Films
Theater Director Leigh Silverman Talks “Harry Clarke,” Helming One-Person Shows, and #MeToo
Silverman: Goodman Theatre One of the most prominent theater directors in the landscape today, Leigh Silverman made her Broadway directorial debut in 2006 with Lisa Kron’s “Well.” She brought...
Jennifer Morrison’s Directorial Debut “Sun Dogs” Goes to Netflix
“Once Upon a Time” star Jennifer Morrison has found a home for her feature directorial debut. Deadline reports that Netflix snagged the rights to “Sun Dogs,” a drama about a man who is...
Women Screenwriters and Animation Pros Open Up About Sexism in Hollywood
In 2016 women represented only 13 percent of the writers on the top 250 films, and according to 2015 research, women comprise only 10 percent of animation directors and producers. Obviously...
Trailer Watch: Helen Hunt Leads a Girls’ Volleyball Team to Glory in “The Miracle Season”
“How many teams ever win two championships back to back? Almost none,” a high school volleyball coach (Helen Hunt) tells her team in the trailer for “The Miracle Season.” The girls of West...
2017’s Best Documentaries By and About Women
“Step” A workers’ rights activist, a movie star-turned-inventor, and a retiring prima ballerina are just a few of the characters at the center of our favorite documentaries by and about women...
Oprah Winfrey to Receive Cecil B. de Mille Award at 2018 Golden Globes
Add this to your list of favorite things: Oprah Winfrey is the recipient of the 2018 Cecil B. de Mille Award. The multi-hyphenate will take home the honor at the Golden Globe Awards on January 7. A...
SAG Awards Will Be Presented Entirely by Women, Kristen Bell to Host
The Screen Actors Guild will stand with women at its 24th annual awards ceremony. According to The Hollywood Reporter, women will present each statuette at the January 21 event. This gesture is...
Cara Mertes Named Hot Docs’ 2018 Doc Mogul
Cara Mertes is set to be honored at the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, POV Magazine reports. The director of the JustFilms initiative at the Ford Foundation will receive...
2017’s Best Films By and About Women
“Girls Trip”: Michele K. Short/Universal Pictures The big screen had a lot to offer in 2017: Amazonian warriors kicking ass (and breaking box office records), tennis stars smashing misogyny, a...
Trailer Watch: It’s Carrie vs. the President in “Homeland” Season 7
The last time we saw Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), she had failed to stop an assassination attempt on President-elect Keane (Elizabeth Marvel). Turns out Carrie and the entire intelligence...
Jada Pinkett Smith Criticizes Hollywood Foreign Press for “Girls Trip” Golden Globes Snub
“Girls Trip” made more than $115 million at the domestic box office — from a budget of $19 million — and its breakoug star Tiffany Haddish is fast becoming one of the most in-demand...
Trailer Watch: Natalie Portman Tries to Save Her Husband’s Life in “Annihilation”
“Start from the beginning,” Natalie Portman is told in a new trailer for “Annihilation.” We’re transported to the not-so-distant past, and see the Oscar winner’s character, a biologist,...
Black List 2017 Features Record Number of Scripts By and About Women
If the 2017 Black List is any indication — and hopefully it is — we’re going to see more films written by women going into production soon. And more female-led stories, too. Compiled...
Awards Round-Up: Honors for “Mudbound,” “I Am Not a Witch,” and More
Awards season is heating up and while the Golden Globes didn’t show much love for women directors, the British Independent Film Awards and New York Film Critics Online sure did. “I Am Not a...
“Home Again” Writer-Director Hallie Meyers-Shyer Talks Rom-Coms and Her Mother’s Influence
“Home Again” finds Reese Witherspoon starting over. The Oscar winner plays Alice, a recently separated woman who returns to her hometown of LA with her two daughters. In the midst of a wild...
Quote of the Day: Jessica Chastain Reflects on the Price of Speaking Out
“To be honest, I’m mainly surprised about my nomination,” Jessica Chastain told The New York Times regarding her recently announced Golden Globe nod for “Molly’s Game.” The actor took...
Alicia Vikander to be Honored by Goteborg Festival
Alicia Vikander hasn’t celebrated her 30th birthday yet, but the Oscar winner is set to receive yet another prestigious honor. She’ll take home the Nordic Honorary Dragon Award from Sweden’s...
