ALL POSTS
Lena Waithe Named Ambassador of 2023 American Black Film Fest
Lena Waithe will serve as the ambassador of next year’s American Black Film Festival (ABFF). The 27th edition of the fest is set to take place June 14 to 18 in Miami Beach followed by a virtual...
Trailer Watch: A Singer Struggles to Be Heard in Lena Waithe-Penned “Beauty”
A gifted singer finds herself on the brink of fame and fortune in “Beauty.” After signing a lucrative record contract, Beauty (Gracie Marie Bradley, “Grown-ish”) can’t...
Apply Now: Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab
Hillman Grad Productions, Lena Waithe and Rishi Rajani’s’ production and development company, is set to “provide opportunities for marginalized creatives to connect, grow, and...
Apply Now: Season 2 of Lena Waithe and Indeed’s Rising Voices Filmmaking Program
Lena Waithe and her Hillman Grad Productions shingle have, along with employment site Indeed, renewed Rising Voices for a second go-round. According to a press release, applications are now being...
Lena Waithe Signs Overall Deal with Warner Bros. TV, First Project Will Be “Hoop Dreams” Series
Lena Waithe is heading to Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG). The mogul-in-the-making has inked “a big exclusive overall deal” with the studio, Deadline reports, which will see her and...
Lena Waithe Producing “Being Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Documentary”
Lena Waithe is gonna make a Mary Tyler Moore documentary after all. Variety reports that Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions and Endeavor Content are producing “Being Mary: The Mary Tyler...
Kerry Washington, Lena Waithe, & Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Among Gracie Awards Honorees
Kerry Washington, Lena Waithe, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan are among the dozens of women set to be honored by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation at the 2021 Annual Gracie Awards. Slated to take...
Trailer Watch: Lena Waithe Takes the Lead in “Master of None” Season 3
Lena Waithe made Emmy history back in 2017 when she became the first Black woman to take home the honor for comedy writing. She was recognized for co-writing “Thanksgiving,” an episode in...
Apply Now: Lena Waithe, Hillman Grad Prods., and Indeed’s Rising Voices Filmmaking Initiative
Lena Waithe, her company Hillman Grad Productions, and employment site Indeed are teaming up to “discover, invest in, and share stories created by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)...
Apply Now: Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab
Lena Waite is welcoming in a new generation of talent into the industry. The Emmy winner’s production company, Hillman Grad, has launched The Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab, a 10-month,...
A.V. Rockwell Making Feature Directorial Debut with “A Thousand and One,” Lena Waithe Producing
A.V. Rockwell is teaming up with Lena Waithe and Focus Features for her first feature film. A press release has announced that mother-son drama “A Thousand and One,” written and directed...
Quote of the Day: Lena Waithe Wants Hollywood to Mandate and Enforce Inclusion
In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Lena Waithe reiterated some common knowledge about show business’ inner workings — and how it can be especially tough for women and people...
Cynthia Erivo, Lena Waithe, and Gandja Monteiro Team Up for Universal Musical Drama “Talent Show”
Cynthia Erivo will have the chance to show off her acting and vocal chops in “Talent Show.” The Hollywood Reporter confirms that the two-time Oscar nominee is set to topline the Universal...
Lena Waithe Gets a Season 2 Renewal for “Twenties”
“Twenties” took years to get on the air, but it hasn’t taken nearly so long to find a devoted following. Deadline reports that BET has renewed the critically acclaimed series, which...
Lena Waithe Will Receive Palm Springs Film Fest’s Creative Impact in Producing Award
Lena Waithe has more to celebrate. Her feature screenwriting debut, “Queen & Slim,” hit theaters last month, and now Variety reports that she’ll be honored with the Creative...
Trailer Watch: Lena Waithe Tells the Story of an Aspiring TV Writer in BET’s “Twenties”
Hattie (Jonica “JoJo” T. Gibbs, “Good Trouble”) is on her way to her destiny — but there are plenty of obstacles along the way. Recently evicted and desperate to avoid a...
“She’s Gotta Have It’s” Radha Blank Making Her Feature Directorial Debut, Lena Waithe Producing
Playwright and “She’s Gotta Have It” writer-producer Radha Blank is making her first film. According to Variety, she is writing, directing, and toplining “The 40-Year-Old...
