News
Jennifer Reeder’s “Knives and Skin” Acquired by IFC Midnight
Jennifer Reeder’s latest has found a home. IFC Midnight snagged North American rights to “Knives and Skin.” The genre coming-of-age pic made its world premiere at the Berlinale and...
Rebecca Stern’s “Well Groomed” Lands at HBO
Neon-colored doggos are coming to HBO. The premium cable network has acquired “Well Groomed,” Rebecca Stern’s doc about competitive and creative dog grooming. A press release...
Screen Australia’s Gender Matters Program Surpasses Parity Target, Sets New Goal
In December 2015 Australian state film fund Screen Australia unveiled Gender Matters, an initiative encouraging greater gender representation in film and TV. As part of the program, women would...
Lena Dunham Launches Production Company and Announces a Slew of New Projects
Lena Dunham, “a voice of a generation,” continues to make a major mark on pop culture post-“Girls.” The Golden Globe-winning multi-hyphenate has launched a new production...
HBO Max Slate Includes Projects from Meryl Streep, Lena Dunham and “Practical Magic” Prequel
HBO Max’s lineup is coming into focus. The upcoming WarnerMedia streaming service has ordered pilots for a half-hour dramedy from “Girls” alumna Lena Dunham and a “Practical...
ESPN Celebrates NFL Centennial with Female Owners Doc “A Lifetime of Sundays”
This year marks the NFL’s 100th season. To celebrate, ESPN will debut “A Lifetime of Sundays,” an NFL Films documentary profiling four of the league’s female owners. Narrated...
Paula Patton to Topline First BET+ Original Feature “Sacrifice”
African American-focused streamer BET+ is launching this fall, and its roster is already full of original content from “Girls Trip” screenwriter Tracy Oliver, Tyler Perry, and others. THR...
Apply Now: TIFF’s Inaugural Media Mentorship Program
TIFF’s Media Inclusion Initiative (MII) is now accepting applications for its inaugural Media Mentorship Program. Launched in conjunction with last year’s Share Her Journey campaign and...
Women in Film Sexual Harassment Hotline Expands to NY
In 2017, nonprofit organization Women in Film (WIF) launched its Sexual Harassment Help Line, providing services and support to Los Angeles-based members of the entertainment industry experiencing...
Phoebe Waller-Bridge Writing a Feature Film with Plans to Direct
Phoebe Waller-Bridge won’t be breaking the fourth wall on her next project — she’ll be stepping behind it. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the “Fleabag”...
Patricia Heaton to Produce Project Based on Julie K. Brown’s Jeffery Epstein Articles
As we previously reported, Lifetime is following up their four-part series “Surviving R. Kelly” with an in-depth look at Jeffery Epstein directed by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern. Now,...
Apply Now: The 2020-21 AFI Directing Workshop for Women
The AFI Directing Workshop for Women (DWW) is now accepting applications for its 2020-21 program. Open to women and nonbinary directors with at least three years of professional experience, DWW...
Margaret Trudeau and Diana Nyad Join Audible’s Minetta Lane Lineup
Last year’s deal between Audible Inc. and Minetta Lane has proven very advantageous for women-led projects. The partnership, which allows the spoken-word entertainment company to produce live...
Liselott Forsman Is Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s New CEO
Liselott Forsman has been named the new CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fond (NFTVF), succeeding Petri Kemppinen, Variety reports. She formerly served as executive producer of international drama at...
Leslie Jones Lines Up Netflix Comedy Special
Leslie Jones has another stand-up special on the way. Netflix has announced the “Saturday Night Live” star will debut a one-hour comedy set on the streamer next year. A comedian, actress,...
FX Reports Encouraging Writing and Directing Stats at TCA
According to Chairman John Landgraf, the writers of FX’s 2019-2020 season are 25 percent white women, 20 percent women of color, and 16 percent men of color, while the directors are 28 percent...
Emma Watson and Time’s Up UK Announce Workplace Harassment Hotline
Emma Watson has teamed up with Time’s Up UK to create a free legal advice hotline for women in England and Wales experiencing workplace sexual harassment. According to Mashable, this is the...
