News
Producer Heather Rae Inks Deal with Endeavor, Will Develop Pics from Indigenous Filmmakers
“Frozen River” producer Heather Rae and Endeavor Content are teaming up to make movies by Indigenous filmmakers. Variety reports that Rae signed a three-film development deal with the...
Submit Now: Dedza Films, Kino Lorber-Supported Distributor for Emerging and Student Filmmakers
Kino Lorber is collaborating with filmmaker and programmer Kate Gondwe on a “new distribution initiative that will showcase short films by emerging talent, aimed at fostering and mentoring...
Elisabeth Moss Will Play Katie Hill in Adaptation of the Ex-Congresswoman’s Memoir
Elisabeth Moss is taking a trip from Gilead to the Capitol. The Emmy-winning “Handmaid’s Tale” star is set to portray Katie Hill in an adaptation of the former Congresswoman’s...
Projects About Trailblazing Women, Essential Workers in NYC in Dev at Emergence Films
Emergence Films, a production company dedicated to supporting women and underrepresented filmmakers, has two new projects in development. A press release has announced that “Fearless &...
Apply Now: Screenshot Writer Performer Competition, Olivia Colman & Phoebe Waller-Bridge Involved
Before it went on to win six Emmy Awards and shot series creator, writer, and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge to stardom, “Fleabag” existed as a stage play. A new competition is looking to...
Christina Sun Kim Named as the 2020 Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellow
Christina Sun Kim has been named as the 10th annual recipient of the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship (KSFEF), created in honor of Karen Schmeer, the editor of “The Fog of War,” “Fast,...
Doc About Human Rights Activist Nasrin Sotoudeh Acquired by Virgil Films, Olivia Colman Narrates
Audiences will soon have the chance to learn more about Nasrin Sotoudeh and the #FreeNasrin movement. “Nasrin,” a documentary following the Iranian lawyer, human rights activist, and...
Anita Hill’s Hollywood Commission Releases Sexual Misconduct Survey Results, Announces Incident Reporting Tool
The Hollywood Commission, an organization dedicated to ending sexual harassment in show business, has released the results of The Hollywood Survey, an anonymous questionnaire analyzing discrimination...
Francesca Sloane Signs Overall Deal with Amazon, Developing Series Based on Anaïs Nin’s Work
Francesca Sloane is heading to Amazon Studios. Deadline reports the writer-producer has inked an overall deal with the company, under which she will “create content to premiere exclusively on...
Join the Girls Club for a Conversation with “The Glorias” Director Julie Taymor
Julie Taymor will discuss “The Glorias,” her unconventional biopic of Gloria Steinem, at the next Girls Club event. The conversation will take place Thursday, October 1, at 6 p.m. EST and is open...
ViacomCBS Developing 50 TV Movies by First-Time Women & BIPOC Directors with New Program
ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group has committed to telling “diverse stories through the lens of diverse storytellers” via a new initiative. The Los Angeles Times reports that the...
Alia Shawkat and Nastasha Lyonne Team Up to Develop “Desert People” for Amazon
Alia Shawkat and Natasha Lyonne are joining forces. The multi-hyphenates are developing “Desert People,” a half-hour series at Amazon. Variety broke the news. Co-created by Shawkat and...
Digital Literary Marketplace Launched for Women Writers and Entertainment Professionals
A new digital platform has been established to help connect women writers and entertainment professionals. According to its press materials, Wscripted is a literary marketplace “for women...
ESPN Films Has Doc About WNBA Star Maya Moore, Her Fight to Free Jonathan Irons in the Works
A documentary about WNBA player Maya Moore and her fight to free Jonathan Irons, a man wrongfully convicted and incarcerated for burglary and assault, is on the way. ESPN Films, in partnership with...
Join the Girls Club for a Conversation with “Misbehaviour” Director Philippa Lowthorpe
Philippa Lowthorpe will discuss “Misbehaviour,” her pic about the historic 1970 Miss World pageant, at the next Girls Club event. The conversation will take place Tuesday, September 22,...
ReFrame Awards 33 Shows Its Gender Equality Stamp, a 57% Increase from Previous Season
ReFrame is spotlighting 33 shows featuring gender-balanced casts and creative teams. A press release announced that “Euphoria,” “Normal People,” “Never Have I...
