Women Directors
Interview with Paula van der Oest, Director of Black Butterflies (Repost)
Black Butterflies is the tumultuous life story of South African poet Ingrid Jonker who struggled desperately to gain the love of the men in her life. Her father (played by Rutger Hauer) was an...
Tribeca 2011: Turn me on, goddamit — directed by Jannicke Systad Jacobsen
While watching the delightful Norwegian film Turn me on, goddamit I couldn’t help but think back to another recent and unexpected delight — Easy A. Alma (Helen Bergsholm) is a 15-year-old...
Interview with Carice Van Houten, Star of Black Butterflies
I was able to interview Carice in Amsterdam as she prepared to head to the US for the world premiere of Black Butterflies tonight at the Tribeca Film Festival. Just a brief synopsis: (contains...
Cinema Verite directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini Airs Tonight on HBO
Film is about the first reality TV show and stars Diane Lane as Pat Loud. So I guess we can blame the death of civilization on PBS (how ironic) since they were the ones who aired An American Family...
Nanette Burstein to Direct Nicole Holofcener Script
The news from the Hollywood Reporter is that Nanette Burstein (Going the Distance) will direct Unforgiving World a remake of a French film with a script written by writer/director Nicole Holofcener...
Interview with Paula Van Der Oest, Director of Black Butterflies
Black Butterflies will premiere on April 23rd at the Tribeca Film Festival. Also check out this interview with the film’s star Carice van Houten.
Cannes Directors Fortnight 2011: The Women
Here are the films directed by women from the 2011 Cannes Directors Fortnight. Out of a total of 21 films, seven are directed by women. That’s 33%. Not too shabby. (Descriptions from IndieWIRE) The...
HBO To Screen Many Docs by Women This Summer
HBO announced their summer documentary lineup and there are many great looking women directed films — two from Liz Garbus — and others including one about Gloria Steinem directed by men....
Guest Post: Zeina Durra and Elodie Bouchez The Imperalists Are Still Alive! By Melissa Silvestri
From the opening shot of artist Asya (Elodie Bouchez) naked save for a machine gun and a hijab on her head, one can tell that The Imperialists Are Still Alive!, written and directed by Zeina Durra,...
Cannes Film Festival Lineup: The Women
I don’t know what Thierry Fremaux was smoking but whatever it was he should pass it around to other film festival programmers, because this year the Cannes Film Festival has four films by women in...
Women Theatre Directors Talk About Working in Seattle
Great piece in the Seattle Times (with a video below) on how strong a town Seattle is for women theatre directors. Here’s a comment from Kate Whoriskey who runs the Intiman Theatre about how things...
Meg Ryan to Make Directing Debut
Here’s another actress looking for her next act. Meg Ryan is going to direct Into the Beautiful from a script by Anne Meredith. Variety says it is a contemporary “Big Chill.” Wendy Finerman...
Trailer Watch: The Imperialists Are Still Alive! — Written and Directed by Zenia Durra
Films Opens on April 15 and will also be on VOD
Circumstance — Written and Directed by Maryam Keshavarz Closes New Directors/New Films
This evening Maryam Keshavarz’ Sundance award winning film will close the New Directors/New Film series in NYC. I spoke with Maryam this week and the full interview will be available when the film...
In a Better World — directed by Susanne Bier
We spend so much time talking about how men are hired to direct women’s stories (because men are hired to direct more movies in general) but much less time taking about how women have a much harder...
Interview With Susanne Bier — Oscar Winning Director of In a Better World
WAH: Congratulations on the Oscar. What did it feel like? That moment? SB: You know one of those few moments in one’s life when everything comes to a standstill? This was a moment like that. And I...
Preview for The Killing
This show is created by Veena Sud who did Cold Case and it is based on a Danish show. The show stars Mireille Enos (Big Love) and the pilot was directed by Patty Jenkins who directed Charlize Theron...
Reese Witherspoon Drops Out of Brave
This film is still making news. First they get rid of Brenda Chapman who was first female to direct a Pixar movie. The EW story says she will have co-directing credit. now, they lost Reese...
Hollywood Feminist of the Day: Vera Farmiga
I want to be invited to Vera Farmiga’s house when she does one of the burnings described in this piece from The Guardian. It seems that Farmiga burns the scripts she gets that she doesn’t like...
Guest Post: A Chat With Rebecca Zlotowski, director of Belle Epine by Kylie Boltin
Belle Epine is a strikingly intimate portrait of a seventeen year-old girl, Prudence (played by Léa Seydoux) that captures her transition from cocooned youth towards a premature adulthood following...
Hot Docs: The Women
Hot Docs is one of the best and biggest documentary film festivals. This year’s festival takes place in Toronto from April 28-May 8. The Special Presentation section (their most high profile...
Trailer Alert: Last Night Directed by Massy Tadjedin
Winter’s Bone Q and A
Here’s the Q and A from the Athena Film Festival with Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini and moderated by IndieWIRE’s Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. People are asking some great questions.
Jodie Foster and The Beaver
Last week Jodie Foster flew into Austin, Texas from Paris set of Gods of Carnage directed by Roman Polanski (don’t get me started) to attend the premiere of The Beaver, her latest directing...
International Women’s Film Festival in Germany Announces Lineup
The International Women’s Film Festival in Dortmund Germany has announced the eight films that will be in competition for International Feature Film Competition for Women Directors. The Oscar...
Guest Post: Tales From a First-Time Director at the Oscars by Sara Nesson
The last time you heard from me (which was also the first) was after the Oscar Nominees Luncheon when I got to revel in my new friendship with Geoffrey Rush. Now, two weeks post Academy Awards, I am...
