Women Directors
TIFF to Honor Indian-Canadian Director Deepa Mehta With 10-Film Retrospective
Deepa Mehta, the director of “Fire,” “Earth,” “Water” and the screen adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children,” will be honored by the Toronto International Film...
Prompted by ACLU, EEOC Begins Investigation into Gender Discrimination in Hollywood
Back in May, we reported that the ACLU had sent a letter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requesting that the agency look into the systemic discrimination against women...
Emma Watson, Marion Cotillard and Meryl Streep Talking About Feminism and Film
Remember not too long ago when every actress walking a red carpet would be asked what she was wearing? Remember not too long ago when actresses were asked about their babies and their boyfriends...
Julie Taymor Becomes First Woman Director to Win Shakespeare Award for Classical Theatre
Julie Taymor, the first woman to win a Tony for directing a musical, will be adding yet another award to her mantel: She’s been named the 2015 recipient of the William Shakespeare Award for...
‘The Second Mother’ Director Anna Muylaert Speaks Out About Film-Festival Sexism
“Men think it’s lovely if a woman makes a lovely film that nobody sees.” That’s the scathing highlight of the interview writer-director Anna Muylaert gave to Women and Hollywood when her...
Zoe Saldana and Cynthia Mort’s Nina Simone Biopic Finds Distribution
“Nina,” starring Zoe Saldana as singer, pianist and civil rights activist Nina Simone, will enjoy a December release. That development is the result of a new distribution deal for the biopic,...
What I Learned From Finding My Lead Actress Through ‘Women and Hollywood’
In January 2013, I wrote a guest post forWomen and Hollywood about my difficulties casting a curvier woman for my low-budget indie film. I had decided to Kickstart my first feature, “Bread and...
Film London, British Council Launch New Shorts Fund for Female Filmmakers
In 2012, women directors made only 7.8% of the films released that year in the U.K., while women writers penned just 13.4% of them. (Depressingly, those numbers are slightly higher than the numbers...
New Site Tracks Women Directors at Festivals, Publishes Stats for Venice and TIFF
When festivals announce their lineups, Women and Hollywood crunches the numbers to determine the percentage of female directors behind the films being screened. While the numbers vary according to...
Amy Heckerling Advises How NOT to Lose Your Virginity in ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’
The following is excerpted from Tara Ison’s book “Reeling Through Life: How I Learned to Live, Love, and Die at theMovies.” I’m a child of the movies, a movie freak, a film junkie; movies...
Elizabeth Banks On Directing, Playing the Hero in ‘Love & Mercy’ and Concluding ‘The Hunger Games’
Elizabeth Banks is everywhere. Producing, directing and acting. She just completed a stint on the jury at the Venice Film Festival and has been doing a round of press for “Love and Mercy,” the...
Maisie Williams to Star in Kate Maberly’s Dystopian Drama ‘The Forest of Hands and Teeth’
“Game of Thrones” actress Maisie Williams appears to be the frontrunner to star in “The Forest of Hands and Teeth,” a zombie-apocalypse drama based on Carrie Ryan’s best-selling novel....
Quote of the Day: Catherine Hardwicke on Why It’s Not Enough to Just Be an Example
Catherine Hardwicke is widely considered one of the most successful female directors in Hollywood, but she’s still painfully aware of the industry’s “woman problem,” having been denied the...
Watch: Ava DuVernay Directs Kerry Washington, Taraji P. Henson, Mary J. Blige in Apple Music Spot
There was much to cheer about last night’s Emmy awards, but one of the biggest highlights of the night happened during the commercials. Apple Music debuted an Ava DuVernay-helmed spot with Kerry...
Catherine Hardwicke Directs Lady Gaga in ‘Hunting Ground’ Video About Sexual Assault
A powerful music video has been released for Lady Gaga’s emotional tribute to sexual abuse survivors, “Til It Happens To You.” The clip, directed by “Twilight” and “Miss You Already”...
Catherine Keener To Fight to Keep Her Home in Little Pink House
Coming soon to the big screen will be the the five-year legal battle between 15 working-class homeowners and the Connecticut city that wanted to raze their houses to make room for an “urban...
