Films
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Khushboo Ranka — “An Insignificant Man”
Khushboo Ranka has experience in the fields of journalism, graphic design, and filmmaking. “Continuum,” a short film she wrote and directed at the age of 20, won the best short film at the...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet C. Fitz— “Jewel’s Catch One”
C. Fitz is a creator, director, writer, and producer, as well as a television and marketing veteran. Her previous films include “Rancid,” “No More Roses,” “ShowGirls, Provincetown, MA,”...
Athena Film Festival and IRIS Team Up for Screenwriting Lab
Great news, female screenwriters! The Athena Film Festival has announced that it will be partnering with IRIS to present the inaugural Athena IRIS Screenwriting Lab. The unique lab will be offered...
Hope Dickson Leach Wins Inaugural IWC Filmmaker Bursary Award
Hope Dickson Leach has been named the inaugural recipient of the IWC Filmmaker Bursary Award, presented in association with the BFI, ScreenDaily reports. According to the BFI, the £50,000 award...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Pepa San Martin — “Rara”
Pepa San Martin’s first film, “The Shower,” premiered at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival and won the DAAD Short Film Prize. Her second film, “Gleisdreieck,” will premiere at the Valdivia...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Ruth Beckermann — “The Dreamed Ones”
Ruth Beckermann was born in Vienna. She studied journalism and art history in Vienna, Tel Aviv, and New York. She has contributed as a journalist to several Austrian and Swiss magazines. In 1978 she...
Emma Thompson to Star in “The Children Act”
Oscar winner Emma Thompson is set to star in “The Children Act,” an adaptation of the novel by Ian McEwan (“Atonement”), Variety reports. Thompson will play Fiona May, a London judge...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Margaret Salmon — “Eglatine”
Margaret Salmon was born in New York and studied photography at The School of Visual Arts and the Royal College of Art. She lives and works in Glasgow, Scotland. She creates filmic portraits which...
Women Developing Shows for ABC, Amazon, Freeform, and More
A whole slew of women are diving headfirst into television and developing new series for consideration. As Variety reports, ABC and 20th Century Fox are developing “Icon,” an hour-long drama set...
LFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Fiona Tan — “Ascent”
Fiona Tan is an artist who works primarily in film and photography. Tan represented The Netherlands in the 2009 Venice Biennale. Her work can be found in numerous international art collections...
Trailer Watch: BFFs Get in Over Their Heads in Cannes Winner “Divines”
Atrailer has been released for “Divines,” Houda Benyamina’s coming-of-age drama that won the hearts of critics and audiences at Cannes earlier this year. When asked by a teacher what she...
Hamptons Film Fest 2016 Women Directors: Meet Jessie Auritt — “Supergirl”
Jessie Auritt is an award-winning documentary filmmaker based in New York City. Her short film, “The Birdman,” screened at festivals around the country and won the Slamdance Grand Jury Prize for...
“Inside Out” Screenwriter to Make Directorial Debut with Disney’s “Gigantic”
Meg LeFauve’s profile continues to rise. The in-demand screenwriter has signed on to make her directorial debut. She’ll co-helm Disney Animation’s “Gigantic,” a retelling of “Jack and...
Trailer Watch : Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s Creepy Sci-Fi “Evolution”
Imagine if “The Island of Doctor Moreau” was led by a group of pale, stoic women experimenting on pre-teen boys, and you’d get Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s “Evolution.” And this new trailer...
Sony Pictures Classics Acquires “Maudie” Starring Sally Hawkins
Sony Pictures Classics has announced the acquisition of Aisling Walsh’s “Maudie,” her biopic of artist Maud Lewis. Written by Sherry White and starring Sally Hawkins (“Happy Go Lucky”),...
Chantal Akerman: May Her Memory Be for a Blessing
Guest Post by Jenni Olson “Chantal Akerman committed suicide yesterday.” That was all I could manage to write in my journal on the evening of October 6, 2015. It was also my 53rd birthday that...
A Conversation with BFI London Film Festival Director Clare Stewart
Clare Stewart came to the BFI London Film Festival in 2011 from running the Sydney Film Festival in Australia. She spoke with Women and Hollywood before the 60th edition of the fest kicks off with...
