Women Directors
Mia Hansen-Løve Announces Two New Projects
“Goodbye First Love” writer-director Mia Hansen-Løve revealed information about two new projects in an interview with ScreenDaily. “Maya” will star Roman Kolinka, an actor Hansen-Løve...
2016 Emmy Award Nominations: Little Love for “OITNB,” Samantha Bee, or Female Directors
The Primetime Emmy Award nominations were announced this morning. Unlike the Oscars, which only has 24 awards to give out, the Emmy’s have hundreds of categories. And while we’re not going to...
Locarno Film Fest’s International Competition Lineup is Nearly 50 Percent Female-Directed
The Locarno Film Festival has announced its lineup for the 69th edition of the fest. The Switzerland-based festival boasts an International Competition that’s nearly 50 percent female-directed, or...
Trailer Watch: Alexandra Pelosi’s “Meet the Donors: Does Money Talk?” Exposes Campaign Money Trail
Just in time for the upcoming election, documentary filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi takes viewers behind the scenes of where American politicians find the funding for their costly campaigns. As the...
Fork Films Announces Funding Grants for Female Directed and Women-Centric Films
“Even When I Fall” New York-based production company Fork Films has announced funding for 10 film projects in various stages of development, 90 percent of which are female-directed. The 10...
Watch: BFI London Fest’s Gala Selection “Queen of Katwe” Moving Featurette
Mira Nair has lived in Kampala, Uganda for over 27 years, but hadn’t heard of Phiona, Uganda’s female chess champion, until a Ugandan at Disney told her of the inspiring story. In this new...
Trailer Watch: A College Student Tailspins in Elizabeth Wood’s Sundance Hit “White Girl”
A trailer has landed for “White Girl,” Elizabeth Wood’s feature directorial debut. The film premiered to rave reviews at Sundance, where it was compared to Larry Clark’s “Kids,” another...
“Kung Fu Panda 2” Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson to Make Her Live Action Debut
“Kung Fu Panda 2” director Jennifer Yuh Nelson will make her live-action directorial debut with an adaptation of YA hit “The Darkest Minds,” the first installment of a book trilogy by...
Sundance Institute and Women In Film LA Name Alison Emilio Director for the Systemic Change Project
The Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles have announced that they have hired Alison Emilio for the newly-appointed position of Director for the Systemic Change Project. Emilio has more...
New Georges to Celebrate 25th Anniversary with World Premieres by Hilary Bettis and Sheila…
New Georges to Celebrate 25th Anniversary with World Premieres by Hilary Bettis and Sheila Callaghan New Georges, a theatrical production company devoted to women, has announced that they will...
Weekly Update for July 8: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Our Little Sister” Films About Women Opening This Week Under the Sun (Documentary) (Opens in NY; Opens in LA July 15) “My father says that Korea is the most beautiful country… Korea is...
It’s Just As Bad for Women Directors in Commercials and Ad Campaigns
While we at Women and Hollywood, and others in the industry, have been fighting for women to be given the opportunities to direct in film and television, there’s one segment of the business that...
Trailer Watch: Dianne Wiest and David Oyelowo Face Off in Maris Curran’s “Five Nights in Maine”
The new trailer for Maris Curran’s directorial feature film debut “Five Nights in Maine” brings chills as two powerhouse actors, David Oyelowo and Dianne Wiest, face off in...
Cinema Guild Acquires Powerful Child Trafficking Doc “The Wrong Light”
Cinema Guild has announced the acquisition of U.S. distribution rights to “The Wrong Light,” a powerful documentary directed by Josie Swantek Heitz’s and Dave Adams. According to the film’s...
Trailer Watch: Clea DuVall’s “The Intervention” is the New Millennium’s “The Big Chill”
First-time feature film director Clea DuVall has taken some of your favorite TV actors, put them in a blender, and created the amazing ensemble cast that makes up “The Intervention.” In the...
Julia Ducournau’s Cannes FIPRESCI Winner “Raw” Acquired by Focus World
Focus World, a distribution arm of Focus Features, has acquired Julia Ducournau’s psychological horror film “Raw” for most worldwide territories. The film premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film...