Musical Hit About Wives of Henry VIII Coming to Broadway
London musical hit “Six” will be making its way to the Broadway stage. It will begin previews February 13 and officially open March 12, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. Written by Lucy...
Writers Lab for Women Screenwriters Over 40 Announces 2019 Participants
The Writers Lab for Women Screenwriters Over 40, founded by Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon and produced with New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), has selected the participants for its...
Natasha Lyonne Lines Up Directing Work on Awkwafina-Led Series, “Shrill,” & “High Fidelity” Reboot
“Russian Doll” co-creator, star, writer, director, and exec producer Natasha Lyonne is keeping busy before she heads into production on the second season of her “Groundhog...
Rita Moreno Doc in the Works at PBS
Over five decades after co-starring in the original musical feature, Rita Moreno is currently filming Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story.” “Chamacas” director...
Penny Marshall Tribute Planned by “A League of Their Own” Town Rockford, Illinois
The late “League of Their Own” director Penny Marshall will be honored by the town of Rockford, Illinois. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the home of the Rockford Peaches — the...
The Black List Introduces New List Amplifying Stories By and About Latinx Community
Every year The Black List spotlights Hollywood’s top unproduced scripts — and now it will be doing the same with screenplays telling Latinx stories. Per IndieWire, The Black List has...
Lena Waithe, Blake Lively, and Connie Britton Sign Amazon Deals
Lena Waithe, Blake Lively, and Connie Britton are making major commitments with Amazon Studios. Each has signed a deal with the streamer. Best known for her history-making Emmy win for writing on...
“Orange Is the New Black” Carrying On Its Work Via the Poussey Washington Fund
Netflix’s groundbreaking series “Orange Is the New Black” is coming to a close, with its seventh and final season premiering today, July 26. Although the show is ending, the...
Apply Now: Leica Camera’s New Gender Diversity Initiative
Leica Camera USA has launched a new program called the Leica Women Foto Project “to support diversity and inclusion in photography,” a press release has announced. The initiative includes...
Jennifer Lopez Will Topline, Produce, and Possibly Direct STXfilms’ “The Godmother”
In September’s “Hustlers,” Jennifer Lopez will play a stripper who, along with her co-workers, robs her Wall Street bro customers. Now there’s word the multi-hyphenate will...
Feminist Artist Judy Chicago to Receive First Retrospective in 2020
One of the most influential artists of the ’70s-era Feminist Art Movement is finally getting her own retrospective. Per ARTnews, Judy Chicago announced she will be receiving her first-ever...
Marvel Drops New Details About “Black Widow,” Chloé Zhao’s “The Eternals,” & More at SDCC
Are you a fan of Marvel movies but wish they included more women, on-screen and off? Well, good news has come out of San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). Marvel Studios prez Kevin Feige revealed new details...
Submit Now: Issa Rae and Paul Feig’s Teen Movie Contest
The minds behind “Insecure” and “Freaks and Geeks” are teaming up to bring audiences the next great coming-of-age comedy. Issa Rae and Paul Feig are seeking pitches for...
Cristela Alonzo Announces Memoir Release and Stand-Up Tour
Cristela Alonzo fans, rejoice: we’ve got a stand-up tour and a book to look forward to. The history-making comedian is kicking off a 30-city tour this fall, and each stop will include a signing...
Heidi Schreck’s “What the Constitution Means to Me” Recoups Investment
“What the Constitution Means to Me” isn’t just a critical darling — the Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony-nominated play is also hugely popular among audiences. Its producers...
“Supergirl’s” Melissa Benoist Will Make Her Directorial Debut on the Show
Supergirl herself is soaring into the director’s chair. “Supergirl” star Melissa Benoist is set to make her directorial debut on the CW series, Entertainment Weekly confirms. The...
Lashana Lynch Is the New 007
Lashana Lynch is shaking up the “Bond” universe. Best known for standing — and flying — by Brie Larson’s side in “Captain Marvel,” the British actress has...