Angelina Jolie in Talks to Play History-Making Military Star
Oscar winner Angelina Jolie is eyeing her return to the big screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she is in early talks to topline “Shoot Like a Girl,” Tristar’s adaptation of an...
NYC Invests $5 Million Towards Tackling Gender Inequality in Film and TV Industry
New York City is a Mecca of entertainment. The iconic city serves as the setting for countless film, TV, and theater classics. Now the city is tackling a major absence in many of these works: women....
October 2016 Film Preview
“The Girl on the Train” For those of you who are gearing up for awards season or are planning to celebrate Halloween at the movies, we at Women and Hollywood would just like to say you will not...
Submissions for the 2017 Bentonville Film Festival Open Soon
The third annual Bentonville Film Festival will soon be accepting submissions. The fest, co-founded by Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis, is scheduled to take place in Bentonville, Arkansas May...
Weekly Update for September 30: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“American Honey” Films About Women Opening This Week American Honey — Written and Directed by Andrea Arnold Star (Sasha Lane), an adolescent girl from a troubled home, runs away with a...
Elizabeth LeCompte Awarded 2016 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize
Elizabeth LeCompte, founding member and director of experimental theater company The Wooster Group, has been chosen as the recipient of this year’s Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, Broadway...
Rachel Weisz Will Produce and Star in Naomi Alderman’s “Disobedience”
Rachel Weisz is set to star in and produce a film adaptation of Naomi Alderman’s novel “Disobedience,” Variety reports. The story, Variety writes, “follows young woman who returns to her...
Amma Asante’s “A United Kingdom” Acquired by Fox Searchlight
After kicking off negotiations at TIFF earlier in the month, Fox Searchlight Pictures has acquired the North American rights to Amma Asante’s “A United Kingdom,” a press release confirmed. The...
Trailer Watch: Kristen Stewart Talks to Ghosts in “Personal Shopper”
The new trailer for Olivier Assayas’ “Personal Shopper,” starring Kristen Stewart, makes the film look downright scary. “Personal Shopper” marks Stewart’s second time teaming up with...
NYFF 2016 Highlights: Ava DuVernay, Annette Bening, and More
“13th” The 54th annual New York Film Festival opens with a bang today. One of our most anticipated titles of the year, never mind this particular fest, holds the honor of kicking off the...
ArcLight Adds Speakers to Second Annual Women in Entertainment Summit
ArcLight Cinemas has announced additional speakers for the second annual ArcLight Presents Women in Entertainment Summit, which is taking place on November 10th. As we previously reported, the...
60th BFI London Film Festival Lines Up Diverse Jury
The jury members for the 60th London BFI Film Festival, which runs from October 5–16 this year, have been revealed. The inclusive juries feature a number of women and people of color. As Screen...
Chicken & Egg Productions Launches 2017 Accelerator Lab
Hey there, first-time female filmmakers, or even those with one in the can. Chicken & Egg Pictures will soon begin accepting applications for the 2017 Accelerator Lab for first and second-time...
Fox 2000 Snags Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson Comedy
Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson are a dream team, and now we’re one step closer to seeing the actresses together on the big screen. Fox 2000 has snagged the rights to an untitled film penned by...
Trailer Watch: Revisit 1979’s Feminism with “20th Century Women”
It’s 1979 and President Jimmy Carter is on television giving his “Crisis of Confidence” speech. Meanwhile, in the new trailer for “20th Century Women,” Annette Bening is the only one in...
Making Your Own Way: September Web Series and VOD Picks
“Ladies Room” Too often, stories about women fall into the same tired tropes: the search for a husband, children, and “having it all.” This month’s picks for web series and VOD highlight...
Vivica A. Fox Makes History, Will Play U.S. President in Sci-Fi Film
Vivica A. Fox is stepping into the Oval Office. The “Empire” actress will play the President of the United States in “Crossbreed,” a science fiction film from Jaguar Motion Pictures. The...
