Women Directors
Sarah DeLappe’s “The Wolves” to Make Off-Broadway Return This Fall
Listen up, “Bend it Like Beckham” fans: If you’re in New York City this fall, you may be able to catch “The Wolves,” an all-too-rare story about female athletes. According to Playbill,...
“UnReal” Co-Creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro to Make Film About Women Who Fight ISIS
Sarah Gertrude Shapiro is no stranger to heavy topics. The “UnREAL” co-creator has tackled a racially-charged police shooting, rape, and suicide in her Lifetime hit. And now she’s set to take...
Amazon Acquires Natalie Dormer Series “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” Larysa Kondracki to Direct
Margaery Tyrell is making her way to Amazon. Deadline reports that the streaming service has picked up “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” a six-episode Australian period drama toplined by “Game of...
Nisha Ganatra to Direct Margaret Cho’s TNT Pilot
“Transparent,” “Girls,” “Better Things” — Nisha Ganatra has directed some of TV’s most critically acclaimed comedies, and now she’s set to helm Margaret Cho’s hourlong TNT...
“Landline’s” Gillian Robespierre and Elisabeth Holm on Jenny Slate, the ’90s, and Sisterhood
Gillian Robespierre and Elisabeth Holm are a filmmaking team best known for their 2014 abortion comedy “Obvious Child.” Their newest film, “Landline,” which the duo co-wrote and Robespierre...
Brie Larson’s “Unicorn Store” to Be First Film Produced by Gender Balanced Prod Co.
Brie Larson’s “Unicorn Store” to Be First Film Produced by Gender Balanced Prod Co. 51 Entertainment Producer Lynette Howell Taylor (“Big Eyes,” “Captain Fantastic”) has launched 51...
Sandra Bullock to Star in Post-Apocalyptic Netflix Thriller Directed by Susanne Bier
Sandra Bullock is the latest A-lister to team up with Netflix. The Hollywood Reporter writes that the “Gravity” star has signed on to topline “Birdbox,” a post-apocalyptic thriller helmed by...
Greta Gerwig’s Solo Directorial Debut Starring Saoirse Ronan Lands at A24
“Lady Bird” is set to take flight. Deadline reports that A24 has snagged worldwide distribution rights to Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut, and the company seems to see awards potential...
Felicity Jones Replacing Natalie Portman in Mimi Leder’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg Biopic
Felicity Jones is taking on the role of the Notorious RBG. The “Rogue One” star is set to replace Natalie Portman as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Mimi Leder’s “On the Basis...
Inaugural Half Fest Directors Showcase to Highlight Women and Minorities in Hollywood
Ryan Murphy is expanding the work of the Half, a foundation within his 20th Century Fox-based production company. Launched in the summer of 2016, Half aims to diversify Hollywood by offering...
“Desert Hearts” Director Donna Deitch Talks Love Scenes, Gloria Steinem, and the Sequel
The groundbreaking lesbian film “Desert Hearts” has been digitally remastered and is being released on the big screen and on Blu-ray. Originally released in 1986, the Natalie Cooper-written film...
Trailer Watch: Natalie Portman Embraces Her Supernatural Abilities in “Planetarium”
“Don’t expect to see a show — but to live an experience,” an audience is told before spiritualist sisters Laura (Natalie Portman) and Kate (Lily-Rose Depp, “Yoga Hosers”) take the...
Updated Info for Women and Hollywood’s 10th Anniversary
Note: The Los Angeles anniversary event is now October 25, 2017. Invitations are still available for Women and Hollywood’s 1oth anniversary celebrations. This fall Founder and Publisher Melissa...
Raising Films Publishes Report on Working Conditions for Parents & Carers in the Film Industry
Raising Films, an organization for parents and carers in UK film and TV, has published a report entitled “Raising our Game: Next Steps for the UK Film and Television Industry.” According to a...
Trailer Watch: Learn the Story Behind Diana Prince in “Professor Marston & The Wonder Women”
“Wonder Woman” has now grossed over $765 million worldwide, making the Patty Jenkins-directed blockbuster the highest-grossing live-action film ever helmed by a woman. For many, Diana Prince’s...
Irish Film Board Introduces New Incentives for Female Writers, Directors, & Producers
Six months after awarding 75 percent of its production loans to women directors, the Irish Film Board has unveiled another plan to bolster gender equality in Ireland’s film industry. Scannain...
