ALL POSTS
Weekly Update for December 22: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Pitch Perfect 3” Films About Women Opening This Week Pitch Perfect 3 — Directed by Trish Sie; Written by Kay Cannon After college graduation, the Barden Bellas are struggling with their...
Beyond the Bechdel Test: New Ways of Measuring Hollywood’s Gender Imbalance
The Bechdel Test is a useful but limited tool, a fact many have recognized for years. Created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel and her friend Liz Wallace, the test is often used to determine whether or...
“The Parisian Woman’s” Blair Brown on Being an Actress Over 40 and #MeToo
Brown In “The Parisian Woman,” which is now playing on Broadway, actress Blair Brown plays the newly-appointed head of the Federal Reserve Bank. Her conservative character is embroiled in a...
Quote of the Day: Jessica Chastain Says “We All Need to Acknowledge & Blow Up This Cycle of Abuse”
Eminently quotable Jessica Chastain is back at it again. The two-time Oscar nominee is speaking out about Hollywood’s toxic culture in a new interview with Time, and, as always, she’s offering...
Trailer Watch: Heather Graham Says Goodbye to Jerks in Directorial Debut “Half Magic”
“I want to have hot sex with someone who’s really nice to me,” says Heather Graham in a new trailer for her directorial debut, “Half Magic.” She stars as Honey, a woman who is sick of...
Eva Longoria Has Two Women-Penned Drama Series in Development at Fox
Eva Longoria has new series in the works. According to Deadline, the multi-hyphenate has two hour-long dramas in development at Fox through her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment banner. Both are written...
Paramount Announces Several Future Films, None Are Confirmed to Be By or About Women
When the sale of the Fox studio to Disney is complete, there will be five big studios left. Paramount has announced release dates for several slated films through 2021 — and none of them have...
Liz Hannah Takes Hollywood By Storm with “The Post”
Liz Hannah had a damn good time celebrating her 32nd birthday last week. “The Post,” which she wrote along with Josh Singer, premiered in Washington DC. Until about a month ago pretty much no...
22 Most Anticipated Films By and About Women of 2018
“A Wrinkle in Time” The end of 2017 is rapidly approaching, and it’s safe to say that plenty of us are relieved. Although this year in particular has been difficult, it did see the release of...
Trailer Watch: Lily James Plays a Young Meryl Streep in “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”
It’s time to head back to Kalokairi, and all the singing, dancing, and stunning scenery that made audiences fall in love with the Greek island in “Mamma Mia!” A trailer for the 2008 film’s...
Eliza Hittman and Penny Lane Receive Grants from Rooftop Films
“Beach Rats” writer-director Eliza Hittman and “Nuts!” helmer Penny Lane both have something to celebrate. They’ve scored grants from non-profit org Rooftop Films, Variety reports. The...
Quote of the Day: Elizabeth Banks on Her “Great Epiphany” About Hollywood Sexism
There was a moment when Elizabeth Banks realized why she felt stalled in her acting career. Mainstream films weren’t providing her interesting roles, and smaller, independent fare wasn’t paying...
Trailer Watch: “Grace and Frankie” Welcomes Lisa Kudrow in Season 4
Grace and Frankie are back, and so are their sex toys. A trailer has dropped for Season 4 of “Grace and Frankie,” and it sees the BFFs getting into some trouble at a college campus. A security...
Zelda Perkins Speaks Out, Challenges the Legal System for Enabling Predators Like Harvey Weinstein
“It’s a smoking gun.” That’s how Robert Fox Ltd theater producer Zelda Perkins described the non-disclosure agreement she signed in 1998, after stepping down as Harvey Weinstein’s...
Phillipa Soo on Playing a Young Activist in “The Parisian Woman” and Her Thoughts on #MeToo
Soo: Boneau/Bryan-Brown Phillipa Soo is no stranger to the Broadway stage. In the last few years, she has had leading roles in “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” “Hamilton,” and...
Catt Sadler Leaves E! News After Years of Receiving Half of Male Co-Host’s Pay
Catt Sadler is leaving E! Entertainment after 12 years with the network. According to a blog post on her website, The Catt Walk, Sadler views her her time at E! as a dream come true, but recently...