Julie Delpy Honored at European Film Awards, Calls Out Sexism in Funding Female Directors
Most award winners use all of their time at the podium to breathlessly thank agents and deliver words of inspiration. Not so for Julie Delpy. In a bold and amazing move, the multihyphenate made an...
Golden Globe Nominations Are In, and Once Again Women Directors Are Shut Out
“Lady Bird” is officially the best-reviewed film ever on Rotten Tomatoes. The coming-of-age dramedy has been scoring award after award, giving many hope that writer-director Greta Gerwig would...
Glamour and Girlgaze Announce #NewView Film Competition Winners
A jury including directors Sam Taylor-Johnson, Dee Rees, Kimberly Peirce, and Victoria Mahoney have selected the winners of the #NewView short film competition, a press release has announced....
Weekly Update for December 8: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“I, Tonya” Films About Women Opening This Week I, Tonya (Opens in NY and LA) Based on the unbelievable but true events, “I, Tonya” is a darkly comedic tale of American figure skater Tonya...
Ava DuVernay to Receive Producers Guild’s 2018 Visionary Award
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) is recognizing Ava DuVernay’s commitment to making “topical films and television shows focusing on important social issues.” Variety reports that the...
“Wonder Woman,” “Lady Bird,” and “Insecure” Among AFI’s Top Films and TV Shows of 2017
“Wonder Woman” earned rave reviews and grossed over $821 million worldwide, and now we know we can count The American Film Institute among its millions of fans. AFI has announced its 10 best...
Marvel TV’s Upcoming Animated Film Will Center on Female & Diverse Superheroes
Frustrated by the lack of women and people of color in superhero films? Well, we have some exciting news for you: all of the superheroes in Marvel Television’s upcoming animated feature “Marvel...
“Unrest,” “One of Us,” and Other Women-Directed Documentaries Advance in Oscar Race
The Oscar race is heating up. The Academy has narrowed down the films in the running for Documentary Feature to 15, and four of them are directed or co-directed by women, amounting to about 27...
Mary J. Blige to Be Honored at Palm Springs Film Fest
Mary J. Blige delivers a standout performance in Dee Rees’ “Mudbound,” and the nine-time Grammy winner is set to be recognized for her supporting role in the Southern epic. Blige will receive...
Sally Field Memoir on the Way
They like her. They really like her. Grand Central Publishing (GCP) has snagged the North American rights to Sally Field’s upcoming memoir, Deadline reports. Described as the two-time Oscar...
Academy Sends Newly Affirmed Standards of Conduct to Its Members
The Academy of of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revised its code of conduct amidst the onslaught of sexual abuse revelations coming out of Hollywood. Per Variety, Academy CEO Dawn Hudson sent...
Angelina Jolie, Patty Jenkins, and Greta Gerwig Participate in THR’s Director Roundtable
Gerwig: THR It’s frustratingly common to see director roundtables and panels with zero women participants — discussions where female filmmakers literally don’t have a voice. Fortunately...
Helen Mirren to Be Honored at AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards
Helen Mirren embraces being an adult — which is no easy feat in an industry that marginalizes women over 40. She’s called out Hollywood’s ageism as “fucking outrageous” and spoken...
Teaser Watch: Zoey Deutch Is a Vigilante in “Flower”
ARed Band teaser trailer has dropped for Zoey Deutch-starrer “Flower.” “I know what goes down in this town behind closed doors,” says Erica (Deutch). And the 17-year-old feels compelled to...
Angela Robinson to Receive Inaugural Mind the Gap Award
Angela Robinson earned raves for her depiction of “Wonder Woman’s” origin story in “Professor Marston & The Wonder Women,” and now the writer-director is set to be honored for the...
Laurie Collyer’s Road Trip Movie Starring Tessa Thompson and Melissa Leo Secures Distribution
IFC Films will steer U.S. and Canadian distribution of Laurie Collyer’s new road movie, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. Led by rising star Tessa Thompson and Oscar winner Melissa Leo,...
Trailer Watch: Joaquin Phoenix Is Brutal in Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here”
AU.S. trailer has landed for Lynne Ramsay’s Joaquin Phoenix-starrer “You Were Never Really Here,” and it’s intense. “They said you were brutal,” a State Senator (Alex Manette) tells Joe...