Woodstock Film Fest 2015 to Feature Record Number of Women Directors
Nearly 50% of the features being screened at the 2015 Woodstock Film Festival will be directed by women. This is an impressive figure, and one worth celebrating. Twenty-five of the 53 feature-length...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Elaine Constantine — ‘Northern Soul’
Elaine Constantine was born in Bury, England. She was first assistant to British fashion photographer Nick Knight before becoming a regular photographic contributor to Vogue, W and The Face. She has...
Elizabeth Banks in Talks to Direct ‘Charlie’s Angels’ Reboot
After making her directorial debut with one of the summer’s biggest hits, Elizabeth Banks has been openly eyeing her follow-up project. Next up on her slate might be a reboot of “Charlie’s...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Julie Delpy — ‘Lolo’
Julie Deply was born in Paris. She is an accomplished actor, having appeared in such films as “Before Sunrise,” “Broken Flowers” and “Waking Life.” She has previously written, directed...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Anne Èmond — ‘Our Loved Ones’
Anne Èmond is a Montreal-based filmmaker. She has written and directed many short films, including “Naissances” and “Sophie Lavoie.” Her first feature, “Nuit #1,” earned Émond the...
Study: More Women TV Creators and EPs Mean More Women Leads, Writers, Directors, Editors
If you want more women in TV, you gotta start at the top. That’s the main conclusion reached by a new study looking at the employment figures of who writes, produces and appears on television....
Natalie Portman Criticizes Stereotypical Female Characters at TIFF
“Black Swan” star Natalie Portman criticized the lazy tropes Hollywood screenwriters use to define female characters during a candid interview at a TIFF fundraising gala last week. The...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Anna Boden — ‘Mississippi Grind’
Anna Boden was born in Berkeley, California. She co-directed with Ryan Fleck the short “Have You Seen This Man” and the documentary “Young Rebels” and co-wrote the feature “Half Nelson.”...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Elisabeth Scharang — ‘Jack’
Elisabeth Scharang was born in Austria. She worked as a journalist and radio broadcaster before directing the documentaries “Normale Zeiten,” “Octopusalarm,” “My Dear Republic” and...
The Ms. Factor Toolkit: The Power of Female Driven Content Released
I am incredibly proud to share with everyone the Ms. Factor Toolkit: The Power of Female Driven Content. This project has been a long time coming. It is a partnership between Women and Hollywood and...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Gillian Armstrong — ‘Women He’s Undressed’
Gilliam Armstrong was born in Melbourne and studied filmmaking at Swinburne Art School and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Her films include “My Brilliant Career,”...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Sue Brooks — ‘Looking For Grace’
Sue Brooks is an Australian independent filmmaker. She directed and co-produced “Japanese Story,” which won the International Federation of Film Critics FIPRESCI award, as well as 29...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Louise Osmond — ‘Dark Horse’
Louise Osmond is a British documentary filmmaker. Educated at Oxford, she worked as a journalist and editor before directing features, including “Deep Water,” “Blitz: London’s Firestorm,”...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Anne Sewitsky — ‘Homesick’
Anne Sewitsky studied at the Norwegian Film School and has directed episodes of the series “Himmelbla,” “Norwegian Cozy” and “Helt perfekt.” Her debut feature, “Happy, Happy,”...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Lucile Hadžihalilovic — ‘Evolution’
Lucile Hadžihalilovic was born in Lyons, France, and studied filmmaking at the Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques in Paris. She has worked as an editor, frequently collaborating with...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Danae Elon — ‘P.S. Jerusalem’
Upon graduating from high school, Danae Elon spent two years in compulsory military service as a non-commissioned officer to the United Nation forces in the area. At age 21, Elon left Israel to...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Meghna Gulzar — ‘Guilty’
Meghna Gulzar is a Mumbai-based film writer and director. She began her career as chief assistant director to Saeed Akhtar Mirza on the National Award-winning Hindi feature film “Naseem” before...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Hermon Hailay — ‘Price of Love’
Hermon Hailay is an independent filmmaker. She was born in Mekele, Ethiopia, and is now based in Addis Ababa. Her credits include the features “Balaguru,” “Yaltasebew” and “Price of...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Alexandra-Therese Keining — ‘Girls Lost’
Alexandra-Therese Keining was born in Lomma, Sweden, and is based in Stockholm. A writer, director and novelist, her feature films are “Hot Dog” and “Kiss Me,” which was a Breakthrough...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Mai Masri — ‘3000 Nights’
Mai Masri is a Palestinian director who studied film at University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco State University. Her features include “Under the Rubble” and “Wild Flowers: Women...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Catherine Hardwicke — ‘Miss You Already’
Catherine Hardwicke was born in McAllen, Texas. She worked as a production designer on numerous films, including “Tank Girl,” “Three Kings” and “Laurel Canyon.” Her previous directing...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Leena Yadav — ‘Parched’
Leena Yadav was born in Mhow, India. She began her career as an editor on commercials and an assistant director for television. She made her directorial debut with “Shabd,” followed by “Teen...