Madonna Is Directing Her Own Biopic, Co-Writing with Diablo Cody
Madonna can “Take a Bow,” because she’s re-writing the rules of filmmaking. She’s set to direct her third feature, and the subject matter couldn’t be any more personal:...
Attagirl Film Lab Unveils Inaugural Class, Majority of Projects Are Directed by Women and POC
Attagirl, a film lab supporting women and non-binary writers, directors, and producers, has selected the projects for its inaugural edition. A press release announced that 13 films have been chosen,...
Academy Introduces Representation and Inclusion Standards for Best Picture Oscar
Films will soon have to up their inclusion game if they want to be considered for the Best Picture Oscar. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced and outlined new...
Join the Girls Club for a Conversation with Miranda July About “Kajillionaire”
Miranda July will be discussing “Kajillionaire” at the Girls Club’s next live event. The conversation will be held Thursday, September 10, at 5:30 p.m. EST. Written and directed by...
Zeina Durra’s Andrea Riseborough-Starrer “Luxor” Acquired by Samuel Goldwyn
At a time when most of us are stuck at home, Zeina Durra’s latest offers a powerful reminder of what it’s like to explore a country other than your own. “Luxor,” her sophomore...
Women and Diverse Directors Set to Helm 63 Percent of FX’s 2021 Productions
Next year, for the first time in the network’s history, white male directors will not be helming the majority of FX productions. John Landgraf, Chairman of FX Networks and FX Productions,...
Join the Girls Club for a Conversation with “Desert One” Director Barbara Kopple
The Girls Club will welcome Barbara Kopple for its next live conversation. The discussion will take place Wednesday, August 26, at 4 p.m. EST. The two-time Academy Award-winning and nine-time...
Alana Mayo Named Prez of Re-Launched Orion Pictures, Label’s New Focus Will Be Inclusive Storytelling
Under Alana Mayo’s leadership, MGM’s Orion Pictures will be dedicated exclusively to inclusion on-screen and off. Variety has confirmed Mayo has been hired as Orion’s new president,...
Lynn Shelton to Be Honored by The American Cinematheque
The American Cinematheque is set to honor Lynn Shelton. Deadline reports that the non-profit org is hosting an online event paying tribute to the late writer-director’s body of television work...
AMPAS Launches Conversation Series Focusing on Inclusion in Industry, First Ep Features Whoopi Goldberg
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the organization behind the Oscars, has released the first installment of “Academy Dialogues: It Starts with Us,” a conversation series...
Hannah Rosenzweig and Wendy Sachs’ “Surge” Will Premiere on Showtime’s SHOxBET Channel
Another documentary centering women in politics is on the way. On the heels of Hillary Bachelder’s “Represent” opening and the trailer for Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés’ “All...
Join the Girls Club for a Conversation with “Hillary” Director Nanette Burstein
The Girls Club will welcome Nanette Burstein, director of the Emmy-nominated docuseries “Hillary,” for its next live conversation. The discussion will take place Thursday, August 20, at 3...
Sarah Cooper Lines Up Netflix Comedy Special, Natasha Lyonne Set to Direct
Sarah Cooper, the comedian who has lampooned Trump’s incoherent COVID-19 ramblings via viral lip-synching videos, is getting her own Netflix special. Variety reports “Sarah Cooper:...
Laura Ingalls Wilder Doc in the Works from PBS’ “American Masters”
PBS is paying tribute to the woman who immortalized a little house on the prairie. Timed to coincide with the 85th anniversary of the publication of “Little House on the Prairie,”...
Joey Soloway, Effie T. Brown, Tori Amos, and More Join Carla Diversity and Inclusion Conference
Carla 2020, a digital conference focusing on diversity and inclusion in film and TV, has booked a bunch of new attendees. A press release has announced that “Transparent” creator Joey...
Join the Girls Club for a Conversation with “A Thousand Cuts'” Ramona S. Diaz and Maria Ressa
Ramona S. Diaz and Maria Ressa, the respective writer-director-producer and subject of the new documentary “A Thousand Cuts,” will sit down with the Girls Club this Thursday, August 13,...
Issa Rae Exec Producing HBO Doc Exploring Black Television History
With “Insecure,” the HBO comedy she co-created, writes and produces, and toplines, Issa Rae has become an indelible part of television history — and a powerful voice in Black...
Apply Now: The ITVS Diversity Development Fund
Independent Television Service (ITVS) is looking to develop “exceptional stories by filmmakers from diverse backgrounds: stories that take creative risks, inspire dialogue, and are rarely seen...
