BY Women and Hollywood
Mira Nair’s ‘Queen of Katwe’ Gets An Awards-Friendly September Release Date from Disney
Disney has scheduled Mira Nair’s “Queen of Katwe” for a limited debut on September 23, 2016 followed by an expansion a week later. The awards-friendly release date suggests that the studio is...
Tribeca 2016 Women Directors: Meet Ellen Martinez and Steph Ching — ‘After Spring’
Ellen Martinez was the associate producer on “Tested,” a feature documentary about educational inequality in the NYC public school system. Steph Ching was the associate producer and additional...
Weekly Update for April 8: Women Centric, Directed and Written Films Playing Near You
Films About Women Opening This Week The Boss — Co-Written by Melissa McCarthy Melissa McCarthy headlines “The Boss” as a titan of industry who is sent to prison after she’s caught for...
Freeform Orders Pilot Based on Life of Cosmo Editor Joanna Coles
If you saw “The Devil Wears Prada” and longed for more, say as a television series, you might be in luck. Freeform, the network formerly known as ABC Family, has ordered a pilot for a scripted...
Liz Garbus on Her Mother Son Doc ‘Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper’
Liz Garbus’ films have been acclaimed worldwide and have garnered multiple Academy Award nominations and Emmy Award wins. Her previous film, “What Happened, Miss Simone?” was the Opening Night...
New Infographic Proves Hollywood Films Are Predominantly About Men
All too often, when female film fans assert that movies predominantly feature white men, we’re often challenged to “prove it.” Well now, thanks to researchers at Polygraph, we have more data...
Karyn Kusama on the Power of Grief and Denial in the Dinner Party from Hell, ‘The Invitation’
Karyn Kusama wrote and directed her first feature film, “Girlfight,” in 1999. The film won the Director’s Prize and shared the Grand Jury Prize at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, the Grand...
League of Professional Theatre Women Announces 2016 Awards for ‘Fun Home,’ Micki Grant and More
The League of Professional Theatre Women, an organization that promotes visibility and works to increase opportunities for women in professional theatre, has announced the winners of its 2016...
Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Fest Lineup Includes Sharon Stone, Teyonah Parris and Q’orianka Kilcher
The Bentonville Film Festival has announced the lineup for its second installment. This year’s festival will screen 34 films, including 12 world premieres and runs in Bentonville, Arkansas from May...
Lilibet Foster on ‘Spartacus’ Star Andy Whitfield’s Battle with Cancer in Doc ‘Be Here Now’
Lilibet Foster is an award-winning director, producer and writer of feature documentaries, television programs and integrated brand campaigns. She received an Oscar nomination for producing the...
Meet the Finalists of Marvel’s ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Girls Reforming the Future Challenge
The five finalists for “Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War–Girls Reforming the Future” contesthave been announced. The contest, which was launched last month, seeks to inspire girls to...
‘Sherlock’ Getting Its First Female Director
In what is some rather ridiculous news, Variety is reporting that “Sherlock” is getting its first female director…ever. Season 4 of the hit BBC series. which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the...
I. Marlene King Drama About Young Hollywood Ordered to Series, Bella Thorne to Star
Teen star Bella Thorne (“Scream”) is headed to Freeform to top-line “Famous in Love,” a new series from I. Marlene King. The project has been ordered to series. King already has a...
A Highlander in Paris: ‘Outlander’ returns
“Outlander” is back on Saturday! This is great news, only slightly marred by the fact that the Season 2 is loosely based on Diana Gabaldon’s second book, which is — how do I break this to...
Gayle Kirschenbaum on Childhood Trauma and Forgiveness in ‘Look At Us Now, Mother!’
Gayle Kirschenbaum is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker, TV producer and personality. She is the producer and director of the documentary “My Nose,” based on Kirschenbaum’s experience with her...
Trailer Watch: Felicity Jones Rebels in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’
Not six months after “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” and the “Rey-wakening” do we have another female-led “Star Wars” character entering our hearts as the new trailer for...
Lena Dunham Gets Her Own Random House Imprint
Lena Dunham and “Girls” executive producer Jenni Konner are teaming up to launch a publishing imprint at Random House and a project highlighting female filmmakers for HBONow, HBO’s streaming...
