Women Directors
Trailer Watch: Zoe Lister-Jones and Adam Pally Turn Their Fights into Music in “Band Aid”
“Band Aid” “What if we turned all our fights into songs? Let’s start a band,” says Anna (Zoe Lister-Jones) in a new trailer for “Band Aid.” The comedy centers on a married couple who...
Infographic: Women Directors at Cannes 2017 #SeeHerNow
The 2017 Cannes Film Festival kicks off this Wednesday, May 17. While the high-profile fest is still nowhere near overall gender parity, the number of women directors has increased slightly from the...
Apply Now for the Women in Entertainment Workshop Series at LAFF
This year’s Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF) is turning out to be a very welcoming event for women in Hollywood. The fest’s lineup includes plenty of of women-directed films and now Women in...
Trailer Watch: Lola Kirke Falls in Love with a Married Woman in Deb Shoval’s “AWOL”
A trailer has landed for Deb Shoval’s “AWOL,” a lesbian romance toplined by Lola Kirke (“Mistress America”). “You need to start thinking about your future,” Joey (Kirke) is told by her...
Weekly Update for May 12: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Snatched” Films About Women Opening This Week Snatched — Written by Katie Dippold After her boyfriend dumps her on the eve of their exotic vacation, impetuous dreamer Emily Middleton...
Sally Potter’s “The Party” Gets U.S. Distribution
Three months after making its world premiere at the Berlinale, “The Party” has found a U.S. home. Writer-director Sally Potter’s latest feature has been acquired by Roadside Attractions, The...
Teaser Watch: Reese Witherspoon Gets New Roommates in Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s “Home Again”
“I just always act out on my birthday. It’s like my own personal New Year’s Eve,” explains Alice (Reese Witherspoon) in a newly released teaser for Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s “Home Again.”...
Dee Rees Working on a Horror Film About a Lesbian Couple in a Small Town
Dee Rees’ next project will be a horror film exploring domestic life, race, sexuality, and small town America. Originally reported by the New York Times, the Tracking Board and Shadow and Act have...
Frankie Shaw’s “SMILF” Gets Picked Up by Showtime
Showtime has given a series order to Frankie Shaw’s “SMILF,” The Hollywood Reporter confirms. The former “Mr. Robot” actress is wearing many hats on the semi-autobiographical 10-episode...
Bette Gordon Talks Recognizing the Evil Within Ourselves in “The Drowning”
Bette Gordon’s films have been screened theatrically in the U.S. and abroad, as well as in all the major film festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, and Sundance. Her films are in the...
Elizabeth Chomko’s Feature Debut Starring Hilary Swank Acquired by Bleecker Street
Elizabeth Chomko’s feature debut has found a home. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Bleecker Street snagged the North American rights to “What They Had,” a family drama toplined by Hilary...
Miranda Richardson to Star in New Series from Kay Mellor
Oscar-nominated actress Miranda Richardson will topline “Girlfriends,” a new drama from Kay Mellor (“In the Club”). Per Deadline, Phyllis Logan (aka Mrs. Hughes of “Downton Abbey”) and...
Trailer Watch: Nicole Kidman Joins Elisabeth Moss in “Top of the Lake” Season 2
A trailer has finally landed for the highly anticipated sophomore season of Jane Campion’s “Top of the Lake,” and it looks like the newest installment of the murder mystery will just be as...
Maria Schrader Talks Exile and Inner Turmoil in “Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe”
One of Germany’s most acclaimed actresses, Maria Schrader is a two-time winner of the German Film award and two-time winner of the Bavarian Film award. At the 1999 Berlinale she received the...
Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2017 Lineup: 41% Women-Directed
The lineup for the 2017 Human Rights Watch Film Festival has been announced. According to a press release, the selected films will “serve as inspiration and motivation for the audience, from...
Crystal + Lucy Awards to Honor Elizabeth Banks, Tracee Ellis Ross, Mira Nair, & More
Former “Daily Show” correspondent Jessica Williams is set to host the 2017 Crystal + Lucy Awards. Elizabeth Banks, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Mira Nair are among the women being honored at the...
Apply Now for NYWIFT Fund for Women Filmmakers Grants
The New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) Fund for Women Filmmakers is now accepting submissions for its 2017 grants. According to a NYWIFT press release, female filmmakers are welcome to...
