Films
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Hala Alabdalla — “Farouk, Besieged Like Me”
Hala Alabdalla is a Syrian filmmaker living in France. Alabdalla has directed and produced numerous documentaries and feature films over the past 30 years. Her directing credits include “Hey!...
Best-Selling Author Helen Walsh To Direct Second Feature
Award-winning novelist Helen Walsh is stepping behind the camera for a second time, Screen International reports. The English writer-director will follow up her 2015 debut “The Violators” with...
Gail Berman Producing TV Projects from Theresa Rebeck and Allyn Rachel
Super producer Gail Berman is prepping two new TV series created by women with her production company, The Jackal Group. Berman, who has been a show business executive since 1989, is teaming up...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Karen Bernstein— “Richard Linklater: Dream Is Destiny”
Karen Bernstein has produced various documentary projects, including “Body of War,” “Troop 1500,” “Children of Giant,” and episodes of “American Masters.” Bernstein received an Emmy...
Wonder Woman Selected as U.N. Honorary Ambassador
Yes, that Wonder Woman. The Wonder Woman. It seems the United Nations will bolster its fight against terrorism, tyranny, international poverty, and climate change with bullet-deflecting bracelets,...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Lizzie Borden— “Born in Flames”
Lizzie Borden is a writer-director based in Los Angeles. Her film credits include “Born in Flames” (1983), “Working Girls” (1986), and “Inside Out” (1991). Borden has directed television...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Rahmatou Keita — “The Wedding Ring”
Rahmatou Keïta was born in Niger. After studying philosophy and linguistics in Paris, she started her career in France and made a name for herself as a journalist for European TV channels. In 1993,...
Trailer Watch: “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” Hints at Felicity Jones’ Backstory
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”: Disney “Rebellions are built on hope.” Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) says this to rally her fellow rebels in the second official “Rogue One: A Star Wars...
Queen Latifah to Be Honored with Princess Grace Award
Queen Latifah is set to receive a prestigious honor from the Princess Grace Foundation, Shadow and Act reports. The Prince Rainier III Award, given in recognition of “a renowned leader in the Arts...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Anocha Suwichakornpong — “By the Time It Gets Dark”
Born in Thailand, Anocha Suwichakornpong graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in film from Columbia University in New York. Her thesis film, “Graceland,” was screened at the Cannes Film...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Wang Yichun — “What’s in the Darkness”
“What’s in the Darkness” marks Wang Yichun’s directorial debut. The film screened at the Berlinale and the ninth FIRST International Film Festival in Xining, China. Yichun won the Best...
Oscar Foreign Language Race is 19 Percent Women-Directed
The Academy Awards won’t air until February 26, 2017 — over four months from today. Still, Oscar buzz is mounting. The Academy has announced all of the submissions for Best Foreign Language...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Delphine and Muriel Coulin— “The Stopover”
Sisters and directing-duo Delphine and Muriel Coulin made their feature film debut in 2011 with “17 Girls.” The film, which is based on the true story of a group of American teenage girls who...
NYFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Natalia Almada — “Everything Else”
Natalia Almada is recipient of the 2012 MacArthur Genius Award and of the 2009 Sundance Documentary Directing Award for her film “El General.” Almada’s 2011 film “El Velador” premiered at...
Trailer Watch: A Woman Rules the Kitchen in “Ella Brennan: Commanding the Table”
Ella Brennan was one of America’s foremost restaurateurs, and now her life is being explored in the brand new documentary “Ella Brennan: Commanding the Table.” Directed by Oscar and...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Alice Lowe — “Prevenge”
Known for her work as a UK television comedy actress, Alice Lowe made her move into film with her screenwriting debut “Sightseers,” directed by Ben Wheatley, in which she also starred. After...
Variety’s Power of Women Honors Helen Mirren, Ava DuVernay, Scarlett Johansson, Laverne Cox, and…
Variety’s Power of Women Honors Helen Mirren, Ava DuVernay, Scarlett Johansson, Laverne Cox, and Miley Cyrus Variety has announced this year’s female entertainers for their annual Power of...