Teaser Watch: A Classic Tale Gets a Dark Twist in “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”
The new teaser trailer for “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” includes what you’d expect from any “Nutcracker” adaptation: ballet, the music to “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” and a...
Metrograph to Host “Tell Me: Women Filmmakers, Women’s Stories” Film Series
The Metrograph wants to amplify women’s voices. The NYC theater has announced that an upcoming film series will focus on women directors, their work, and how their female subjects see the world....
Margot Robbie to Produce Female-Led Wall Street Series from Kat Blasband Page
2013’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” marked Margot Robbie’s breakout role. Now the “I, Tonya” star and producer is returning to the infamous business hub, but this time, she’ll be working...
Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller Named Exec VPs of HBO Doc and Family
Sheila Nevins is leaving HBO Documentary in good hands. A press release has announced that Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller have been promoted to executive vice presidents of HBO Documentary and Family...
2017’s Best TV Created By and About Women
“Big Little Lies”: HBO A group of tight-knit mothers with some very dark secrets. Two 20-something women of color trying to excel in their professional and personal lives. A rag-tag team of...
141 Original Scores Are in the 2017 Oscar Race, and Just 6 of Them Are By Women
The most iconic night in the industry is almost upon us. The Academy Awards take place March 4, and nominations won’t be announced until January 23, but we’re gradually learning more and more...
Trailer Watch: Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett Get the Team Together in “Ocean’s 8”
“It was a mistake,” Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) explains in her parole hearing. “But it happened. And, if I were to be released, I would just want the simple life.” In “Ocean’s 8,”...
Ursula MacFarlane to Direct Harvey Weinstein Doc for the BBC
Harvey Weinstein’s abuse of women has been dominating the news cycle since early October. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the disgraced mogul will be the subject of a BBC documentary...
HBO Documentary President Sheila Nevins Is Stepping Down
After nearly four decades of making HBO her home, Sheila Nevins is moving on. The President of HBO Documentary Films revealed the big news in an interview with The New York Times. As an executive...
Trailer Watch: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are Back in Vanessa Caswill’s “Little Women”
“Four small children is a recipe for heartache, headache, and indigestion,” says a mighty critical Aunt March (Angela Lansbury) in the first trailer for “Little Women.” But anyone familiar...
Industry Execs Launch Commission to Fight Sexual Harassment, Anita Hill Will Lead
The fight to end sexual harassment and assault is still going strong. According to a press release, entertainment industry execs, independent experts, and advisors have come together to launch and...
J.J. Abrams to Receive Athena Film Fest’s 2018 Leading Man Award
The Athena Film Festival has named director, producer, and writer J.J. Abrams its Leading Man. Abrams will receive the fest’s 2018 Athena Leading Man Award in honor of his “extraordinary career...
Get Busy Living: Crowdfunding Picks
“Side Work” We often have to make a choice between pushing back against the setbacks in our lives, or letting the current pull us under. To sink or swim, to fight or take flight — or to put...
Colette Burson on Showing a Different Side of the South in “Permanent”
Colette Burson co-created and executive produced HBO’s Golden Globe-nominated series “Hung.” She helmed several episodes of the show. Her other directing credits include short “Little Black...
“Awkward” Creator Lauren Iungerich Has a New Comedy Series in the Works at Netflix
“Awkward” creator Lauren Iungerich is set to deliver another coming-of-age comedy. Deadline reports that Netflix has ordered 10 episodes of a new half-hour series she co-created titled “On My...
“Step” Helmer Amanda Lipitz to Direct English-Language Remake of “Instructions Not Included”
Amanda Lipitz directed one of our favorite documentaries released this year, and now she’s set to make her narrative directorial debut. The “Step” helmer has signed on to bring an...
Weekly Update for December 15: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”: Lucasfilm Films About Women Opening This Week Star Wars: The Last Jedi Rey (Daisy Ridley) develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker...
Patty Jenkins Will Be First Woman to Receive Variety’s Creative Impact in Directing Award
Academy, take note: “Wonder Woman” helmer Patty Jenkins will be honored with Variety’s Creative Impact in Directing Award. According to a press release, the superheroine film’s star, Gal...