Carol Morley to Direct Patricia Clarkson-Starrer “Out of Blue”
A neo-noir mystery toplined by Patricia Clarkson and helmed by Carol Morley? Count us in. A press release has announced that Clarkson will star in “Out of Blue,” Morley’s follow-up to 2014’s...
LA Film Fest Competition Lineup Announced: 46 Percent Women-Directed
The LA Film Festival (LAFF) has announced its 2017 competition lineups. “Our competitions reflect who Film Independent is as an organization,” emphasized LAFF Director Jennifer Cochis. “Within...
Diane Lane to Star in Reed Morano’s Next Film
Hot off rave reviews for directing the first three episodes of Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Reed Morano has announced her next project. A press release revealed that the Indie Spirit Award...
Trailer Watch: Kirsten Dunst Loses Touch with Reality in “Woodshock”
“Woodshock” “Remember when we used to play in the woods together? I got lost that one summer. When I turned around, you were gone,” Theresa (Kirsten Dunst) recalls in the newly released...
Jill Soloway Renews Overall Deal with Amazon Studios
Jill Soloway will be sticking with Amazon Studios for the foreseeable future. The “Transparent” creator and showrunner has extended her overall deal with the streaming service for another three...
Communal Spaces: May’s VOD and Web Series Picks
“Women in Sink” At times (after last week, in particular), the very idea of coexistence feels impossible under the Trump administration. Over the past few months, various groups have been told,...
Doc About “Muriel’s Wedding” Musical in the Works from Nel Minchin
Somebody break out the ABBA records. “Making Muriel,” a documentary following director P.J. Hogan as he adapts his beloved cult film “Muriel’s Wedding” into a musical, is headed our way....
Tina Gharavi and Samantha Harrie Selected for HETV Director Program
Directors UK and Creative Skillset’s High End TV (HETV) Council have announced two directors set to participate in the High End TV Drama Directors Career Development Programme. According to a...
Chicken & Egg Pictures Announces Participants of Diversity Fellows Initiative
Chicken & Egg Pictures has announced the newest participants of their Diversity Fellows Initiative. Now in its second year, the program supports non-fiction projects directed by women of color....
Trailer Watch: Final “Wonder Woman” Spot Follows the Rise of the Warrior
“Be careful of mankind, Diana,” Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) tells her daughter, a pint-sized Diana, Princess of Themyscira aka Wonder Woman. “They do not deserve you.” If the final...
Diane Keaton and Jacki Weaver to Star in Zara Hayes’ “Poms”
Diane Keaton and Jacki Weaver are forming a squad. Deadline reports that the pair have signed on to star in “Poms,” a comedy about women in a retirement community who start a cheerleading team....
Trailer Watch: “Rough Night” Tackles HPV and Human Friendipedes
FYI: “If you’ve had sex after the year 1991, then you do have HPV.” A new Red Band trailer has dropped for Lucia Aniello’s “Rough Night,” and it’s full of gems like this. The ensemble...
Weekly Update for May 5: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“3 Generations” Films About Women Opening This Week Tomorrow Ever After — Written and Directed by Ela Thier “Tomorrow Ever After” Shaina (writer-director Ela Thier) is a historian...
DGA Announces Participants of New TV Director Mentorship Program
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has selected the participants for a TV directing mentorship initative, SHOOTonline reports. The program will see “early-career directors (Protégés)”...
“Little Women” Miniseries on the Way From PBS and BBC
It’s been nearly 150 years since “Little Women” was first published and the March sisters remain some of the most beloved characters of all-time — a fact which will be capitalized on by...
Charlize Theron’s “Tully” and Brie Larson’s “The Glass Castle” Receive Release Dates
Mark your calendars: release dates for the Charlize Theron-toplined “Tully” and the Brie Larson-starrer “The Glass Castle” have been announced. Variety writes that “Glass Castle,” an...
Agnès Varda Film Series to Screen at BAMcinématek
Now is your chance to catch up on — or revisit — the works of Agnès Varda. Brooklyn’s BAMcinématek has announced an upcoming six-film series celebrating the acclaimed auteur’s...
