Documentary
Trailer Watch: “Generation Startup” Shows the Harsh Realities of Entrepreneurship
90 percent of startups fail, but the subjects of Cynthia Wade and Cheryl Miller Houser’s documentary “Generation Startup” are trying to be some of the few that succeed. The new doc follows six...
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Crowdfunding Picks
Untitled “Curious George” documentary This round of August’s crowdfunding picks challenge us to acknowledge and empathize with some who are invisible in most narratives: authors of famous...
Emmy Winner Tracy Droz Tragos on Her New Doc “Abortion: Stories Women Tell”
Tracy Droz Tragos is an award-winning independent filmmaker. Tragos’ “Rich Hill” explored rural poverty and won the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival....
Molly Bernstein on Her New Doc About Photographer Rosamond Purcell
Interview by Freja Dam Molly Bernstein directed, produced, and edited “Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay.” She has written and directed documentary profiles of other...
Trailer Watch: “The Eagle Huntress” Goes Where No Woman Has Gone Before
Sony Pictures Classics’ inspiring new documentary “The Eagle Huntress” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year to great reviews, and now the new trailer adds a familiar voice...
Weekly Update for August 5: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“The Little Prince” Films About Women Opening This Week The Little Prince — Co-Written by Irena Brignull (Also Available on Netflix) Inspired by the beloved children’s novel, a young...
TIFF’s Canadian Lineup: Deepa Mehta, Lesbian Romance, Poetic Animation, and More
TIFF 2016 will host the World Premiere of Deepa Mehta’s newest film. The fest has announced its Canadian lineup, of which the former Oscar nominee is a part. Screening in the Masters program,...
Katie Couric to Investigate the “Gender Revolution” in New Documentary
“Everything you wanted to know about gender but were afraid to ask.” That’s how Katie Couric is describing her latest documentary project, which was announced by National Geographic Channel...
Tribeca Film Institute Announces Grant Recipients for Doc Fund and AOL Award
Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) has announced the 2016 recipients of the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund and its subsection, the AOL Charitable Foundation Award. Seven projects have been chosen to...
A Record Number of Women Directors in Consideration for British Doc Awards
With 52 women on the Grierson shortlist, a record number of women are now in consideration for this year’s British Documentary Awards. As the BBC reports, Lorraine Heggessey, the trust’s chair,...
Oscar Winner Barbara Kopple on Her Inspiring New Doc “Miss Sharon Jones!”
Barbara Kopple is a two-time Academy Award winning filmmaker. Her recent credits include “Shelter,” which explores the psychological trauma created by military service, the effects that remain...
Nanfu Wang on Activism, Sex Work, and Human Rights in “Hooligan Sparrow”
Interview by Diana Martinez Nanfu Wang was born in a remote farming village in Jiangxi Province, China. Wang is a recipient of the Sundance Documentary Fund and the Bertha Britdoc Journalism Fund...
Trailer Watch: Patricia Arquette and Gloria Steinem Talk Women’s Rights in “Equal Means Equal”
Patricia Arquette’s 2015 Oscar speech continues to make waves. The “Boyhood” winner used her time at the podium to call for equal rights and equal pay for women, a demand she’s expounding on...
TIFF Industry Conference Announces “Visionary Women” Programming
While the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is best known for its high-profile film screenings, the festival also hosts a bustling Industry Conference where topics such distribution,...
“Making a Murderer” is Getting a Second Season
Great news for the many fans of Netflix’s “Making a Murderer.” The streaming service has announced that that Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos — the show’s creators, executive producers,...
True Crime Doc “Southwest of Salem” Gets Worldwide Distribution
If you’re looking for the next “Making a Murderer,” “Serial,” or “West of Memphis” you’re in for some good news: an award-winning true crime documentary by Deborah S. Esquenazi has...
Negotiating the Real and the Surreal: Crowdfunding Picks
“The Language of Laughter” This summer, female-directed and written crowdfunding projects are making sense of the real world by telling stories infused with the surreal. By blending common...
Trailer Watch: Alexandra Pelosi’s “Meet the Donors: Does Money Talk?” Exposes Campaign Money Trail
Just in time for the upcoming election, documentary filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi takes viewers behind the scenes of where American politicians find the funding for their costly campaigns. As the...
