Women Directors
Patty Jenkins Will Be First Woman to Receive Variety’s Creative Impact in Directing Award
Academy, take note: “Wonder Woman” helmer Patty Jenkins will be honored with Variety’s Creative Impact in Directing Award. According to a press release, the superheroine film’s star, Gal...
Theater Director Leigh Silverman Talks “Harry Clarke,” Helming One-Person Shows, and #MeToo
Silverman: Goodman Theatre One of the most prominent theater directors in the landscape today, Leigh Silverman made her Broadway directorial debut in 2006 with Lisa Kron’s “Well.” She brought...
Jennifer Morrison’s Directorial Debut “Sun Dogs” Goes to Netflix
“Once Upon a Time” star Jennifer Morrison has found a home for her feature directorial debut. Deadline reports that Netflix snagged the rights to “Sun Dogs,” a drama about a man who is...
Women Screenwriters and Animation Pros Open Up About Sexism in Hollywood
In 2016 women represented only 13 percent of the writers on the top 250 films, and according to 2015 research, women comprise only 10 percent of animation directors and producers. Obviously...
2017’s Best Documentaries By and About Women
“Step” A workers’ rights activist, a movie star-turned-inventor, and a retiring prima ballerina are just a few of the characters at the center of our favorite documentaries by and about women...
Director Pam MacKinnon on “The Parisian Woman” and the Glass Ceiling that Still Exists on Broadway
Pam MacKinnon is one of most renowned directors on Broadway today. She won a Tony Award for Best Director of a Play in 2013 for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” making her one of only a...
2017’s Best Films By and About Women
“Girls Trip”: Michele K. Short/Universal Pictures The big screen had a lot to offer in 2017: Amazonian warriors kicking ass (and breaking box office records), tennis stars smashing misogyny, a...
Trailer Watch: It’s Carrie vs. the President in “Homeland” Season 7
The last time we saw Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), she had failed to stop an assassination attempt on President-elect Keane (Elizabeth Marvel). Turns out Carrie and the entire intelligence...
Awards Round-Up: Honors for “Mudbound,” “I Am Not a Witch,” and More
Awards season is heating up and while the Golden Globes didn’t show much love for women directors, the British Independent Film Awards and New York Film Critics Online sure did. “I Am Not a...
“Home Again” Writer-Director Hallie Meyers-Shyer Talks Rom-Coms and Her Mother’s Influence
“Home Again” finds Reese Witherspoon starting over. The Oscar winner plays Alice, a recently separated woman who returns to her hometown of LA with her two daughters. In the midst of a wild...
Julie Delpy Honored at European Film Awards, Calls Out Sexism in Funding Female Directors
Most award winners use all of their time at the podium to breathlessly thank agents and deliver words of inspiration. Not so for Julie Delpy. In a bold and amazing move, the multihyphenate made an...
Golden Globe Nominations Are In, and Once Again Women Directors Are Shut Out
“Lady Bird” is officially the best-reviewed film ever on Rotten Tomatoes. The coming-of-age dramedy has been scoring award after award, giving many hope that writer-director Greta Gerwig would...
Second Season of “Big Little Lies” Confirmed, Andrea Arnold to Direct
We haven’t seen the last of Madeline, Celeste, and the rest of Monterey just yet. It’s official: “Big Little Lies” is no longer a limited series — the HBO show is coming back for a...
Glamour and Girlgaze Announce #NewView Film Competition Winners
A jury including directors Sam Taylor-Johnson, Dee Rees, Kimberly Peirce, and Victoria Mahoney have selected the winners of the #NewView short film competition, a press release has announced....
Weekly Update for December 8: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“I, Tonya” Films About Women Opening This Week I, Tonya (Opens in NY and LA) Based on the unbelievable but true events, “I, Tonya” is a darkly comedic tale of American figure skater Tonya...
Trailer Watch: Hayley Atwell Is Proud of Her Independence in “Howards End”
A trailer has arrived for Hayley Atwell-starrer “Howards End.” Starz’s upcoming period drama sees the “Agent Carter” alumna playing Margaret, a young woman who lives in London with her...
