Festivals
Tribeca Film Festival’s 2019 Competition Lineup Is 50 Percent Women-Directed
The 18th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival doesn’t kick off until April 24, but we’re already celebrating: this year’s competition sections consist of 50 percent women-directed...
Hot Docs 2019’s Special Presentations Lineup Is Nearly 50 Percent Women-Directed
Hot Docs has announced the 15 features comprising this year’s Special Presentations program. Seven of the titles are directed by women, or 47 percent of the slate, which is described as...
NFMLA Will Spotlight Female-Directed Films to Celebrate Women’s History Month
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles’ (NFMLA) Monthly Film Festival for March will recognize women’s stories. The org announced that on March 16, in honor of Women’s History Month, it will...
Chinonye Chukwu’s “Clemency” to Open New Directors/New Films Festival
“Clemency” is kicking off the 48th annual New Directors/New Films Festival. A press release from the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center named Chinonye...
WIFTI Introduces Rebate System for Gender-Balanced Projects at Berlinale
Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI) and post-production house Chimney have launched a new gender equality initiative. WIFTI unveiled 10% for 50/50, which provides rebates to...
2019 Athena IRIS Screenwriting Lab Participants Announced
The Athena Film Festival has selected this year’s Athena IRIS Screenwriting Lab cohort. Eight women-written projects have made the cut. Their scribes will attend the Lab, a script development...
Berlinale Will Sign the Gender Parity Pledge
The 2019 Berlin International Film Festival won’t kick off until next Thursday, February 7, but it’s already made history. Screen Daily confirms fest artistic director Dieter Kosslick...
Heartland Film Fest Signs Gender Parity Pledge
More fests are showing support — and agreeing to do their part — in making the film industry more inclusive. Heartland Film Inc., the nonprofit organizer of the Heartland International...
You’re Invited: Join W&H at Berlinale 2019 for Talk About Women Creating Change in the Biz
If you’re attending the Berlin International Film Festival this year, then make sure to mark February 9 on your calendar. That day Women and Hollywood — along with Time’s Up,...
Gurinder Chadha’s “Blinded by the Light” Lands Biggest Deal of Sundance 2019
Gurinder Chadha and The Boss made magic. The British filmmaker’s tribute to Bruce Springsteen, fandom, and following your dreams is poised to secure the biggest deal out of Sundance 2019 so...
Mindy Kaling and Nisha Ganatra Score Record Deal for “Late Night” at Sundance
Mindy Kaling is making a major mark at Sundance 2019. The screenwriter, producer, and star of “Late Night” just landed a record deal for the comedy. Amazon Studios came out of an...
Glasgow Film Fest 2019: Over Half of the Films Up For the Audience Award Are Women-Directed
The Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) has announced its 2019 lineup and — in news that’s most welcome considering the Oscars failed to nominate a woman director again — most of the films...
Sundance 2019 Preview: Films About Late Night Writers, Cliques, Toni Morrison, and More
Sundance 2019 begins this Thursday, January 24, and will be screening plenty of buzzy women-driven and women made films. As always, Women and Hollywood has put together some of the festival...
Women Directed 60 Percent of Films Screening in Competition at SXSW 2019
Women-directed films once again dominate the Competition sections of the South by Southwest Conference and Festival. Just like last year, titles helmed and co-helmed by women account for 60 percent...
Berlinale 2019: 41% of Films Eligible for Top Honors in Competition Are Women-Directed
The Berlin International Film Festival has finalized its 2019 Competition. Of the 23 films selected, eight are helmed by women, or about 35 percent. That figure is more than double last year’s...
Inaugural Coven Film Festival to Screen Shorts from Women Filmmakers
A press release has introduced the Coven Film Festival, a collection of world-class short films “made by women, for everyone.” Set to take place February 9 at the New People Cinema in San...
Upholding Gender Parity Pledge, Cannes Unveils Selection Committee for the First Time
The Cannes Film Festival is sticking to its word. Last year the fest signed the Gender Parity Pledge, promising to make its film selection process more transparent to the public — and inspired...
Athena Fest 2019: “Fast Color,” “Knock Down the House,” & More to Screen
If you’re frustrated by awards season’s exclusion of women filmmakers and their stories, or if you’re encouraged by the growing number of film festivals committing to gender parity,...