Cinema Guild Acquires Powerful Child Trafficking Doc “The Wrong Light”
Cinema Guild has announced the acquisition of U.S. distribution rights to “The Wrong Light,” a powerful documentary directed by Josie Swantek Heitz’s and Dave Adams. According to the film’s...
Trailer Watch: Barbara Kopple Captures “Miss Sharon Jones!”
Two-time Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple followed Grammy-nominated R&B powerhouse Sharon Jones around during what is described as “the most courageous year of her...
Trailer Watch: Women Get Their Own Narratives in “Abortion: Stories Women Tell”
Much like the intense gun-safety debate going on around the country today, abortion remains a hot topic despite the fact that it was legalized decades ago. Women still have difficulty accessing...
Cynthia Wade and Cheryl Miller Houser’s “Generation Startup” Gets Distribution
Long Shot Factory, Tugg, and Film Sprout have announced that they will partner to release Cynthia Wade (“Freeheld”) and Cheryl Miller Houser’s (“Trust Me”) documentary “Generation...
Trailer Watch: Romance Fiction’s Sisterhood Shines in “Love Between the Covers”
Romance fiction grosses over a billion dollars a year. Its intensely devoted readership spans six continents, and the genre is sold in 34 languages. So why aren’t people talking about this hugely...
Trailer Watch: Sick of the 2016 Election? How About “Roseanne for President!”
“Here I go, running for president,” Roseanne Barr declares in the new trailer for the doc, “Roseanne for President!” The film, which follows Barr’s unsuccessful 2012 campaign for...
Whitney Houston Documentary Coming From Miramax and Roadside
Miramax has acquired U.S. distribution rights to “Whitney,” the officially authorized Whitney Houston documentary that’s in the works, Deadline has reported. Miramax will team up with Roadside...
Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson” Takes Home Top Honors at Sheffield Doc/Fest
Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson” has been named the grand prize winner of Sheffield Doc/Fest. The documentary is a curated collection of extraordinary footage that Johnson has assembled over...
Trailer Watch: “Yarn” Explores a Forgotten Art Form
Knitting might not seem like a modern day art, but a new documentary is out to prove that assumption incorrect. Una Lorenzen’s “Yarn” explores a quirky art form often ignored by the mainstream...
“O.J.: Made In America” Producer Caroline Waterlow on Race, Marcia Clark, and Domestic Abuse
Women and Hollywood spoke with Caroline Waterlow, producer of the highly anticipated “O.J.: Made in America,” one of Sundance 2016’s biggest hits. Described as a masterpiece by many critics,...
Trailer Watch: “Jesus Camp” Directors Tackle TV Icon in “Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You”
A newly released trailer for Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s “Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You” introduces the doc’s subject by saying, “He has been around approximately forever.”...
Barbara Kopple’s “Miss Sharon Jones!” Acquired By Starz Digital
Starz Digital has announced the acquisition of all North American distribution rights to Barbara Kopple’s “Miss Sharon Jones!” Kopple (“Harlan County U.S.A.”, “Shut Up & Sing”) is...
Nanfu Wang’s “Hooligan Sparrow” Doc Gets Theatrical Release
Nanfu Wang’s award-winning documentary “Hooligan Sparrow” will be released theatrically in LA and NY this July. The film debuted at Sundance 2016. Wang told Women and Hollywood that...
Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson” Acquired by Janus Films
Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson” has been acquired by Janus Films after a successful run on the festival circuit. The distributor picked up all North American rights to the documentary, which...
Trailer Watch: “Presenting Princess Shaw” Introduces a Bold New Voice
Get ready to fall in love with incomparable Princess Shaw. A trailer has arrived for “Presenting Princess Shaw,” a doc centered on a talented and charming songstress who followed her...
Human Rights Watch Film Fest Lineup Over 50% Female-Directed
The lineup for the 2016 Human Rights Watch Film Festival has been revealed, and 10 of the 18 features being screened are directed or co-directed by women, amounting to 56 percent of the slate....
Natalie Johns on Her Inspiring Skateboarding Doc “I Am Thalente”
Natalie Johns was born in Zimbabwe, grew up in South Africa, and moved to London in 1997 to begin a career specializing in live entertainment television and documentary film. In 2013, she moved to...