Theater Director Leigh Silverman Talks “Harry Clarke,” Helming One-Person Shows, and #MeToo
Silverman: Goodman Theatre One of the most prominent theater directors in the landscape today, Leigh Silverman made her Broadway directorial debut in 2006 with Lisa Kron’s “Well.” She brought...
Jennifer Morrison’s Directorial Debut “Sun Dogs” Goes to Netflix
“Once Upon a Time” star Jennifer Morrison has found a home for her feature directorial debut. Deadline reports that Netflix snagged the rights to “Sun Dogs,” a drama about a man who is...
Tina Fey to Receive Comedy Honor from WGA East
Tina Fey is high fiving a million angels. She and Robert Carlock are set to receive an honor from The Writers Guild of America, East, a press release has announced. The “Unbreakable Kimmy...
Women Screenwriters and Animation Pros Open Up About Sexism in Hollywood
In 2016 women represented only 13 percent of the writers on the top 250 films, and according to 2015 research, women comprise only 10 percent of animation directors and producers. Obviously...
Trailer Watch: Pussy Riot Mix Art and Politics in “Act & Punishment”
“Act & Punishment” centers on all-girl Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot, and a new trailer for the documentary doesn’t shy away from some of the controversies surrounding the polarizing...
“Pitch’s” Kylie Bunbury to Topline Courtney Kemp’s Reboot of “Get Christie Love” for ABC
If you loved “Pitch” and were sad to see it cancelled, here’s a silver lining: the baseball show’s star, Kylie Bunbury, has booked a new gig. Deadline reports that she’s signed on to...
Trailer Watch: Helen Hunt Leads a Girls’ Volleyball Team to Glory in “The Miracle Season”
“How many teams ever win two championships back to back? Almost none,” a high school volleyball coach (Helen Hunt) tells her team in the trailer for “The Miracle Season.” The girls of West...
2017’s Best Documentaries By and About Women
“Step” A workers’ rights activist, a movie star-turned-inventor, and a retiring prima ballerina are just a few of the characters at the center of our favorite documentaries by and about women...
Oprah Winfrey to Receive Cecil B. de Mille Award at 2018 Golden Globes
Add this to your list of favorite things: Oprah Winfrey is the recipient of the 2018 Cecil B. de Mille Award. The multi-hyphenate will take home the honor at the Golden Globe Awards on January 7. A...
SAG Awards Will Be Presented Entirely by Women, Kristen Bell to Host
The Screen Actors Guild will stand with women at its 24th annual awards ceremony. According to The Hollywood Reporter, women will present each statuette at the January 21 event. This gesture is...
Director Pam MacKinnon on “The Parisian Woman” and the Glass Ceiling that Still Exists on Broadway
Pam MacKinnon is one of most renowned directors on Broadway today. She won a Tony Award for Best Director of a Play in 2013 for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” making her one of only a...
Cara Mertes Named Hot Docs’ 2018 Doc Mogul
Cara Mertes is set to be honored at the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, POV Magazine reports. The director of the JustFilms initiative at the Ford Foundation will receive...
2017’s Best Films By and About Women
“Girls Trip”: Michele K. Short/Universal Pictures The big screen had a lot to offer in 2017: Amazonian warriors kicking ass (and breaking box office records), tennis stars smashing misogyny, a...
Trailer Watch: It’s Carrie vs. the President in “Homeland” Season 7
The last time we saw Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), she had failed to stop an assassination attempt on President-elect Keane (Elizabeth Marvel). Turns out Carrie and the entire intelligence...
Jada Pinkett Smith Criticizes Hollywood Foreign Press for “Girls Trip” Golden Globes Snub
“Girls Trip” made more than $115 million at the domestic box office — from a budget of $19 million — and its breakoug star Tiffany Haddish is fast becoming one of the most in-demand...
Trailer Watch: Natalie Portman Tries to Save Her Husband’s Life in “Annihilation”
“Start from the beginning,” Natalie Portman is told in a new trailer for “Annihilation.” We’re transported to the not-so-distant past, and see the Oscar winner’s character, a biologist,...
CAA Pledges 50–50 Gender Parity by 2020, Begins Defense Fund for Harassment Cases
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is turning over a new leaf after last week’s New York Times story. According to the exposé about Harvey Weinstein’s wide-reaching network of allies and protectors,...