Lena Waithe, Blake Lively, and Connie Britton Sign Amazon Deals
Lena Waithe, Blake Lively, and Connie Britton are making major commitments with Amazon Studios. Each has signed a deal with the streamer. Best known for her history-making Emmy win for writing on...
Naima Ramos-Chapman Directing Lena Waithe Pilot “How To Make Love To A Black Woman”
“Random Acts of Flyness” writer-director Naima Ramos-Chapman will helm Lena Waithe and Cathy Kisakye’s Showtime pilot “How To Make Love To A Black Woman (Who May Be Working...
Trailer Watch: A First Date Goes Sideways in Lena Waithe & Melina Matsoukas’ “Queen & Slim”
Queen and Slim’s first date seems to be going pretty well, even if starts off a bit shakily. Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith, “Nightflyers”) decided to go out with Slim (Daniel Kaluuya,...
Lena Waithe’s “Twenties” Ordered to Series at BET
We’re a step closer to getting Lena Waithe’s long-in-the-works series about a young queer black woman and her two straight BFFs. The Hollywood Reporter confirms “Twenties,”...
Lena Waithe & Cathy Kisakye’s “How To Make Love To a Black Woman” Gets Pilot Order from Showtime
Lena Waithe has yet another project in development. The prolific multi-hyphenate just received a pilot order from Showtime for “How To Make Love To A Black Woman (Who May Be Working Through...
Natalie Portman, Lena Waithe, & More Get Political at Variety’s Power of Women Lunch
With the midterm elections fast approaching, He Who Shall Not Be Named in the White House, and an accused sexual abuser being the newest Supreme Court Justice, the stakes are very high in American...
Variety’s Power of Women: LA to Honor Natalie Portman, Tiffany Haddish, Lena Waithe, & More
Variety’s Power of Women: Los Angeles luncheon is just around the corner. This year’s edition, taking place October 12 at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons, will celebrate philanthropic...
Lena Waithe and Halle Berry Teaming Up for BET’s “Boomerang” Series
The creative team of BET’s forthcoming “Boomerang” series has just acquired two female powerhouses. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Emmy-winner Lena Waithe and Oscar-winner...
Nicole Kidman and Lena Waithe Get Series Orders at Amazon
Nicole Kidman and Lena Waithe both cleaned up at last year’s Emmys, have numerous TV projects on the horizon, and just scored series orders from Amazon. The Hollywood Reporter confirms the...
Lena Waithe Signs First-Look Deal with Showtime
Lena Waithe is taking her relationship with Showtime to the next level. The Emmy winner has signed a new first-look deal with the network, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. Showtime announced that...
Melina Matsoukas to Direct “Queen & Slim,” Lena Waithe Penning the Script
Melina Matsoukas has yet another project in the works. Best known for directing Issa Rae-starrer “Insecure” and Beyoncé’s “Formation” video, the rising star will...
Lena Waithe to Participate in Keynote Conversation at Essence Fest 2018
Fresh off her Trailblazer Award win at last night’s MTV Movie & TV Awards comes word that Lena Waithe will participate in a keynote conversation at the 2018 Essence Festival. The...
Lena Waithe, Eva Longoria, & More Join Forces for MACRO Episodic Lab for POC
Lena Waithe and Eva Longoria are championing episodic storytellers of color alongside MACRO founder/CEO Charles D. King and The Black List’s Franklin Leonard. The foursome have introduced The...
Lena Waithe to Be Honored with Trailblazer Award at MTV Movie & TV Awards
“I am tired of white folks telling my stories,” said Lena Waithe in her recent Vanity Fair cover story. The actress, writer, and producer made history last year when she became the first...
Lena Waithe, Pamela Adlon, & More Talk Representation and #MeToo in THR Showrunner Summit
Conversations about pay equality, the #MeToo movement, and gender and race representation have dominated cultural headlines lately, and The Hollywood Reporter’s recent Showrunner Summit was no...
Lena Waithe to Deliver Keynote at AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women Showcase
In the span of just over a month, Lena Waithe has graced the cover of Vanity Fair and been named by TIME as one of the most influential people of the year. In January her Showtime series, “The...