Ava DuVernay to Receive Producers Guild’s 2018 Visionary Award
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) is recognizing Ava DuVernay’s commitment to making “topical films and television shows focusing on important social issues.” Variety reports that the...
“Wonder Woman,” “Lady Bird,” and “Insecure” Among AFI’s Top Films and TV Shows of 2017
“Wonder Woman” earned rave reviews and grossed over $821 million worldwide, and now we know we can count The American Film Institute among its millions of fans. AFI has announced its 10 best...
“Unrest,” “One of Us,” and Other Women-Directed Documentaries Advance in Oscar Race
The Oscar race is heating up. The Academy has narrowed down the films in the running for Documentary Feature to 15, and four of them are directed or co-directed by women, amounting to about 27...
Angelina Jolie, Patty Jenkins, and Greta Gerwig Participate in THR’s Director Roundtable
Gerwig: THR It’s frustratingly common to see director roundtables and panels with zero women participants — discussions where female filmmakers literally don’t have a voice. Fortunately...
Angela Robinson to Receive Inaugural Mind the Gap Award
Angela Robinson earned raves for her depiction of “Wonder Woman’s” origin story in “Professor Marston & The Wonder Women,” and now the writer-director is set to be honored for the...
Laurie Collyer’s Road Trip Movie Starring Tessa Thompson and Melissa Leo Secures Distribution
IFC Films will steer U.S. and Canadian distribution of Laurie Collyer’s new road movie, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. Led by rising star Tessa Thompson and Oscar winner Melissa Leo,...
Trailer Watch: Joaquin Phoenix Is Brutal in Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here”
AU.S. trailer has landed for Lynne Ramsay’s Joaquin Phoenix-starrer “You Were Never Really Here,” and it’s intense. “They said you were brutal,” a State Senator (Alex Manette) tells Joe...
THR’s Women in Entertainment Power 100: Ava DuVernay, Shonda Rhimes, Ashley Judd, & More
With new sexual harassment stories breaking every day, many have suggested that having more women in power would result in less toxic, sexist workplace environments in Hollywood and everywhere else....
Oscars 2018: Best Documentary Short Semi-Finalists Announced, Over 50 Percent Are Women-Directed
Oscar nominations won’t be announced until January 23, but we’re getting a peek at what to expect next month. A “screening committee drawn from documentary branch members has winnowed a field...
Sundance 2018 Shorts Lineup Is 52 Percent Women-Directed
Sundance Film Festival has announced its 2018 shorts programs. Thirty-six of the 69 shorts screening, or about 52 percent, are directed or co-directed by women. This marks a slight increase from...
Sight & Sound’s 2017 Critics’ Poll Includes “Mudbound,” “Zama,” and More Women-Directed Films
Sight & Sound asked 180 critics to pick their top five films of the year, and the results are in. The UK mag announced the 20 films to receive the most votes, and six are helmed by women. The...
Sonia Bonspille Boileau Wins Feature Film Award from Women In the Director’s Chair
Filmmaker Sonia Bonspille Boileau has won the 2017 Feature Film Award from Women In the Director’s Chair’s (WIDC), a professional development organization for female filmmakers in Canada. Given...
Four Women Make Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch List
Variety has named its 10 Directors to Watch in 2018. The emerging filmmakers will be recognized at a brunch at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 3. Four women made the cut:...
Kristin Scott Thomas Talks Playing Clementine Churchill, Ageism, and Hollywood After Weinstein
Scott Thomas in “Darkest Hour” Kristin Scott Thomas’s career spans over three decades. She received a BAFTA for “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and an Oscar nod for “The English...
Weekly Update for December 1: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“The Shape of Water” Films About Women Opening This Week The Shape of Water — Co-Written by Vanessa Taylor (Opens in NY; Opens in LA December 8) Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is a mute, isolated...
Rashida Jones and Kerry Washington Join Forces for “Goldie Vance” Adaptation
Angie Tribeca and Olivia Pope are teaming up. Rashida Jones and Kerry Washington are set to collaborate on an adaptation of “Goldie Vance” for 20th Century Fox, Variety reports. The former will...
“Lady Bird” Named Best Film By New York Film Critics Circle
The (New York) critics have spoken. “Lady Bird” is 2017’s Best Film. Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut took top honors from The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), a press release has...