Christina Hendricks, Alysia Reiner, & Anna Camp to Star in Marianna Palka’s “Egg”
A radical depiction of unconventional motherhood is on the way. A press release has announced that Christina Hendricks (“Mad Men”), Alysia Reiner (“Orange Is the New Black”), and Anna Camp...
Trailer Watch: Take an Epic Adventure with Oprah in Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle in Time”
“Your father has accomplished something extraordinary — also dangerous,” Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) tells Meg Murry (Storm Reid). “He’s trapped by a darkness that’s actively...
Donna Deitch’s Digitally Restored “Desert Hearts” to Screen at IFC, Receives New Trailer
“Desert Hearts” Donna Deitch’s pioneering LGBTQ film “Desert Hearts” is returning to the big screen. The 1986 movie, which recently received a digital restoration, will be screening at the...
Weekly Update for July 14: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“To the Bone” Films About Women Opening This Week To the Bone — Written and Directed by Marti Noxon (Available on Netflix) Based on the real-life experiences of writer-director Marti...
Amy Schumer’s “I Feel Pretty” & Cate Blanchett’s “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” Get Release Dates
Theatrical releases have been set for the Amy Schumer comedy “I Feel Pretty,” and the Cate Blanchett-led “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” “I Feel Pretty,” in which Schumer plays a woman...
2017 Emmy Awards: “Big Little Lies” and “Handmaid’s Tale” Make a Major Mark
The Emmy nominations were announced earlier today and there was plenty of recognition for female-centric series like “Big Little Lies,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and “Feud: Bette and...
Blake Lively to Star in Spy Thriller Directed by Reed Morano
Serena van der Woodsen is poised to kick some ass and exact revenge. Variety reports that “Gossip Girl” alumna Blake Lively has signed on to topline “The Rhythm Section,” a spy thriller...
New Deadline for Women and Hollywood’s First-Time Female Filmmaker Contest
Thank you to all the women who have submitted films for Women and Hollywood’s First-Time Female Filmmaker Contest. The response has been mind blowing, so much so that we have almost 1,000...
Lysa Heslov’s Female Veteran Doc “Served Like a Girl” Finds a Home
If you’re interested in seeing a film about facing adversity and coming out stronger on the other side— and who isn’t right now? — you’re in luck. According to Deadline, Entertainment...
Julie Halperin & Jason Cortlund’s Allison Tolman-Starrer “Barracuda” Gets U.S. Distribution
The last few weeks have brought good and bad news for “Fargo” alumna Allison Tolman. Despite positive reviews, her new ABC comedy “Downward Dog” couldn’t attract a big enough audience to...
Uma Thurman to Make Broadway Debut in Pam MacKinnon-Directed “The Parisian Woman”
Uma Thurman is making her Broadway debut. A press release has announced that the “Kill Bill” actress will star in “The Parisian Woman,” a new play by “House of Cards” creator Beau...
Susan Lacy to Direct Steven Spielberg Doc for HBO
A woman is stepping behind the camera to help tell Steven Spielberg’s story. Deadline reports that Susan Lacy will direct and produce “Spielberg,” a documentary set to debut October 7 on HBO....
Trailer Watch: A Man’s Life Unravels in Janicza Bravo’s “Lemon”
“Lemon” is “the story of a man who watches his life unravel after he is left by his blind girlfriend,” writer-director Janicza Bravo told us before the film’s premiere at Sundance. A newly...
The 2017 Women in Film & TV UK Award Nominations Are Open
Here’s your chance to give a talented woman in the entertainment industry some well-deserved recognition: Nominations for the 2017 Women in Film & TV UK Awards are now open. Anyone and...
Quote of the Day: Charlize Theron Is Ashamed of Hollywood’s Sexism
Charlize Theron is paying tribute to her ass-kicking predecessors. The Oscar-winning actress is doing press for “Atomic Blonde,” set to bow in just a few weeks. While promoting the spy thriller,...
Majority of Writers and Directors in The Royal Court Theatre’s New Season Are Women
Broadway is sorely lacking when it comes to women-penned plays, but the Royal Court’s new season is a bright spot amid lots of bad news about women in theater. “Two thirds of the writers and...
Toronto International Film Fest Launches Share Her Journey Campaign
This year’s edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is still about two months away, but the fest is already introducing Share Her Journey, a program that will spotlight women in...
Watch: Patty Jenkins, Niki Caro, & Gina Prince-Bythewood Promote New Award for Women Directors
“Believe that you have something to say — that you have a voice and it’s up to you to speak to the world,” says “Beyond the Lights” writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood in a PSA...