Anthology of Trailblazing Women Directors’ Films to Be Released
Time to brush up on your film herstory. Flicker Alley and Blackhawk Films has announced the release of “Early Women Filmmakers: An International Anthology,” a collection of restored films from...
Women to Direct Six of 10 Episodes of Naomi Watts-Led Netflix Series “Gypsy”
Like Ava DuVernay’s “Queen Sugar” and Moira Buffini and Alison Newman’s “Harlots,” Netflix’s upcoming “Gypsy” has dedicated itself to supporting women behind the scenes. According...
Trailer Watch: “Wonder Woman” Doesn’t Need to Be Saved
In a new TV spot for Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman,” Diana Prince (Gal Godot), aka the titular Amazonian superheroine, finds herself in a classic film scene. She’s walking in a creepy alley...
“The Handmaid’s Tale” Renewed for a Second Season
“The Handmaid’s Tale” premiered just one week ago, and already we can rest assured knowing that the fun/horror will continue after the first season concludes. Variety reports that Hulu has...
“Mr. Chibbs” Director Jill Campbell on the Enduring Appeal of NBA Star Kenny Anderson
Jill Campbell has worked as a producer, director, and writer on myriad documentaries, including “Dancing Across Borders,” “Bernal’s Picasso: When Art Met Science,” and “Out of Print.”...
Trailer Watch: A Ballerina Nears the End of Her Career in “Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan”
“I’ve always been extremely devoted to what I do,” says Wendy Whelan in a newly released trailer for an upcoming documentary centered on the acclaimed ballerina. Whelan joined the New York...
Hot Docs 2017 Women Directors: Meet Selma Vilhunen — “Hobbyhorse Revolution”
Selma Vilhunen is a director and screenwriter of both fiction and documentary films. She is also one of the co-founders of the production company Tuffi Films. Her fiction feature debut, “Little...
Infographic: What You Need to Know About Women in Hollywood in 2017
“Arrival” Sometimes when you’re having a conversation — let’s say about how women are treated in Hollywood — it can be hard to come up with anything but generalizations. Even...
Sally Potter’s “The Party” Gets UK Distribution
Sally Potter’s latest film has secured distribution in the UK. ScreenDaily reports that “The Party” has been acquired by Picturehouse Entertainment, with a planned fall release. The...
Hot Docs 2017 Women Directors: Meet Sofia Bohdanowicz — “Maison du bonheur”
Sofia Bohdanowicz is an experimental filmmaker from Toronto, Canada. Her most recent collection of shorts, “Last Poems,” explores the passing of her paternal grandmother through the poetry of...
Petra Volpe’s “The Divine Order” Wins Tribeca Audience Award
A woman-helmed film has won another major Tribeca honor. Just days ago we reported that women directors dominated the fest’s top awards, and now a press release has announced that Petra Volpe’s...
“Commanding the Table” Director Leslie Iwerks on Culinary and Hospitality Pioneer Ella Brennan
Leslie Iwerks is an Academy Award and Emmy-nominated director and producer. For over a decade, she has produced, directed, and edited award-winning feature and short documentaries, television...
Cherien Dabis to Helm Film About Flint Researcher Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha
You’re most likely familiar with the Flint, Michigan water crisis, but you may not know about Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician whose research concluded that a generation of Flint children...
Barbra Streisand Started Directing Because She “Couldn’t Be Heard”
Barbra Streisand didn’t mince words when Robert Rodriguez interviewed her at the Tribeca Film Festival this past weekend —of course, we wouldn’t have it any other way. The famously outspoken...
Guest Post: Producing Partners Discuss How Men Can Support Female Filmmakers
Guest Post by Ela Thier My new film, “Tomorrow Ever After,” got made because in addition to relying on women, I rely on the men I work with to act as my allies. I do it by offering information...
Hot Docs 2017 Women Directors: Meet Marie Clements— “The Road Forward”
Marie Clements (Métis/Dene) is an award-winning writer, director, and producer of film, television, radio, new media, and live performance. Her work as a filmmaker includes the 2015 docudrama...
“Toni Erdmann” Wins Big at German Film Awards
Nearly a year after its world premiere at Cannes, “Toni Erdmann” continues to make its mark around the globe. The Hollywood Reporter writes that Maren Ade’s dark comedy dominated the German...