“The Daily Show’s” Jessica Williams Takes on First Starring Role
Former “Daily Show” correspondent Jessica Williams has landed her first starring role. She’ll re-team with director Jim Strouse for an untitled feature film, taking on a role that was written...
Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson Team Up for Comedy About a Late-Night Host
Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson are joining forces. The actresses have signed on to star in an untitled movie centered on a late night talk show host, Variety reports. Kaling penned the script and...
Viola Davis Takes the Lead in Gillian Flynn Heist Thriller
Viola Davis is set to star in the heist thriller “Widows,” Variety reports. The script will be written by “Gone Girl” screenwriter and novelist Gillian Flynn along with Steve McQueen (“12...
Quote of the Day: Amma Asante on Trusting Female Filmmakers
Amma Asante’s “A United Kingdom” is set to open the 60th BFI London Film Festival in a week, and her film may be an awards contender this year. Like any female director, Asante has no doubt...
“Guardians of the Galaxy” Writer Nicole Perlman Signs on to Amazon’s “True Skin”
Nicole Perlman has landed another major gig. The “Guardians of the Galaxy” co-writer will pen “True Skin,” a new sci-fi drama series from Amazon Studios. The project originated as a short...
Jordan Chooses Mai Masri’s “3000 Nights” as its Oscar Pick
The film “3000 Nights” has been selected as Jordan’s candidate for the foreign-language category at the 2017 Oscars, The Hollywood Reporter writes. The drama marks documentarian Mai Masri’s...
Jodie Foster to Receive Britannia Award for Excellence in Film
Jodie Foster is set to be honored with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film at this year’s Britannia Awards, USA Today reports. The actress and director will be awarded with...
Pam Grier and Jessye Norman to Receive W.E.B. DuBois Award
Actress Pam Grier and opera soprano Jessye Norman will be among the recipients of Harvard University’s 2016 W.E.B. Du Bois medals. Named for the civil rights activist, historian, and sociologist,...
Amandla Stenberg to Star in Jennifer Yuh Nelson’s Live-Action Directorial Debut
“Hunger Games” actress Amandla Stenberg’s star continues to rise. Stenberg has snagged the lead role in “Darkest Minds,” Fox’s adaptation of Alexandra Bracken’s dystopian YA trilogy,...
Celebrating Nine Years of Women and Hollywood
Nine years ago this September (I never remember the exact date) I started a website on blogger called Women and Hollywood. I culled links about women in the entertainment industry, started going to...
Actors Can Now Request to Have Their Ages Removed from IMDb
We all know that ageism is an issue in Hollywood. In an effort to combat age discrimination, actors now have the ability to take action if they want their ages removed from IMDb,...
Script Based on Female Soldier in Revolutionary War Acquired by Amy Pascal
A spec script based on the true story of a female solider who fought in the Revolutionary War just scored a major deal. Amy Pascal’s Pascal Pictures has acquired Christopher Cosmos’ “American...
Trailer Watch: Ava DuVernay’s “The 13th” Critiques Mass Incarceration
Director Ava DuVernay (“Selma”) has secured the Opening Night spot at this year’s New York Film Festival, which runs from September 30-October 16, for her documentary “The 13th.” And now...
“Bridget Jones’s Baby” Tops Foreign Box Office For Second Week in a Row
“Bridget Jones’s Baby” is still going strong in international market, despite a poor performance in the U.S. As Variety reports, the movie topped the foreign box office once again, earning...
Guest Post: How to Be an Ally — Tips for Men Working with Women in Film Production
by Graham Sheldon The entertainment industry has a massive problem. Women are rarely behind the camera, and it isn’t for lack of interest or effort on their parts. I consider myself lucky to...
“Audrie & Daisy” Director Bonni Cohen Talks Cyberbullying and Sex Crimes
Interview by Diana Martinez Since co-founding Actual Films in 1998, Bonni Cohen has produced and directed an array of award-winning films, including “The Island President,” “Inside...
You’re Invited! USC Annenberg Hosts Diversifying Entertainment Event
Join Women and Hollywood founder and publisher Melissa Silverstein at “Transforming Hollywood 7: Diversifying Entertainment.” The all-day public event is being held on October 21 from 9 a.m....