leslye Headland and premiered at Sundance in January. The more I see information about this movie, the more I want to see it. I am also excited to see more of Rebel...
Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist to Open The Venice Film Festival
Mira Nair's new film The Reluctant Fundamentalist will open the 69th Venice Film Festival on August 29th. It will screen out of competition. Festival director Alberto Barbera said...
13 Women Included in Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film
Yesterday, Filmmaker Magazine released its “25 New Faces of Independent Film,” showcasing new and emerging talent in independent film. Within the 25 selections, 37 individuals are...
Interview with Lauren Greenfield, Director of Queen of Versailles
In some ways this movie’s subtitle is revenge of the 99%. The film gives you a behind the scenes look of an absurdly wealthy couple — David and Jackie Siegel — who are building the...
Cross Post: Women Attend Comic-Con But Don’t Run the Show
This year, 40 percent of the attendees at the just completed annual Comic-Con were women. If only that percentage was reflected in the event’s programming. Instead, the majority of programming...
Approaching Peak Vagina: Lena Dunham and Amy Poehler Score Rare Female Double Emmy Writing Nominations
The Emmy nominations were released yesterday. There is a lot of good news to recognize most especially the fact that two women — Lean Dunham and Amy Poehler — were nominated for their...
A Sad Day for the Movie World
I was mortified to wake up this morning to the news that a young man in his 20s wearing a bullet proof vest and a gas mask made his way into a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises and shot 12...
Marlene King Developing Now and Then for ABC Family
Pretty Little Liars show runner and creator, Marlene King, is in the early stages of developing the film Now and Then into a television project for ABC Family. Written by King and directed by Lesli...
Sofia Vergara Named Forbes Highest Paid Television Actress
Sofia Vergara is the top earning actress on television. Forbes estimated between May 2011-May 2012, the Modern Family star made $19 million, an amount stemming from her Modern Family salary,...
TV Fall Preview Trailer: The Mindy Project
Created by Mindy Kaling. I am so watching this show. Will be on Fox this fall. Fall TV Pilot Preview — The Mindy Project (Hollywood Reporter)