TIFF 2015 Preview: Under the Radar Films By and About Women You Shouldn’t Miss
This year’s edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is filled with bona fide stars of the screen and filmmaking worlds. With performances by Julianne Moore (“Freeheld,”...
Ava DuVernay to Expand Her Distribution Company Under New Name
Ava DuVernay knows that films by women and minority filmmakers don’t just need to be made, but also seen. To increase distribution for works by under-represented directors, DuVernay is expanding...
Quote of the Day: Nancy Meyers on Sexism in Hollywood
There is a long (not yet online) interview in NY Magazine with Nancy Meyers. A lot of it focuses on gender and Hollywood. The reality is Nancy was really one of two women (the other being Nora...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Sanna Lenken — ‘My Skinny Sister’
Sanna Lenken was born in Gothenberg, Sweden, and studied directing at the Dramatiska Institutet in Stockholm. She has directed two seasons of the series “Double Life” and the short film...
Study: 16.3% of European Theatrical Releases Directed by Women
The numbers for women in the American film industry are dire: Female filmmakers made less than 5% of studio pictures and just 10% of indie features from 2009–13. Things are a bit better for...
TIFF’s Cameron Bailey and Kerri Craddock Discuss Female Filmmakers and Best Bets at the Fest
As Women and Hollywood gets ready to hit the ground in Toronto to watch movies, attend parties and participate on panels, we asked TIFF Artistic Director Cameron Bailey, and Director of Festival...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Eva Husson — ‘Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)’
Eva Husson was born and raised in France, where she received her M.A. in English literature from the Sorbonne before pursuing a M.F.A. at the American Film Institute. She directed the short “Hope...
Quote of the Day: Lina Wertmuller Explains Why Female Filmmakers are Ignored During Awards Season
In 1977, Lina Wertmuller became the first woman to ever be nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards. It’s been nearly two decades since the “Seven Beauties” helmer was recognized with...
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Deniz Gamze Ergüven — ‘Mustang’
Deniz Gamze Ergüven was born in Ankara, Turkey, and studied literature and African history in Johannesburg and directing at La Fémis in Paris. She has directed the shorts “Mon trajet...
Venice Film Fest 2015 Women Directors: Meet Esther May Campbell — ‘Light Years’
Self-taught photographer and filmmaker Esther May Campbell has directed low-fi music vids, sex-education films, corporates for and about randy sailors, as well as Channel 4 dramas and the BBC’s...
Patricia Rozema, Sophie Deraspe and Other Female Canadian Talent To Be Feted at TIFF
Nine Canadian female directors and actors will be honored at the Toronto Film Festival this year. Telefilm Canada, a federal cultural agency that helps fund and promote Canadian film, and Birks...
Trailer Watch: Toni Collette and Drew Barrymore Deal With Cancer and Pregnancy in ‘Miss You Already’
Catherine Hardwicke’s “Miss You Already,” about life-long female friends dealing with birth and death at the same time, has a new trailer. Best pals Milly (Toni Collette) and Jess (Drew...
Athina Rachel Tsangari to Discuss Career and Screen Double Feature at Film Society of Lincoln Center
The Film Society of Lincoln Center will devote Thursday, September 17, to the career and work of Athina Rachel Tsangari, its 2015 filmmaker in residence. The FSLC’s An Evening with Athina Rachel...