Watch: Jessica Sanders Celebrates the Power of Female Filmmakers in New Short
Academy Award-nominated producer and documentary filmmaker Jessica Sanders has turned her lens towards female directors, and the results are glorious. The activist has assembled a group of twenty...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Anna Muylaert — “Don’t Call Me Son”
Anna Muylaert was born in São Paulo. She has directed many shorts, including the award-winning “The Origin of Babies.” Her feature credits include “Durval Discos,” “É Proibido Fumar,”...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Fiona Gordon — “Lost in Paris”
Fiona Gordon studied theater and movement in Paris. She met Dominique Abel at the Lecoq school and after a short period in London working with Theatre de Complicité, she joined Abel in Belgium...
Shirley MacLaine to Recieve LA Film Critics Association’s Career Achievement Award
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has announced that this year’s Career Achievement Award will go to the fabulous Shirley MacLaine, Variety writes. “We are very excited to be giving the...
Trailer Watch: Germany’s Delightfully Dysfunctional Oscar Pick “Toni Erdmann”
“Toni Erdmann” has had critics and audiences talking since its world premiere at Cannes back in May. Those who haven’t caught Maren Ade’s acclaimed comedy on the festival circuit finally...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Alice Diop— “On Call”
After earning a master’s degree in history and a post-graduate diploma in visual sociology, Alice Diop joined the documentary workshop at La Fémis. Since 2005, she has directed many...
Kirsten Johnson, Ava DuVernay, and More Nominated for Critics’ Choice Doc Awards
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) have announced the nominees for the inaugural Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards,...
Quote of the Day: Ava DuVernay Says Hollywood is “a Patriarchy”
Ava DuVernay is having one hell of a 2016. After bursting into Oscar conversations, mainstream Hollywood circles, and onto A-lists in 2014 with her film “Selma,” DuVernay has been incredibly...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet So Yong Kim — “Lovesong”
So Yong Kim is an award-winning Korean-American independent filmmaker. In 2006 Kim received the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for her debut feature, “In Between Days.” Her...
Trailer Watch: Zoe Kazan Faces “The Monster” in New Horror Film
A pulse-quickening trailer has been released for “The Monster,” a mother-daughter horror film toplined by Emmy-nominated actress Zoe Kazan. The “Olive Kitteridge” star plays a divorced...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Christine Molloy— “Further Beyond”
Christine Molloy hails from Dublin, Ireland and is one half of Desperate Optimists, a UK-based creative partnership formed with her partner, Joe Lawlor. Between 2003 and 2010, Molloy co-wrote and...
Production Begins on Angela Robinson’s “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women”
Looks like we’re going to be getting another Wonder Woman movie pretty soon, though this one isn’t from Patty Jenkins and has a bit of a twist. Production has begun on producer, writer, and...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Mijke de Jong — “Layla M.”
Mijke de Jong’s international breakthrough came with “Bluebird,” for which she won a number of awards, including the Crystal Bear at the 2005 Berlinale. Her other credits include “Stages,”...
“Finding Dory” Passes $1 Billion Mark
A blue tang has found herself among box office royalty — superheroes, star-crossed lovers Rose and Jack, and her old friend Nemo the clownfish. That’s right: “Finding Dory” has joined...
Nanfu Wang to Recieve IDA’s Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award
The International Documentary Association (IDA) has announced the honorees for its upcoming 32nd Annual Documentary Awards. The special awards honorees, Screen Daily reports, will include...
The Personal Is Political: Crowdfunding Picks
“Valentina” storyboard As November 8 draws ever closer, it seems like the only thing people are talking or writing about is politics. Unsurprisingly, intersectional feminist...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Mattie Do — “Dearest Sister”
Mattie Do launched her career in the movie industry working as a makeup artist. Do is an alumni of the Cannes’ Fabrique des Cinemas du Monde talent lab, the TIFF Director Talent Lab, and the...
