Films
Cannes Update: Claire Denis’ “Let the Sunshine In” Acquired by Sundance Selects
Sundance Selects has snagged all North American rights to Claire Denis’ “Let the Sunshine In,” Variety reports. The dramedy just made its world premiere at Cannes, where it received positive...
Weekly Update for May 19: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Everything, Everything” Films About Women Opening This Week Everything, Everything — Directed by Stella Meghie What if you couldn’t touch anything in the outside world? Never breathe in...
Catherine Zeta-Jones to Star in Lifetime’s “Cocaine Godmother”
Catherine Zeta-Jones is set to play a criminal mastermind. The Oscar winner has signed on to star in Lifetime’s “Cocaine Godmother,” a biopic about Griselda Blanco, better known as the...
Cannes 2017 Women Directors: Meet Bonni Cohen — “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power”
Bonni Cohen is an award-winning producer and director. She co-directed “Audrie & Daisy,” which premiered in competition at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was picked up as a Netflix...
Carrie Brownstein to Make Feature Directorial Debut with “Fairy Godmother”
In news that’s sure to please “Portlandia’s” feminist bookstore owners, actress, writer, and Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein has signed on to direct the Chiara Atik-penned...
Cannes Update: New Films with Ashley Judd and Maggie Q on the Way
Films toplined by Ashley Judd and Maggie Q are the latest projects seeking distribution deals at the Cannes Film Market. According to ScreenDaily, Red Sea Media has begun talks with international...
Trailer Watch: Brie Larson Reunites with Her Dysfunctional Family in “The Glass Castle”
Try as she might, Brie Larson can’t bury her past in a new trailer for “The Glass Castle.” The Oscar-winning actress stars as Jeannette, a woman who’s tried to distance herself from the...
The Personal Is Communal: Crowdfunding Picks
We all have that friend who constantly “knows how you feel.” You know what we’re talking about. Well, trust us, this group of crowdfunding picks really know how you feel. Each respective...
Chelsea Manning Documentary in the Works
A documentary about former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning is in the works. According to a press release, “XY Chelsea” is the result of several years of “unique access” to...
Cannes Update: Greta Gerwig to Star in Mia Hansen-Løve’s English-Language Debut
French filmmaker Mia Hansen-Løve is set to make her English-language debut. ScreenDaily reports that the award-winning writer-director will helm “Bergman Island,” starring Greta Gerwig, Mia...
Trailer Watch: A Little Girl Fights to Rescue Her GMO Friend in “Okja”
“We needed a miracle. And then we got one,” says Tilda Swinton in the first trailer for “Okja.” The Oscar-winning actress plays the CEO of a corporation that endeavors to revolutionize the...
Cannes 2017 Women Directors: Meet Chloé Zhao — “The Rider”
Chloé Zhao is an award-winning director and producer. Her first feature-length doc, 2015’s “Songs My Brother Taught Me,” was nominated for the Golden Camera Award at Cannes, the Grand Jury...
Trailer Watch: Michelle Yeoh and Sonequa Martin-Green Call the Shots in “Star Trek: Discovery”
Before Kirk and Spock there was Captain Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) and Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). A trailer for CBS All Access’ new “Star Trek” series hints that its...
BAFTA Names 15 Female Directors Selected for Elevate 2017 Program
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the participants of its annual Elevate program. As this year’s initiative addresses the gender gap among directors in the...
Trailer Watch: An Aspiring Rapper Makes a Name for Herself in “Patti Cake$”
A trailer has finally landed for one of Sundance 2017’s biggest hits, “Patti Cake$.” The spot kicks off by giving the drama’s protagonist an amazing introduction: “Bow down, the Queen is...
“Wakefield” Writer-Director Robin Swicord on How She Got the Movie Made and Breaking into Directing
Robin Swicord’s many writing credits span from ’90s family favorite “Matilda” to Oscar-nominated drama “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” She made her directorial feature debut with...
Trailer Watch: Emmanuelle Riva Goes Missing in Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon’s “Lost in Paris”
A woman travels to Paris with an unusual mission in Fiona Gordon and Dominique Abel’s latest offering, “Lost in Paris.” A U.S. trailer has dropped for the whimsical comedy, which centers on...