YA Author Meg Rosoff Wins Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
YA author Meg Rosoff has won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for children and young adult literature. The world’s largest prize for the genre will award Rosoff with five million...
Debra Martin Chase to Produce ‘The Black Calhouns’ Miniseries for ABC
Debra Martin Chase (“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” “The Princess Diaries”) will produce “The Black Calhouns,” a new historical drama centered on an African-American family, for...
Cross-Post: Let’s Make Female Directors More Visible
There’s this game that I play when I have trouble falling asleep: I start listing female film directors. I usually doze off when reaching number 20–25 — if my insomnia is particularly bad,...
IDFA Founder Ally Derks To Step Down from Post in 2017
Legendary International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) founder and director Ally Derks is set to step down from her post in 2017. Derks will spend most of next year as a fellow in...
Ava DuVernay To Receive Spirit of Independence Award
Ava DuVernay and Array Releasing, her film collective dedicated to promoting films by women and people of color, will receive this year’s Spirit of Independence Award at the LA Film Festival. The...
Trailer Watch: Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda Talk Vibrators and Booze in ‘Grace and Frankie’ Season 2
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are back for Season 2 of “Grace and Frankie,” and if a newly unveiled trailer from Netflix is any indication, the dynamic duo — and viewers — are in for one...
Watch: Film Experts Explain Movie Jail for Women Directors in ‘The 4%: Film’s Gender Problem’
A new clip has been released from Caroline Suh’s EPIX docu-series “The 4%: Film’s Gender Problem.” The video features film experts, executives, directors, producers and behind-the-scenes crew...
Debs Paterson Honored with First Pia Pressure Award
UK writer-director Debs Paterson was recently honored with the first-ever Pia Pressure Award. Pia Pressure is a production company launched last year by filmmaker Pia Getty (“Axis of Light”)....
Shonda Rhimes to Receive International Emmy Founders Award
The International Television Academy announced it will honor showrunner, writer and producer extraordinaire Shonda Rhimes with its International Emmy Founders Award. The International Emmy Awards...
Kari Skogland and Red Arrow Team Up for New Production Company with Focus on Diverse Voices
Canadian director, writer and showrunner Kari Skogland (“The Americans,” “House of Cards”) has partnered with Red Arrow Entertainment Group to create Mad Rabbit, an new indie production...
Elizabeth Banks Launches Online Comedy Platform for Women
Elizabeth Banks has announced the launch of WhoHaha, a new digital comedy platform she co-founded. The actress’ feature directorial debut, “Pitch Perfect 2,” grossed over $287 million on a...
Selena Gomez to Produce Drama About a Young Latina Entertainer for Freeform
Pop sensation Selena Gomez and producer Aaron Kaplan are developing a new series for Freeform, formerly ABC Family. The untitled drama, described as the Latina “Empire,” will follow an...
Black Girls Rock! Honors Shonda Rhimes, Amandla Stenberg and More
This year’s Black Girls Rock! event was held on Friday. The organization honored several distinguished black women, among them Shonda Rhimes, Danai Gurira (“The Walking Dead”), Amandla Stenberg...
Charlize Theron and Diablo Cody Reunite for Film About Motherhood
It’s looking like Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Diablo Cody may reunite. The star and screenwriter of 2011’s “Young Adult” would join its director, Jason Reitman, for a project about...
Exciting Changes Coming for Women and Hollywood: We Have a New Home
Thanks to my colleague and wonderful supporter, Anne Thompson, the news about the next steps for Women and Hollywood has been revealed. We are moving to Medium. This morning the folks at Medium...
Sarasota Film Fest 2016 Women Directors: Meet Deborah Kampmeier — ‘SPLit’
Deborah Kampmeier is an award-winning filmmaker and theater director. Kampmeier’s first feature film, “Virgin,” won several awards and was nominated for two 2004 Independent Spirit Awards. Her...
Judi Dench Makes History at 2016 Olivier Awards
Judi Dench won her eighth Olivier Award at this weekend’s ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London. Dench has now won more Oliviers than any performer ever. The Oliviers, England’s equivalent...
‘Pushing Daisies’ Star Anna Friel Has a New Crime Series Headed to Netflix
Netflix has acquired exclusive worldwide streaming rights to crime drama “Marcella,” starring “Pushing Daisies” alum Anna Friel. The series premiered on ITV in the U.K. last night. Friel...