Trailer Watch: Isabelle Huppert is Finally Free in “Things to Come”
“I met someone.” A newly released trailer for writer-director Mia Hansen-Løve’s “Things to Come” starts on a sour note: The film’s protagonist, Nathalie (Isabelle Huppert), learns that...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum— “Letters from Baghdad”
Sabine Krayenbühl is an award-winning editor with over 20 theatrical documentaries and narrative features to her credit. Her work includes Oscar and Independent Spirit Award nominated “My...
Weekly Update for October 7: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“The Girl on the Train” Films About Women Opening This Week The Girl on the Train — Written by Erin Cressida Wilson Rachel (Emily Blunt), devastated by her recent divorce, spends her...
NYFF 2016 Co-Directors: Linda Saffire and Adam Schlesinger— “Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan”
Linda Saffire has worked on numerous award-winning film and television productions. Among her feature documentary and film credits are “A Conversation with Gregory Peck,” a collaboration with...
Trailer Watch: Elle Fanning Dreams of Being a “Ballerina”
Elle Fanning takes on the voice of the lead role of Félicie Milliner in the English-language version of the French animated film “Ballerina,” which has just premiered a lovely new trailer. Set...
Diane Keaton to Be Honored with AFI’s Lifetime Achievement Award
The American Film Institute has announced that actress, director, producer, and writer Diane Keaton will be honored with the 45th AFI Lifetime Achievement Award. “Diane Keaton is one of the most...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Claire Simon — “The Graduation”
Claire Simon is a screenwriter, actress, cinematographer, editor, and director. Simon has directed independent shorts and many documentaries throughout her filmmaking career, including “La...
Trailer Watch: “It Had To Be You” Flips the Script on Marriage Proposals
Romantic comedies centering on heterosexual couples typically treat marriage proposals as a man’s job: The woman waits passively to be swept off her feet by her beloved’s grand, romantic...
Hamptons Film Fest 2016 Women Directors: Meet Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg — “Marathon: The…
Hamptons Film Fest 2016 Women Directors: Meet Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg — “Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing” Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg’s credits include “Joan Rivers: A...
Guest Post: My First Year Running a Production Company
Guest Post by Devin Shepherd A little over a year ago, I started Wild Obscura Films, a production company, with my business partner, Nora Unkel. We focus on narrative, female-driven content created...
Listen: Podcast with “13th” Director Ava DuVernay
It’s amazing to be reminded that director Ava DuVernay didn’t pick up a camera until she was 33 years old. She has come so far in such a short time. I sat down with her last week and talked...
“The Watermelon Woman” Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Revival Run
LGBTQ festival favorite “The Watermelon Woman” is heading back to to the cinema with a makeover, Shadow and Act reports. First Run Features has announced the re-release of writer-director Cheryl...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Asli Özge — “All of a Sudden”
Asli Özge was born in Istanbul, Turkey and has lived in Berlin, Germany since 2000. Özge directed short films and a documentary before making her feature film debut in 2009 with “Men on the...
AFI Fest to Honor Isabelle Huppert
The American Film Institute has announced that the 2016 AFI Fest will honor French actress Isabelle Huppert with a tribute and gala screening of her latest thriller-drama “Elle.” Huppert’s...
Trailer Watch: “The Edge of Seventeen” Captures How Impostor Syndrome Feels
Do you remember growing up? A lot of it sucked, right? Writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig’s film “The Edge of Seventeen” captures that feeling of thinking that everyone around you has it all...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Shahrbanoo Sadat — “Wolf and Sheep”
Shahrbanoo Sadat is an Afghan screenwriter and director. Sadat’s first short fiction film, “Vice Versa One,” was selected at Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in 2011. In 2013, she launched her...
Trailer Watch: Natalie Portman Embodies “Jackie”
The new teaser for “Jackie,” starring Natalie Portman, begins with a bit of the final number from the 1960s Broadway musical “Camelot,” but is then eerily interrupted by a harsher string...