Goteborg Film Fest to Sign Gender Parity Pledge, 2019 Lineup Is 41 Percent Women-Directed
Cannes, Venice, and Toronto were among the many film festivals to sign the 5050×2020 charter for gender parity and inclusion in 2018. It looks like more fests will commit to the initiative in...
Berlinale 2019’s Panorama Program Is 23% Women-Helmed So Far
The Berlin International Film Festival has unveiled the first half of its 2019 Panorama program. Unfortunately, its initial numbers aren’t as encouraging as the Competition lineup’s...
Charlotte Rampling to Receive Honorary Golden Bear at Berlinale
The 2019 Berlin International Film Festival will pay tribute to Charlotte Rampling, Variety confirms. The Oscar-nominated star is set to receive an honorary Golden Bear at the 69th edition of the...
Berlinale 2019 Competition Section Is Currently 43 Percent Women-Directed
The Berlin International Film Festival’s upcoming 2019 Competition lineup is looking decidedly more female-friendly than the fest’s 2018 edition. As previously announced, Lone...
Juliette Binoche Named President of the 2019 Berlinale International Jury
Juliette Binoche will serve as president of the International Jury at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival. A press release announced that the French actress — who won a Berlinale...
Sudabeh Mortezai’s “Joy” Wins Best Film at Marrakech Fest
Sudabeh Mortezai has nabbed another festival prize for her second feature, “Joy.” Less than two months after it took BFI London Film Festival’s top prize, Variety confirms the sex...
Lone Scherfig Drama “The Kindness of Strangers” to Open 2019 Berlin Film Festival
Lone Scherfig will have the honor of kicking off the 2019 Berlin Film Festival. The award-winning Danish writer-director will open the 69th edition of the fest with the premiere of her latest pic,...
Sundance 2019: Over 50% of Shorts, Episodic Content, & Special Events Are Women Directed or Created
Sundance 2019 is shaping up to be quite the gender-balanced film festival. Not only do women represent 42 percent of the competition film directors, the fest has just announced the lineups for its...
Turin Film Festival Commits to Gender Parity Pledge
Another fest has signed the 5050×2020 charter for gender parity and inclusion. Italy’s Turin Film Festival, also known as Torino Film Festival, is following in the footsteps of Cannes,...
Women Represent 42 Percent of Sundance 2019 Competition Directors
If you’re planning to attend the Sundance Film Festival in January, there will be plenty of women-directed films to check out. The fest has announced its 2019 feature lineup, and 42 percent of...
Cannes 2019’s Directors’ Fortnight Now Accepting Submissions
Cannes Film Festival sidebar Directors’ Fortnight is now accepting films for its 2019 edition. Organized by the French Directors’ Guild, next year’s Directors’ Fortnight...
Sundance Unveils New Inclusion and Transparency Efforts Ahead of 2019 Fest
The Sundance Film Festival has received more than 14,200 submissions for its upcoming 2019 edition — a record high. According to a press release, the fest is ramping up its inclusion and...
DOC NYC 2018 Preview: Immigration, Trans Rights, Ursula K. Le Guin, and More
DOC NYC kicks off on Thursday, and will have tons of women-centric and women-directed offerings. We’ve put together a few of the titles that have piqued our interest — just a few. This...
“Lost Gully Road” and “She is the Ocean” Among LA Femme International Film Festival Winners
This year’s LA Femme International Film Festival has come to a close. Focused on women filmmakers who create commercial films for a worldwide audience, the fest just wrapped its 14th...
Rome Film Festival Signs Gender Parity Pledge
Rome Film Festival has followed in the footsteps of fests such as Cannes, Venice, and TIFF by signing a gender parity pledge. Introduced at Cannes earlier this year, the Pledge is a way to hold...
LFF 2018: Sudabeh Mortezai’s “Joy” Takes Top Prize, Tricia Tuttle Named Head of BFI Fests
The last night of the 2018 BFI London Film Festival (LFF) was an exciting one for women. Not only did Sudabeh Mortezai’s sex trafficking drama “Joy” win Best Film, it was...