Nia DaCosta Will Direct “Captain Marvel 2”
The search for “Captain Marvel’s” director has come to a close. Nia DaCosta has landed the coveted gig and will steer the next installment of the Brie Larson-led franchise....
Women In Film Hosting CW Variety Special to Benefit Hire Her Back Campaign
Jane Fonda, Rosario Dawson, Alison Brie, and Jennifer Garner are just a few of the entertainers who will perform as part of “Women In Film Presents: Make It Work!,” a one-hour variety...
Robin Roberts Extends Partnership with Lifetime, Sets Mahalia Jackson Biopic Starring Danielle Brooks
Following her “Lifetime Presents Variety’s Power of Women: Frontline Heroes” hosting gig and her role as executive producer on TV movie “Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley...
The Writers Lab for Women Screenwriters Over 40 Unveils 2020 Class
The Writers Lab for Women Screenwriters Over 40 has announced its most inclusive class yet. The annual script development lab has selected 12 participants for its 2020 edition, half of whom identify...
Nambi E. Kelley to Pen Broadway Hopeful “Phenomenal Woman: Maya Angelou”
Nambi E. Kelley is bringing Dr. Maya Angelou’s life story to the stage. The “Xtigone” and “Native Son” playwright has been tapped to write “Phenomenal Woman: Maya...
Alicia Keys & Yoruba Richen Teaming Up for PBS Doc About Trailblazing Black Female Entertainers
Alicia Keys and Yoruba Richen are joining forces on “How It Feels To Be Free,” an “American Masters” documentary spotlighting six pioneering Black female entertainers. Richen...
WOC Unite and The Bitch Pack Call On Execs and Companies to Join #Startwith8Hollywood Initiative
Social action org and non-profit studio Women of Color Unite (WOCU) and The Bitch Pack, a collective focused on improving representation of women in screenplays, are calling for the entertainment...
Rosario Dawson, Retta, and Aly Raisman Hosting Women’s Suffrage Podcasts
Two podcasts honoring the anniversary of women’s right to vote are on the way from the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC). The commission, along with the National Park Service and...
Taraji P. Henson Signs First Look Deal with 20th Century Fox, “Empire” Spinoff in the Works
Cookie’s reign is far from over. According to Deadline, Taraji P. Henson has signed a new two-year first-look deal with 20th Century Fox and the “first order of business” is...
Join the Girls Club for a Conversation with Catherine Hardwicke About “Don’t Look Deeper”
The Girls Club will welcome Catherine Hardwicke for a discussion about “Don’t Look Deeper,” her new Quibi show. The event will take place Tuesday, July 28, at 4 p.m. EST. Hardwicke...
Michael B. Jordan and Color Of Change Introduce #ChangeHollywood Inclusion Initiative
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the widespread Black Lives Matter protests, it’s become clear that institutions — not least of all Hollywood — must reckon with their...
Women and Hollywood and Together Films Launch #WomenTogether
Introducing #WomenTogether We are very excited to introduce Women Together, a new initiative brought to you by Women and Hollywood and Together Films, with the goal of promoting women-created and...
Natalie Portman, Jennifer Garner, America Ferrera, & More Bringing Women’s Soccer Team to LA
Natalie Portman and some of her colleagues/fellow soccer fans are bringing a women’s team to Los Angeles in 2022. According to Variety, Portman has teamed up with tech venture capitalist Kara...
Athena Film Festival Announces 2020 Virtual Writers Lab Participants
The Athena Film Festival has announced the participants for its first-ever Virtual Writers Lab. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Athena team is bringing their annual Film & TV lab,...
Yara Shahidi Inks Overall Deal with ABC Studios
Yara Shahidi will continue to grow and evolve with her ABC family. The “Grown-ish” star and exec producer has signed an overall deal with ABC Studios’ Disney Television Studios...
Doc About Women Journalists Covering 2020 Primaries Coming to HBO Max
HBO Max and CNN Films will introduce viewers to some of the journalists behind the 2020 primary elections. A press release announced that “On the Trail: Inside the 2020 Primaries” will...
Brenda Robinson Named Board President of International Documentary Association
Brenda Robinson is taking her experience as an entertainment attorney and executive producer to the International Documentary Association (IDA). The funding, education, and advocacy organization has...