Latina Directors Amplifying Their Voices: Crowdfunding Picks
Latinas are severely under-represented in film — both onscreen and behind the scenes. Among the directors of the top films from 2007 to 2016, only one was Latina. In addition, Latinas...
“SMILF” Renewed for Season 2
This calls for a celebratory snack run. “SMILF” is getting a second season, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. Frankie Shaw’s Showtime comedy centers on young single mother Bridgette (Shaw) and...
Sundance 2018 Competition Lineup Is 38 Percent Women-Directed
“The Miseducation of Cameron Post” will screen at Sundance next year Sick of hearing about awards season and this year’s contenders? Look onward. Sundance Film Festival has announced its 2018...
December 2017 Film Preview
“Pitch Perfect 3” As the end of the year approaches, a number of promising films are set to premiere and make your spirits bright. December starts off with a spate of exciting releases,...
Liu Yifei to Star in Niki Caro’s Live-Action “Mulan”
“Mulan” has found its leading lady. Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, has booked the high-profile role, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. “The Zookeeper’s Wife” helmer Niki Caro is...
Christina Ricci & Judith Light to Star in Lifetime Film About First Undercover Female Journalist
Another project about Nellie Bly is in the works. Back in September we wrote that “Megan Leavey” actress Kate Mara is toplining a series in development about Bly, who is considered the...
“Lady Bird’s” Greta Gerwig Named Best Director by National Board of Review
Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut is moving full steam ahead into awards season. The National Board of Review (NBR) has named Gerwig Best Director for “Lady Bird,” Deadline reports. A...
Nancy Malone’s Estate Donates $500K to AFI in Support of Women Filmmakers
The estate of the late actor, director, producer, and philanthropist Nancy Malone has gifted $500,000 to the American Film Institute (AFI) with the goal of advancing female filmmakers. The donation...
Trailer Watch: Ruth Wilson Returns to Her Family Farm in Clio Barnard’s “Dark River”
A UK trailer has dropped for Clio Barnard’s Ruth Wilson-starrer “Dark River.” “I haven’t seen you for 15 years,” Joe (Mark Stanley, “Game of Thrones”) tells his sister Alice...
“Lady Bird” Makes Rotten Tomatoes Herstory as Best-Reviewed Movie Ever
“Lady Bird” has soared all the way into record books. Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut is officially Rotten Tomatoes’ best-reviewed film of all time, Indiewire confirms. The Saoirse...
Guest Post: Why We Still Need Niche Film Festivals
Guest Post by Savine Wong I was very lucky, and I knew it. As a woman working in the financial sector in Hong Kong, my strong command of the English language set me apart from the other women in my...
Whistler Film Fest Lineup Features Record Number of Films Directed by Women
This year’s edition of the Whistler Film Festival (WFF) is setting an important record — the 2017 lineup features the highest number of films directed by women in the fest’s history....
Quote of the Day: Jane Campion on Why the Post-Weinstein World Is a “Fairytale” for Women
As accounts of sexual harassment and abuse continue to come out of Hollywood (and elsewhere), terms like “reckoning” and “long time coming” are being thrown around. And now, according to...
Oscars 2018 Foreign Language Contenders: Annemarie Jacir— “Wajib”
Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir has written, directed, and produced over 16 films. Her short film “Like Twenty Impossibles” was the first Arab short film in history to be an official...
Weekly Update for November 22: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” Films About Women Opening This Week Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (Documentary) — Directed by Alexandra Dean (Opens in NY November 24) Austrian...
Oscars 2018 Foreign Language Contenders: Hana Jušić— “Quit Staring at My Plate”
Hana Jušić has written and directed several award-winning short fiction and documentary films which have been shown at prominent European festivals. Her credits include “No Wolf,” “Gnats,...
Apply Now: Win a Trip to Sundance with The Horizon Award
Head’s up, female filmmakers: The Horizon Award is now accepting applications. If you’d like the chance to attend the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and have your work seen by industry vets, this...
Pam Veasey Multigenerational Female Drama in the Works at TNT
A multigenerational female drama may be headed our way. TNT is developing “East of Jingletown,” a drama series from Pam Veasey (“CSI:NY,” “In Living Color”). The project follows “four...