Dortmund | Cologne International Women’s Film Fest Appoints Dr. Maxa Zoller as New Director
Dr. Maxa Zoller has been appointed as the new director of the Dortmund | Cologne International Women’s Film Festival, a press release announced. She’s succeeding Silke J. Räbiger, who...
Anna Odell’s “X&Y” to Open 2018 Stockholm Film Fest, 42% of Features in Competition Women-Directed
Anna Odell is set to kick off the 2018 edition of the Stockholm International Film Festival. According to ScreenDaily, the fest will host the world premiere of “X&Y,” the Swedish...
Melora Walters’ “Waterlily Jaguar” to Open DTLA Fest, Feature Lineup Is 68% Women-Directed
The 10th Annual DTLA Film Festival promises to be a memorable one for women filmmakers. A press release has announced that the fest will screen 30 features, 68 percent of which are from women...
DOC NYC 2018 Unveils Lineup, 50 Percent of Features in Competition are Women-Directed
DOC NYC proves — yet again — that plenty of women-directed films are ready to be programmed at fests. This year’s edition of America’s largest documentary festival features...
Tribeca Announces Through Her Lens’ 2018 Participants
Tribeca Film Festival and Chanel have partnered once again for Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program. A mentorship program “created to provide a balance of...
Keira Knightley and More to Celebrate Women in Film with London Fest Group Photo
About 70 women in the film industry are expected to gather at the London Film Festival (LFF) Friday in celebration of the contributions women have made in the field. According to The Guardian,...
Mill Valley Film Festival Signs Gender Parity Pledge, Honors Dr. Stacy Smith
The 2018 edition of the Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) features 45 percent women directors in its program. Already a proven supporter of women in film, MVFF has made it official and signed a Gender...
Josie Rourke’s “Mary Queen of Scots” Named AFI Fest’s Closing Night Film
It’s official: AFI Fest 2018 will both begin and end with women-directed, women-driven biopics. As previously reported, Mimi Leder’s RBG film “On the Basis of Sex” will open...
Mimi Leder’s RBG Biopic “On the Basis of Sex” to Open AFI Fest
The Year of RBG continues. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Mimi Leder’s highly anticipated Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic, “On the Basis of Sex,” will make its world premiere as AFI...
Poland’s Gdynia Film Festival Takes the Gender Parity Pledge
Poland’s Gdynia Film Festival is the latest fest to sign the 5050×2020 Pledge for Gender Parity, Variety reports. The pledge — which was signed Friday by Gdynia general director...
San Sebastian Festival Expected to Sign Gender Parity Pledge
Yet another major festival is set to sign a gender parity pledge. Following the lead of Cannes, Venice, TIFF, and IDFA, among others, Spain’s San Sebastian Festival is expected to sign the...
IDFA Signs the 5050×2020 Pledge for Gender Parity and Inclusion
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) has taken the 5050×2020 Pledge for Gender Parity and Inclusion in Film Festivals two months ahead of its 31st edition. By signing...
Jennifer Kent’s “The Nightingale” Wins Two Awards at Venice
“The Nightingale” has taken home two awards from Venice Film Festival, where the revenge thriller recently made its world premiere. Set in 1825 Tasmania, Jennifer Kent’s second...
TIFF Becomes Latest Fest to Sign the Gender Parity Pledge
Women and Hollywood — alongside 5050×2020, Le Deuxieme Regard, and TIME’S UP — is excited to report that the Toronto International Film Festival has signed the Gender Parity Pledge....
London Film Fest’s Competition Lineup Is 50 Percent Women-Directed
Venice Film Festival is currently underway, and just one title screening in its Competition is directed by a woman. In contrast, the BFI London Film Festival just announced its 2018 Competition...
Amidst Backlash Over Lack of Women Directors, Venice Film Fest Signs Gender Parity Pledge
The Venice Film Festival is finally taking tangible steps toward gender equality. The festival signed the 5050×2020 Pledge yesterday, in spite of Artistic Director Alberto Barbera previously...
TIFF Names Joana Vicente as New Executive Director and Co-Head
The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off in just over a week, and the fest has announced major news in advance of its 2018 edition. A press release named Joana Vicente as the new Executive...