Cannes 2017 Women Directors: Meet Marcela Said — “Los Perros”
Marcela Said has worked in both documentary and feature films. Her debut feature, “The Summer of Flying Fish,” premiered at the Director’s Fortnight in 2013. She wrote “Los Perros” at the...
Quote of the Day: Ava DuVernay on the Privilege of Being Able to Say No
Ava DuVernay is dropping truth bombs yet again. The Hollywood Reporter recently brought together some of the top showrunners and producers in the business, and the resulting feature is full of...
New Research Shows Number of Women-Directed Films Screening at Fests Hasn’t Improved
If you attend a high-profile U.S. film festival, you are three times as likely to see a feature film directed by a man as you are to see one directed by a woman. And you are twice as likely to catch...
None of CBS’ New Fall Series Are Women-Centric
CBS has unveiled its fall 2017 lineup and, in terms of women-centric programming, it’s a wasteland. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the network is moving forward with eight pilots: four dramas, four...
Film London, BFI, and BBC’s Microwave Commissions Films From Female & Non-Binary Directors
Microwave, the small budget feature film program from Film London, BFI, and BBC Films has revealed its two latest commissions. ScreenDaily reports that trans romance “Violets Are Blue” and...
Teaser Watch: A Girl Disguises Herself as a Boy to Help Her Family in “The Breadwinner”
“When I was young, Parvana, I knew what peace felt like,” a father tells his daughter in a new trailer for “The Breadwinner.” He explains, “Stories remain in our hearts even when all else...
Cannes 2017 Women Directors: Meet Léa Mysius — “Ava”
Léa Mysius has directed three award-winning short films selected for a number of festivals: “Cadavre exquis,” “Les Oiseaux-tonnerre,” selected for the Cannes Cinéfondation award, and...
DC Announces “Wonder Woman Day” Celebrations
“Wonder Woman” will — at long last — hit multiplexes June 2. But the fun won’t stop there. DC Entertainment has announced that June 3 will be “Wonder Woman Day,” complete with...
Cannes 2017 Women Directors: Meet Valeska Grisebach — “Western”
Valeska Grisebach’s directorial debut, “Be My Star,” won the Critics’ Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Torino Film Festival’s main prize. Her second feature film,...
Cannes 2017 Updates: Rosamund Pike, Blake Lively, and Noomi Rapace Line Up New Projects
Cannes is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, but it’s also a business hub. The fest — and Cannes market — officially kick off tomorrow, May 17, but new projects...
Women in Film and Television UK Launches Research Institute for Gender in Media
Women in Film and Television UK (WFTV) unveiled plans for a new research institute at its recent Making A Difference Conference. According to a press release, the new Research Institute for Gender...
Guest Post: How a Short I Wrote Ended Up Being Directed by Robin Wright and Premiering at Cannes
Guest Post by Denise Meyers I am the antithesis of what a successful screenwriter looks like: I am 57, female, and live in the fly-over zone. I am also a great one for beating the odds, because on...
Trailer Watch: A Woman Falls for Her Brother’s Girlfriend in “Heartland”
“Carrie?” Lauren (Velinda Godfrey) says in a new trailer for “Heartland.” “Would you maybe want to do something crazy with me right now?” So begins a couple days of fun and adventure for...
Cannes 2017: Women in Motion to Honor Isabelle Huppert and Maysaloun Hamoud
The face of this year’s Women in Motion program is also the winner of its top prize. In partnership with Cannes, Kering will present the 2017 Women in Motion Award to Isabelle Huppert. The news...
Julianne Moore to Star in Re-Imagining of 2013’s “Gloria”
Julianne Moore has signed on to topline a re-imagining of Sebastian Lelio’s critically acclaimed “Gloria.” The 2013 Santiago-set drama earned rave reviews and took home three awards at the...
Sign Up for Paula Vogel’s Playwriting Boot Camp
Attention, aspiring playwrights: You have a chance to learn the tools of the trade from Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Paula Vogel. According to BroadwayWorld, the “Indecent” scribe will be...
Kristin Scott Thomas to Play BMW Heiress in Alexandra-Therese Keining’s “Paramour”
Kristin Scott Thomas has signed on to star in “Paramour,” a thriller about a doomed romance. Swedish helmer Alexandra-Therese Keining will direct the film, Deadline reports. Inspired by the...