Interview with Doris Yeung, Director of Motherland
Motherland played Outfest in 2009. The film tells the story of the price of the American dream. It opens this weekend for a run in NYC at the Quad Cinema. Doris will be at the Quad Cinema for a Q and...
A Distribution Success Story: I Will Follow — Written and Directed by Ava DuVernay
I started seeing information about I Will Follow a little over a week ago on twitter. People were sending me tweets about the opening and then they forwarded a very positive review from Roger Ebert....
Interview with Sherry Hormann, Director of Desert Flower
Desert Flower opens this Friday in NY and LA. It stars Liya Kebede as Waris Dirie, a woman who escaped from Somalia and became a top fashion model and UN spokeswoman against female genital...
Drew Barrymore Gets New Directing Gig
I am so glad to read that Drew Barrymore has signed on to direct a new film. BUT I am none too pleased that this could be a redo of He’s Just Not That Into You (which was dreadful). Barrymore and...
Tribeca Film Festival — Lineup Part 2
The Tribeca Film Festival announced the lineups for the Spotlight, CinemaMania Section and Special screenings yesterday. The CinemaMania section has eight films and none are directed by women....
New Study from Quebec Finds Female Directors Face Tough Road Getting Films Made
A new study released last week by Anna Lupien and Francine Descarries, researchers at the Université du Québec à Montréal in partnership with the Réalisatrices équitables an association of...
Red Riding Hood — Review
You have to give it to Catherine Hardwicke. She specializes in making movies for teenage girls. She seems to be able channel that teen angst and language better than anyone else. The problem is that...
Tribeca Film Festival Competition Lineup- 2011
The 10th anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival will take place next month starting April 20th. They have started rolling out the lineup. Here are the women directed films from the World Narrative...
Catherine Hardwicke Walked Away From New Moon
They has been much speculation as to whether Catherine Hardwicke was fired or walked away from the Twilight sequel, New Moon. But nobody ever heard from Catherine Hardwicke what actually happened. In...
Guest Post: Premiering Yelling to the Sky at the Berlin Film Festival by Victoria Mahoney
The freakiest thing about indie filmmakers is that we are bred and conditioned for harsh news. We wake up to 32,000 “nos” a day, and self-preservation protects us from the ambush of let down. We...
Applications Now Open for Women in Film Finishing Fund
Hey lady filmmakers- if your film is ready to go but you can’t raise that last bit to finish it, you should apply to the Women in Film Finishing Fund sponsored by Netflix. You could get a grant of...
Spend International Women’s Day at an Event Honoring Kathryn Bigelow
This is an open invitation to the community of women in Hollywood. You don’t have to be a DGA member. You are crazy if you do not go. I would like someone to cover it for Women and Hollywood.
Post-Award Thoughts
As I watched the Oscars and the Independent Spirit Awards this weekend you could see one clear difference between the two events (aside from the formal dresses and the hosts) — the presence of...
Women at the Movies This Weekend — February 25, 2011
Women’s Films Now PlayingThe Other WomanOrgasm Inc. — directed by Liz Canner (doc) When We LeaveThe Roommate From Prada to NadaTrue GritBhutto (doc)The WoodmansThe Tempest — written and...
Lisa Cholodenko Talks Women Directors: “There’s a Kind of Fundamental Misogyny in the Culture”
I caught Lisa Cholodenko being interviewed on Tell Me More on NPR yesterday and Michel Martin got Lisa Cholodenko to talk about issues related to female directors that I have not heard any women...
Susanne Bier Talks In A Better World
I am finding it so interesting that Susanne Bier is getting some great press for her Oscar nomination. It makes me think that there is an appetite to hear from women directors especially ones who...
EW Picks the 25 Top Working Directors
EW published a list of the “top” 25 working directors and they define top as “most talented, in-demand filmmakers behind the camera today”. Not surprisingly, only one woman, Kathryn Bigelow...
Attention Female Filmmakers: Submit Your Short Film to Lunafest by April 1 and Win $1,000
This is direct from our friends at Lunafest LUNAFEST® is a traveling film festival of notable and award-wining short films by, for and about women. Films tour 150+ venues and screen in front of...
Sofia Coppola Directs Natalie Portman in Dior Ad
At least a woman director is now getting some of the bucks for a commercial. I’m thinking that I’ve reached the Natalie Portman saturation point.
Guest Post: Women of Cinematic Arts Inaugural Film Festival by Katherine Bowman
Women of Cinematic Arts held its inaugural film festival on February 5 at the Ray Stark Family Theatre at the University of Southern California. The festival featured new and upcoming filmmakers with...
Trailer Watch: Cracks Directed and Co-Written by Jordan Scott
Will open in the US on March 18
Guest Post: An Oscar Nominee Attends the Nomination Luncheon by Sara Nesson, director Poster Girl
I am a first time director, first time Oscar Nominee and first time blogger. Over the last 3½ years while making Poster Girl I have made little attempt to record my experiences, which I know I will...
Bird’s Eye View Film Festival Trailer
If I was going to be in London this March, this is the place I would be. Bird’s Eye View Film Festival
Kimberly Peirce Gets a Studio Directing Gig
Interesting News — director Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry, Stop-Loss) just got a gig directing The Knife for Universal and Imagine. The reason why this is interesting is because so few...
New Directors/New Films — The Women
I always looks at the lineup of New Directors/New Films as a kind of Sundance east because some of the best of Sundance inevitably make it to NYC for this festival. Some highlights from Sundance will...