THR’s Women in Entertainment Power 100: Ava DuVernay, Shonda Rhimes, Ashley Judd, & More
With new sexual harassment stories breaking every day, many have suggested that having more women in power would result in less toxic, sexist workplace environments in Hollywood and everywhere else....
Oscars 2018: Best Documentary Short Semi-Finalists Announced, Over 50 Percent Are Women-Directed
Oscar nominations won’t be announced until January 23, but we’re getting a peek at what to expect next month. A “screening committee drawn from documentary branch members has winnowed a field...
Film Society of Lincoln Center to Host Evening with Laura Dern
“Few actors of her generation have amassed as consistent, eclectic, and dazzling a body of work as Laura Dern,” a press release from the Film Society of Lincoln Center reads. The film...
Sundance 2018 Shorts Lineup Is 52 Percent Women-Directed
Sundance Film Festival has announced its 2018 shorts programs. Thirty-six of the 69 shorts screening, or about 52 percent, are directed or co-directed by women. This marks a slight increase from...
Jessica Chastain to Receive Chairman’s Award at Palm Springs Film Fest
Two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain is adding another honor to her stacked CV. The Cinemacon Female Star of the Year has been named as the 2018 recipient of the Chairman’s Award at the...
Sight & Sound’s 2017 Critics’ Poll Includes “Mudbound,” “Zama,” and More Women-Directed Films
Sight & Sound asked 180 critics to pick their top five films of the year, and the results are in. The UK mag announced the 20 films to receive the most votes, and six are helmed by women. The...
Guest Post: Why Diversity Programs Fail in Hollywood — And How to Fix Them
Guest Post by Kylee Peña In the entertainment industry, there are a lot of diversity programs. Initiatives serving diverse writers, diverse directors, diverse engineers, and diverse...
Saoirse Ronan Will Be Honored at Palm Springs International Film Festival
Saoirse Ronan’s chances of nabbing a third Oscar nomination are getting stronger by the day. She’s already received an Indie Spirit nod, a Gotham Award, and a New York Film Critics Circle Award...
Sonia Bonspille Boileau Wins Feature Film Award from Women In the Director’s Chair
Filmmaker Sonia Bonspille Boileau has won the 2017 Feature Film Award from Women In the Director’s Chair’s (WIDC), a professional development organization for female filmmakers in Canada. Given...
Four Women Make Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch List
Variety has named its 10 Directors to Watch in 2018. The emerging filmmakers will be recognized at a brunch at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 3. Four women made the cut:...
Women In Film Sexual Harassment Hotline Is Now Live
Thanks to Women In Film (WIF), it’s now a little easier for those experiencing sexual harassment to receive help. The Los Angeles Times confirms that the Help Line WIF announced last month is now...
Misha Green to Write and Produce Reboot of Blaxploitation Film “Cleopatra Jones”
Misha Green has lined up yet another project. The “Underground” co-creator will write and produce a new “Cleopatra Jones” film for Warner Bros., Deadline confirms. 1973’s “Cleopatra...
Kristin Scott Thomas Talks Playing Clementine Churchill, Ageism, and Hollywood After Weinstein
Scott Thomas in “Darkest Hour” Kristin Scott Thomas’s career spans over three decades. She received a BAFTA for “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and an Oscar nod for “The English...
Weekly Update for December 1: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“The Shape of Water” Films About Women Opening This Week The Shape of Water — Co-Written by Vanessa Taylor (Opens in NY; Opens in LA December 8) Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is a mute, isolated...
Rashida Jones and Kerry Washington Join Forces for “Goldie Vance” Adaptation
Angie Tribeca and Olivia Pope are teaming up. Rashida Jones and Kerry Washington are set to collaborate on an adaptation of “Goldie Vance” for 20th Century Fox, Variety reports. The former will...
“The Girl on the Train” Is Coming to the Stage
“The Girl on the Train” has already sold over 15 million copies and been adapted into a film starring Emily Blunt. Broadway World reports that Paula Hawkins’ literary sensation is now heading...
Biopic About Oscar-Winning Actress Who Fought Sexual Harassment in the Works
With stories about workplace harassers breaking every day, it’s important to remember the women who helped pave the way to this current moment by standing up to sexist, entitled bullies....