Quote of the Day: Lena Waithe Wants to Tell More Black, Queer Stories
“I am tired of white folks telling my stories,” actress, writer, and producer Lena Waithe said in Vanity Fair’s April 2018 cover story. “We gotta tell our shit. Can’t no one tell a black...
Lena Waithe Joins Forces with Sight Unseen Pictures to Champion Underserved Voices
When Lena Waithe made history at last year’s Emmy Awards she used her time at the podium to recognize her “LGBTQIA family.” “I see each and every one of you,” the “Master of None”...
“The Chi” Creator Lena Waithe Has a New Show in the Works at TBS
Lena Waithe seems poised to build an empire. Her new Showtime series, “The Chi,” was renewed for a second season just weeks ago, and now comes word that she has another series in development at...
Tiffany Haddish & Lena Waithe Among Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood Awardees
Whether they starred in the summer’s breakout comedy, became the first black woman to win an Emmy for comedy writing, or broke barriers in the Marvel universe, Tiffany Haddish, Lena Waithe, Tessa...
Lena Waithe’s “The Chi” Renewed for Season 2, Ayanna Floyd Davis Named New Showrunner
Showtime is making itself at home in “The Chi.” Shadow and Act reports that Lena Waithe’s sprawling Southside Chicago-set drama will receive a second season. Series writer Ayanna Floyd Davis...
Trailer Watch: Jesus Is Watching in Lena Waithe’s “The Chi”
Comprised mostly of snippets, the first trailer for “The Chi” doesn’t reveal much about the new Showtime series’ plot. We catch a peek of various characters and scenarios, ranging from a mom...
Teaser Watch: Meet the Characters of Lena Waithe’s New Show “The Chi”
“The only reason I told you this shit is cuz I thought you was gonna handle it,” an unidentified voice says in the only dialogue included in the teaser for Lena Waithe’s “The Chi.” The...
Emmys 2017: “Big Little Lies,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and Lena Waithe Win Big
The 2017 Emmy Awards were a great night for women in television. Not only did the two biggest awards go to women-centric series — “The Handmaid’s Tale” took home the best drama series...
Lena Waithe Talks Her Emmy Nod, Coming Out Stories, and #FirstTimeISawMe
“Master of None’s” Season 2 episode “Thanksgiving” traces the years-long coming out story of Denise, played by Lena Waithe. But Waithe, who wrote the episode with series co-creator and...
Lena Waithe’s “The Chi” Set for Showtime
Showtime has ordered Lena Waithe’s hour-long Chicago-set drama “The Chi” to series, Shadow and Act writes. The project was redevelopped and recast after a pilot was ordered in...
Lena Waithe’s Black Coming-Of-Age Drama Gets Showtime Pilot Order
An untitled coming-of-age drama from “Dear White People” producer Lena Waithe has received a pilot order from Showtime. The Chicago-set series is being described as a relevant, timely and...
Lena Waithe to Write BET Pilot Based on Her Webseries “Twenties”
2022 ReFrame Stamp Recipients Include “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” “The Woman King,” & “Aftersun”
Twenty-nine of the 100 most popular films of 2022 meet ReFrame Stamp criteria for gender-balanced production. Awarded to features that “hire women or individuals of other underrepresented...
Writer to Watch: Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence of “Twenties”
Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence uses writing as a means of world-building. Raised in both Washington, D.C. and Honolulu, Hawai’i in “a family of activists, critical race theorists, and freedom...
June 2022 Television Preview
Summer is finally here. For some, this means days on the beach or sunning by the pool, but for others, it means watching everything you can get your eyeballs on in the comfort of your air-conditioned...
Films Written by Women and Nonbinary Persons in 2022
Back to Resources » December Alice, Darling – Directed by Mary Nighy; Written by Alanna Francis Joyride – Directed by Emer Reynolds; Written by Ailbhe Keogan Women Talking – Written and...
Films About Women and Nonbinary Persons in 2022
Back to Resources » December Alice, Darling – Directed by Mary Nighy; Written by Alanna Francis Women Talking – Written and Directed by Sarah Polley I Wanna Dance with Somebody – Directed by...
DOC NYC 2021 Women Directors: Meet Alysa Nahmias – “Krimes”
Alysa Nahmias is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of the Los Angeles-based production company AJNA. Her work has been shown at festivals and exhibitions worldwide, including the Venice...