An Authorized Whitney Houston Doc Is in the Works
From the same team that brought us “Amy,” the Oscar-winning Amy Winehouse documentary, a Whitney Houston documentary is now in the works, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Houston, widely...
Weekly Update for April 22: Women Centric, Directed and Written Films Playing Near You
“The Meddler”: Sony Pictures Classics Films About Women Opening This Week “The Meddler” — Written and Directed by Lorene Scafaria (Opens in LA and NYC)Susan Sarandon is every young...
Marielle Heller To Helm Feature Film Adaptation of HBO Gay Rights Doc
Marielle Heller’s star continues to rise. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the “Diary of a Teenage Girl” helmer will write and direct a feature film adaptation of “The Case Against...
Cannes Classics Highlights Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds and Women of Old Hollywood
Though the Cannes Film Festival made some additions to its Competition, Un Certain Regard and special screenings this morning, absolutely zero of them are films made by women. So we turn instead to...
Jennifer Peedom Explains Why She Showed Everest from a Different Perspective in ‘Sherpa’
Jennifer Peedom is an Australian documentary filmmaker based in Sydney. Her television credits include high-altitude direction and cinematography on the Discovery Channel’s “Everest: Beyond the...
Jennifer Peedom Explains Why She Showed Everest from a Different Perspective in “Sherpa”
Jennifer Peedom is an Australian documentary filmmaker based in Sydney. Her television credits include high-altitude direction and cinematography on the Discovery Channel’s “Everest: Beyond the...
Tribeca 2016 Women Directors: Meet Maura Axelrod — ‘Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back’
Maura Axelrod has been producing news and documentaries for over 15 years. She began at ABC News in New York as a writer and producer. She lived and worked as producer for AP Television News in the...
Tribeca 2016 Women Directors: Meet Kristi Zea — ‘Everybody Knows… Elizabeth Murray’
“Everybody Knows… Elizabeth Murray” is the documentary directorial debut for Kristi Zea, a two time Oscar-nominated production designer and producer. Her narrative directorial debut...
Tribeca 2016 Women Directors: Meet Nancy Buirski — ‘By Sidney Lumet’
Nancy Buirski’s documentary “Afternoon of a Faun” (2013) had its world premiere at the 51st New York Film Festival and international premiere at the 64th Berlinale. She is the director,...
Award-Winning Race-Car Doc ‘Speed Sisters’ Acquired by First Run Features
“Speed Sisters” is racing towards a theatrical release. First Run Features has acquired the U.S. rights to Amber Fares’ debut feature and will release the portrait of the first all-woman...
Tribeca 2016 Women Directors: Meet Ferne Pearlstein — ‘The Last Laugh’
Ferne Pearlstein is is a prize-winning cinematographer, a feature film editor and a writer/director whose work has won numerous awards and been screened and broadcast around the world. In 2003...
Guest Post: A Woman in Film Highlights Women in Science
Years ago, when my husband, Hal, and I first arrived as young filmmaking partners in Washington, D.C., the first person I met was the wife of a fellow filmmaker. After talking to her briefly, it...
Tribeca 2016 Women Directors: Meet Tracy Droz Tragos — ‘Abortion: Stories Women Tell’
Tracy Droz Tragos is an award-winning independent filmmaker. Tragos’ “Rich Hill” explored rural poverty through the intimate lens of vulnerable adolescents and their families struggling for a...
Tribeca 2016 Women Directors: Meet Vanessa Gould — ‘Obit’
Vanessa Gould is a filmmaker, editor and camera operator working in Brooklyn. Her film “Between The Folds” premiered on PBS’s “Independent Lens” in December 2009 and was re-broadcast the...
Tribeca 2016 Women Directors: Meet Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway — ‘The Return’
Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega are documentary directors, producers and screenwriters whose work explores the intersections of institutional power, civil and human rights and political...
Tribeca 2016 Women Directors: Meet Stéphanie Gillard — ‘The Ride’
Stéphanie Gillard’s first documentary, “Une histoire de ballon,” explored the meeting point of oral tradition and soccer culture in Cameroon. She made a second documentary in 2009 in...