Trailer Watch: Gina Prince-Bythewood Uncovers Racism and Police Corruption in Fox’s “Shots Fired”
A new trailer has arrived for “Shots Fired,” a 10-hour TV event from Fox. The police drama was created by wife-husband duo Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Beyond the Lights,” “The Secret Life of...
Weekly Update for July 1: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Our Kind of Traitor” Films About Women Opening This Week The Innocents — Directed by Anne Fontaine; Co-Written by Anne Fontaine, Sabrina B. Karine, and Alice Vial (Opens in NY...
Event Invite: Join Us in Australia to Discuss Diversity in Action
Do you want more diversity on-screen and behind-the-scenes? If so, you may be interested in a panel taking place in Ultimo Sydney on July 25. Screen Vixens and Film Fatales are hosting the third...
Trailer Watch: Anna Gunn Juggles Money, Men, and Mayhem in “Equity”
Anna Gunn (“Breaking Bad”) is demanding equality in a male-dominated field. “Equity,” directed by Meera Menon (“Farrah Goes Bang”), dives into the investment banking’s...
New Research Shows How “Underutilized and Undervalued” Women Are in the Film Industry
People in power don’t have faith in women. We’ve been saying this for a long time — and data backs us up. New research from Slated paints a strikingly similar picture to the one we’ve...
London’s National Film and Television School Launching Initiatives for Female Directors
Some great news for female directors in the UK: London’s National Film and Television School (NFTS) is launching three initiatives to increase the number of women film directors working in...
July 2016 Film Preview
“Our Little Sister” by Eboni Boykin and Diana Martinez Women filmmakers and protagonists are especially brave in poignant stories being released this month, shedding light on global issues that...
The Academy Remakes the World for Women Directors
We have to take our victories. Granted, there is still so much to do, but yesterday was a monumental step forward. In case you haven’t heard, The Academy, which has come under incredible scrutiny...
“Game of Thrones” Announces Season 7 Directors with Zero Women
The women of “Game of Thrones” may be taking over, but that’s not the case behind the camera. The directors for Season 7 of HBO’s hit series have been announced, and once again the show will...
Trailer Watch: Ellen Page Makes Desperate Choices as “Tallulah”
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and that’s what faces Ellen Page in the new trailer for Netflix’s original feature “Tallulah.” The film, according to its official synopsis,...
Listen: Podcast with “Our Kind of Traitor” Director Susanna White
Women and Hollywood recently spoke with British director Susanna White about “Our Kind of Traitor,” her upcoming spy thriller starring Ewan McGregor, Naomie Harris (“Spectre”), Stellan...
Sarah Gadon Will Star in Netflix’s “Alias Grace”
Netflix’s “Alias Grace” has found its star. The streaming site has announced that Sarah Gadon (“Belle,” “A Dangerous Method”) will take on the lead role of Grace Marks in the upcoming...
Cynthia Wade and Cheryl Miller Houser’s “Generation Startup” Gets Distribution
Long Shot Factory, Tugg, and Film Sprout have announced that they will partner to release Cynthia Wade (“Freeheld”) and Cheryl Miller Houser’s (“Trust Me”) documentary “Generation...
Trailer Watch: Renee Zellweger Returns in “Bridget Jones’s Baby”
We’re not gonna lie: we’ve missed Renée Zellweger, and we’ve missed her most beloved character, Bridget Jones. So we’re delighted to see a new trailer for “Bridget Jones’s Baby,” and...
WestEnd Launches Brand Targeting Female Audiences with Film from Agnieszka Holland
Female audiences are under-served and underestimated, and WestEnd Films, an international film sales and finance house, is doing something to address these problems. Variety reports that WestEnd has...
Watch: A Female Comedian’s Looks Are Torn Apart by “The Focus Group”
Comedian Sara Benincasa has dreamed up hilarious and horrifying nightmare fodder. Imagine having your style and body mercilessly evaluated by a focus group while in a state of undress. Now witness...
Ashleigh Murray and Rachel Crow Set for Netflix’s “Deidra & Laney Rob a Train”
Relative newcomers Ashleigh Murray (“Younger”) and Rachel Crow (“Fred: The Show”) will star in the Netflix caper comedy flick “Deidra & Laney Rob a Train,” Shadow and...