EPIX to Air Wanda Sykes Comedy Event
Wanda Sykes is teaming up with EPIX for “What Happened… Ms. Sykes?” The one-hour Original Comedy Event — whose title is a nod to a Maya Angelou quotation about Nina Simone — will...
Women at the Box Office: ‘Eye in the Sky’ and ‘My Name is Doris’ Push Ahead
It’s been a good week for women-centric films at the box office. “Eye in the Sky” and “Hello, My Name is Doris” are rising steadily in the box office, out-performing their estimated...
‘One Big Happy’ Creator Liz Feldman Signs Deal With CBS
“One Big Happy” creator and exec producer Liz Feldman has inked a two-year overall deal with CBS TV Studios. The “2 Broke Girls” scribe will develop new projects for network, cable and...
Trailer Watch: Animal Rights Evolve in Chris Hegedus and D A Pennebaker’s ‘Unlocking the Cage’
A trailer has arrived for “Unlocking the Cage,” Chris Hegedus and D A Pennebaker’s eye-opening Sundance animal rights doc. “When you imprison a chimpanzee, the chimpanzee understands that...
Women in Film and The Black List Team Up To Launch TV Lab for Women Writers
Women in Film, Los Angeles and The Black List have announced a new episodic television lab for women writers. Eight non-professional writers will be invited to join the lab. The joint venture is now...
Weekly Update for April 1: Women Centric, Directed and Written Films Playing Near You
Films About Women Opening This Week No Home Movie (Documentary) — Written and Directed by Chantal Akerman “No Home Movie” is a portrait of director Chantal Akerman’s relationship with...
Live-Action Movie About Snow White’s Sister, Rose Red, In Development At Disney
Disney has another live-action feature in the works, this one focusing on Snow White’s sister. The studio is set to tell the story of Rose Red, a character that appeared in Grimms’ fairy tales....
Trailer Watch: Nancy Buirski Honors a Great in ‘By Sidney Lumet’
A trailer has arrived for “By Sidney Lumet,” a heartfelt tribute from one director to another. Emmy award-winner Nancy Buirski (“Afternoon of a Faun”) premiered her documentary about the...
Trailer Watch: Amy Schumer Takes the Throne as Khaleesi of Comedy in ‘Inside Amy Schumer’ Season 4
Season 4 of “Inside Amy Schumer” premieres later this month — the same week that Season 6 of “Game of Thrones” kicks off. Riffing on the highly anticipated return of the HBO series, a...
EWA Teams with Women in Motion at Cannes
The European Women’s Audiovisual Network (EWA) is teaming up with Cannes’ “Women in Motion” program to host events highlighting women’s achievements in film at the 2016 Cannes Film...
Humor Saves the Day (and the Marriage): ‘Catastrophe’ Returns
The wait is over: Season 2 of Amazon’s blissfully filthy-mouthed comedy “Catastrophe” premieres on Amazon Prime next Friday, and once again you will find yourself wishing it had three times as...
2016 Lucille Lortel Awards Nominations Announced
The nominations for the 2016 Lucille Lortel Awards have been announced. The awards honor the best in New York off-Broadway theater. Women are nominated in every category excluding lighting and sound...
Noelle Valdivia and Corinne Kingsbury Sell Comedy Series Set in the Afterlife to TV Land
Noelle Valdivia (“Masters of Sex”) and Corinne Kingsbury (“The Newsroom”) have sold a half-hour comedy series, tentatively titled “Elsewhere,” to TV Land. Given the premise, it sounds...
‘Scream Queens’ Star Keke Palmer to Release a Memoir and Self-Help Guide
Keke Palmer has signed a book deal. The “Scream Queens” star will release an inspirational memoir and self-help guide via Simon & Schuster. The book, titled “I Don’t Belong to You: Quiet...
Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘Les Blancs’ Receives London Stage Revival
London’s National Theatre has mounted a revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s 1970 play “Les Blancs” (“The Whites”). Hansberry, who died in 1965, is best known as the playwright behind the...
Hollywood Feminist of the Day: Paul Feig to Add Equity Clause to Future Film Contracts
Paul Feig continues to act as a much-needed champion for women in film. The “Ghostbusters” director and co-writer said that he would add an equity clause to his future film contracts that would...