Weekly Update for July 7: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Austin Found” Films About Women Opening This Week Austin Found — Written by Brenna Graziano (Also Available on VOD) Leanne Miller (Linda Cardellini, “Freaks and Geeks”) is a...
“Empire” Showrunner Ilene Chaiken Renews Contract with 20th Century Fox
Ilene Chaiken will continue ruling her “Empire” — so to speak. The showrunner of the Lee Daniels-created soap opera has extended her contract with 20th Century Fox Television. According to...
Female and Older Moviegoers Helped “Wonder Woman” Soar at the Box Office
No, it’s not just teenage boys who drive the box office. Hollywood is full of sexist myths about who goes to see movies and who they want to see stories about. Hopefully “Wonder Woman’s”...
Quote of the Day: Emma Stone on the Importance of Male Allies in Fighting the Pay Gap
Something that’s often missing from conversations about feminism and pay parity for women is, well, guys. While men should definitely not dictate the gender pay gap dialogue, their support is...
TIFF to Host Kathryn Bigelow Retrospective
Kathryn Bigelow’s highly anticipated follow-up to Jessica Chastain-starrer “Zero Dark Thirty” hits theaters in just under a month, but if you’re based in Toronto, you’ll be able to catch...
Ava DuVernay Adapting Story of Central Park Five for Netflix Miniseries
Ava DuVernay is re-teaming with Netflix. Her first collaboration with the streaming giant led to Oscar-nominated doc “13th,” an investigation of the connection between slavery and...
Exclusive: Anti-Trafficking Activist Isn’t What He Seems in “The Wrong Light” Trailer
“Uncle Mickey is the best person I’ve ever met,” we’re told by an enthusiastic girl in a new trailer for “The Wrong Light.” Uncle Mickey — AKA Mickey Choothesa — heads a...
Trailer Watch: Toni Collette and Molly Shannon Have an Epic “Fun Mom Dinner”
“Never have I ever had real mom friends,” says Kate (Toni Collette) in a new trailer for “Fun Mom Dinner.” She’s playing a drinking game with three new mom pals: Jamie (Molly Shannon),...
Unconventional Portraits: July’s VOD and Web Series Picks
“Girl on Girl” Historically, summer is a season of convention. We may expect the same sunny weather, celebratory barbecue, and the (usually male-led) poorly written summer blockbuster. However,...
Trailer Watch: True Crime Podcasters Get in Over Their Heads in “Women Who Kill”
Who’s the hottest female serial killer ever? This question is posed by Morgan (Ingrid Jungermann) and her ex-girlfriend Jean (Ann Carr) during their true crime podcast in a new trailer for...
Weekly Update for June 30: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“The Little Hours” Films About Women Opening This Week The Little Hours (Opens in NY and LA) Medieval nuns Alessandra (Alison Brie), Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), and Ginevra (Kate Micucci) lead a...
Unheard & Unseen: Crowdfunding Picks
Thousands of women’s stories are ignored or simply go untold — a huge problem that is addressed in this round of crowdfunding picks. These stories are diverse, yet they’re united by their...
Trailer Watch: Four Indian Women Challenge Sexual Norms in “Lipstick Under My Burkha”
A trailer has landed for Alankrita Shrivastava’s “Lipstick Under My Burkha,” and the film is not shying away from the controversies that have followed it. Instead, the marketing team for the...
Trailer Watch: Witness the Impact of Education in Vanessa Roth’s “Daughters of Destiny”
“I will show the world I am that girl who makes doorways of freedom, hope, and relief,” says one of the students at Shanti Bhavan in a trailer for “Daughters of Destiny.” Directed by Oscar...
Maggie Betts to Co-Write and Direct Political Drama for Focus Features
“Novitiate” writer-director Maggie Betts has booked her follow-up to the coming-of-age nun drama. Deadline reports that she’s sold an untitled original pitch to Focus Features. Little is known...
July 2017 Film Preview
“Girls Trip” As “Wonder Woman” becomes the highest-grossing live action film directed by a woman, July promises to bring even more interesting, powerful women to the big...
Veteran TV Director Gail Mancuso to Helm Her First Feature Film
Gail Mancuso’s name probably sounds familiar to you — chances are you’ve seen at least a couple episodes she’s helmed during her 25-year career as a television director. Now, as Deadline...