Weekly Update for June 24: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“The Shallows” Films About Women Opening This Week The Shallows When Nancy (Blake Lively) is surfing on a secluded beach, she finds herself in the feeding ground of a great white shark. Millions...
Elite Zexler’s Sundance-Winning Debut “Sand Storm” Acquired by Kino Lorber
Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights to Elite Zexer’s “Sand Storm,” Deadline has reported. The Israeli drama won the World Cinema Grand Jury Dramatic Prize at the...
Teaser Watch: Ava DuVernay’s First TV Series “Queen Sugar”
A new teaser trailer for “Queen Sugar,” the highly-anticipated new series from Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network, has just hit the web, and it’s making us here at Women and...
Reed Morano May Direct “The Handmaid’s Tale” Adaptation Starring Elisabeth Moss
Reed Morano is in talks to helm “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s classic 1985 dystopian novel. The streaming service has given a straight-to-series order for...
Motherhood and Martyrdom: June 2016’s Crowdfunding Picks
Women content creators touch on some heavy topics in this month’s crowdfunding picks. From a web series about the underbelly of motherhood, to the reconsideration of the martyrdom of a patron...
Kathryn Bigelow’s Next Film To Tackle 1967 Detroit Riots
Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow’s next film will begin production this summer. The drama will focus on the 1967 Detroit riots. As the BBC reports, “The Detroit riots began after...
Why We Should Care About the 2016 National Film Registry
“A League of Their Own” Guest Post by Haley Beasley and Zeyn Faddoul of Women in Film & Video DC Human identity remains paramount in its potential as an agent for societal change. Works in...
Another Male Director With Little Experience Given a Big-Budget Project
In today’s dose of “Are you fucking kidding me?” another male director with very little directing experience has been given the job of directing what’s most likely a big-budget film. As...
Clio Barnard Starts Shooting “Dark River,” Starring Ruth Wilson
Principal photography for Clio Barnard’s “Dark River,” a family drama starring Ruth Wilson (“The Affair”), has kicked off. Filming will take place in Yorkshire, a county in Northern...
Trailer Watch: Andrea Arnold’s “American Honey” Hits the Heartland
Andrea Arnold’s much-anticipated “American Honey” will soon hit theaters, and a gorgeous new trailer has just been released. If we weren’t already really excited about this film, the...
Amma Asante’s “A United Kingdom” to Open 60th BFI London Film Festival
The 60th BFI London Film Festival, which runs from October 5–16 this year, will open with “A United Kingdom,” directed by Amma Asante (“Belle”). The film will make its European premiere on...
Ryan Murphy Creates Foundation For Diversifying Directors
Ryan Murphy, creator of “Glee” and “American Horror Story,” is launching a foundation within his 20th Century Fox-based production company aiming to diversify Hollywood, according to The...
Sony Pictures TV Kicks Off Diverse Directors Program: Apply Now
Sony Pictures Television is accepting applications for its Diverse Directors Program, now in its third year. The program aims to offer opportunities to directors with diverse backgrounds. Fifteen...
“I Dream Too Much” Writer-Director Katie Cokinos on Her Bright and Uplifting Coming-of-Age Story
Katie Cokinos began her film career in the late 1980s working at Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP) in Houston, where she co-produced Eagle Pennell’s “Heart Full of Soul” in 1989. She...
“Me Before You” Director Thea Sharrock Attached to Next Project “The Selection”
After the great success of “Me Before You,” director Thea Sharrock has been hired for another book-to-film adaptation, Variety reports. Sharrock is attached to direct YA novel “The...
Liz Garcia Sets Her Second Feature Film
Liz Garcia is set to direct her second feature film. According to The Tracking Board, Garcia will write and direct “One Percent More Humid.” Garcia will produce through her La Pistola, Inc....
“Making a Murderer” Creators Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos Adapting New TV Series with George…
“Making a Murderer” Creators Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos Adapting New TV Series with George Clooney The female filmmakers behind Netflix’s hit true crime series “Making Murderer” will...
Re-Writing the Script: June’s Web Series Picks
“Caring” This month’s women-helmed web series picks are clever, innovative, and and wide-ranging in their representations of women. By putting experiences usually cast aside front and center,...