“Sworn Virgin” Director Laura Bispuri Announces Next Film
Laura Bispuri will examine the complex relationships between mothers and daughters as well as adoptive and biological parents in her next film. Per Variety, the “Sworn Virgin” director is set to...
Submissions Are Open for the 2018 Athena Film Festival
Does your short or screenplay portray a female leader? If so, take note: the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College is now accepting submissions. Co-founded by Women and Hollywood founder and...
Trailer Watch: Zoe Lister-Jones and Adam Pally Turn Their Fights into Music in “Band Aid”
“Band Aid” “What if we turned all our fights into songs? Let’s start a band,” says Anna (Zoe Lister-Jones) in a new trailer for “Band Aid.” The comedy centers on a married couple who...
Infographic: Women Directors at Cannes 2017 #SeeHerNow
The 2017 Cannes Film Festival kicks off this Wednesday, May 17. While the high-profile fest is still nowhere near overall gender parity, the number of women directors has increased slightly from the...
Apply Now for the Women in Entertainment Workshop Series at LAFF
This year’s Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF) is turning out to be a very welcoming event for women in Hollywood. The fest’s lineup includes plenty of of women-directed films and now Women in...
Trailer Watch: Lola Kirke Falls in Love with a Married Woman in Deb Shoval’s “AWOL”
A trailer has landed for Deb Shoval’s “AWOL,” a lesbian romance toplined by Lola Kirke (“Mistress America”). “You need to start thinking about your future,” Joey (Kirke) is told by her...
Reese Witherspoon to Produce Adaptations of Two New Women-Penned Books
Looks like Reese Witherspoon is just as busy as her “Big Little Lies” character, Madeline Martha Mackenzie. The Oscar-winning multi-hyphenate is producing adaptations of Gail Honeyman’s...
Weekly Update for May 12: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Snatched” Films About Women Opening This Week Snatched — Written by Katie Dippold After her boyfriend dumps her on the eve of their exotic vacation, impetuous dreamer Emily Middleton...
Sally Potter’s “The Party” Gets U.S. Distribution
Three months after making its world premiere at the Berlinale, “The Party” has found a U.S. home. Writer-director Sally Potter’s latest feature has been acquired by Roadside Attractions, The...
Teaser Watch: Reese Witherspoon Gets New Roommates in Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s “Home Again”
“I just always act out on my birthday. It’s like my own personal New Year’s Eve,” explains Alice (Reese Witherspoon) in a newly released teaser for Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s “Home Again.”...
Dee Rees Working on a Horror Film About a Lesbian Couple in a Small Town
Dee Rees’ next project will be a horror film exploring domestic life, race, sexuality, and small town America. Originally reported by the New York Times, the Tracking Board and Shadow and Act have...
Trailer Watch: “Jeanette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc” Is a Musical Ode to Martyrdom
Chances are you’ve heard of Joan of Arc — the famous martyr and feminist icon who disguised herself as a man in order to fight in the Hundred Years’ War and was eventually burned at the...
Mimi Plauche Named Artistic Director of Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival will have a new artistic director for its 53rd edition in October. According to the Chicago Tribune, Mimi Plauche has been promoted from program director to...
Bette Gordon Talks Recognizing the Evil Within Ourselves in “The Drowning”
Bette Gordon’s films have been screened theatrically in the U.S. and abroad, as well as in all the major film festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, and Sundance. Her films are in the...
Elizabeth Chomko’s Feature Debut Starring Hilary Swank Acquired by Bleecker Street
Elizabeth Chomko’s feature debut has found a home. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Bleecker Street snagged the North American rights to “What They Had,” a family drama toplined by Hilary...
Exclusive: The Daughters of Holocaust Survivors Uncover Family History in “Past Life” Clip
“You and I were born to a violent, greedy man,” Nana (Nelly Tagar) tells her younger sister Sephi (Joy Rieger) in our exclusive clip of “Past Life.” Set in 1977 Jerusalem, the drama centers...
Helen Mirren to Be Honored at Monte Carlo TV Fest
Helen Mirren is set to receive yet another well-deserved award. The Oscar, Tony, and Emmy winner will take home the Monte Carlo Television Festival’s Crystal Nymph at a ceremony to be held June...