“The Farewell” Edges Out “Avengers: Endgame” For This Year’s Biggest Theater Average
Awkwafina is giving Iron Man, Thor, and Black Widow some competition. Even an NYC blackout couldn’t keep the “Crazy Rich Asians” breakout from making a major dent at the box office....
Sarah Adina Smith Signs First-Look Deal with Amazon Studios
“Hanna” was just the beginning of Sarah Adina Smith’s career at Amazon. According to Deadline, she’s inked a first-look deal with Amazon Studios. Under the pact, Smith, who...
Apply Now: NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre
Attention, New York City women working in the arts: the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre is now accepting applications. Per a press release, the grant program — previously known...
Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith Launch New Business Venture Westbrook Inc.
Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith are expanding their media empire. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the spouses and business partners have announced the launch of Westbrook Inc., a “studio and...
BAM to Present “Punks, Poets, and Valley Girls: Women Filmmakers in 1980s America”
“Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Pet Sematary,” and “Yentl” are just a few of the titles Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is set to screen in their latest film...
With Jacqueline Lyanga’s Hiring, Three Film Independent Creative Divisions Are Women-Run
Former AFI FEST Director Jacqueline Lyanga recently joined Film Independent, the org behind the Film Independent Spirit Awards, as its new Artistic Director. A press release confirmed the...
Kaley Cuoco Signs Overall Deal with Warner Bros. TV and Lines Up New Series
Kaley Cuoco is flying high. The “Big Bang Theory” alumna just signed an “expansive new agreement” at Warner Bros. TV which includes a series pickup of “The Flight...
Apply Now: Walt Disney TV Launches Inclusive Behind the Scenes Initiatives
Walt Disney Television is looking to add more women, people of color, LGBTQ+ folks, individuals with disabilities, and those from other underrepresented communities behind-the-scenes. According to...
Academy Invites 842 New Members, 50% Are Women and 29% POC
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the organization behind the Oscars, has invited 842 people from 59 countries to join as members. According to the Academy’s website, 50...
Women-Created Podcast Network Earios’ Inaugural Slate Features Shows from Margaret Cho & More
“Podcasts by women, for everyone.” That’s the slogan for Earios, the new podcast network launched by comedy performers Maria Blasucci (“Mascots”) and Amanda Lund...
Shonda Rhimes and Dove Launch Inclusive Image Database #ShowUs
Seventy percent of women don’t see themselves reflected in media images. “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes revealed this startling statistic at the the 2019 edition of...
Justina Machado to Make Directorial Debut in Season 4 of “One Day at a Time”
More good “One Day at a Time” news to celebrate: Justina Machado is set to make her directorial debut on the recently resuscitated sitcom. Deadline confirms that she’ll direct an ep...
Weekly Update for June 28: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Ophelia – Directed by Claire McCarthy; Written by Semi Chellas (Available on VOD July 2) Something is rotten in medieval-era Denmark, where political intrigue swirls...
Lindsey Beer to Pen New Line’s “Hello Kitty” Pic
The long-in-the-works “Hello Kitty” movie has landed its screenwriter. Deadline confirms “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser” scribe Lindsey Beer has been tapped to pen the project for...
New Program from Refinery29 and Kate Spade Gives Women Directors Opp to Helm Video Short
Media company Refinery29 and fashion brand Kate Spade are working together to provide opportunities to emerging women directors. According to WWD, the businesses are partnering on “Pilot Season,”...
Susan Johnson to Direct Mckenna Grace-Starrer “Rabbit Cake” for Amazon Studios
Mckenna Grace’s rapidly expanding resume is adding another impressive title: the actress is set to make history as one of Hollywood’s youngest producers. The 12-year-old...
WIF LA & Pepperdine University to Boost Funding for Women-Run Businesses in Film Industry
Women In Film, Los Angeles (WIF LA) and Pepperdine University are working together to address the entertainment industry’s gender gap in business funding. A press release has announced that the...