ALL POSTS
DGA Report Names Best and Worst Shows for Hiring Diverse Directors
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has released its 2015–16 Diversity Report. The study analyzes the ethnicity and gender of directors hired to helm episodic television series across broadcast,...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Katherine Dieckmann — “Strange Weather”
Katherine Dieckmann’s films include “Motherhood,” “Diggers,” and “A Good Baby.” She began her career as a journalist, writing for such publications as Rolling Stone, The Village Voice,...
Trailer Watch: Jessica Chastain Puts Up a Fight in “Miss Sloane”
The best Actress Oscar Race continues to heat up. If the new trailer for “Miss Sloane” is any indication, Jessica Chastain will be joining the running as well. “Miss Sloane,” according to...
Shamim Sarif’s “Despite the Falling Snow” Gets U.S. Distribution
Shamim Sarif’s Cold War thriller “Despite The Falling Snow” has been picked up by ET Pictures for a U.S. release, Screen Daily reports. The film is described as a “romance-thriller about a...
“Fresh Off the Boat” Producer Kourtney Kang Gets Pilot Based on Her Life
NBC has ordered a pilot for a family comedy based on the life of “Fresh Off the Boat” producer Kourtney Kang. The comedy, The Hollywood Reporter writes, will “explore what it’s like to grow...
New TV Research Reveals Gender Inequality On-Screen and Off
While television is widely considered a more female-friendly medium than film, new research from Dr. Martha Lauzen demonstrates that the small-screen isn’t nearly as progressive when it comes to...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Katell Quillévéré — “Heal the Living”
Katell Quillévéré was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Her films include the shorts “À bras les corps,” “L’Imprudence,” and “L’Échappée,” and the features “Un poison violent”...
Pietra Brettkelly’s “A Flickering Truth” Will Represent New Zealand at the Oscars
Film lovers and supporters of female directors will be excited about this one: New Zealand has chosen “A Flickering Truth” as their contender for the Academy Awards in the foreign-language...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Raja Amari — “Foreign Body”
Raja Amari’s previous features include “Satin Rouge” and “Buried Secrets.” She was born in Tunis and completed a Master’s degree in French literature at the University of Tunis, and...
Natalie Portman Enters the Oscar Race with “Jackie”
Natalie Portman might be heading for her second Best Actress Oscar. As Deadline reports, the biopic “Jackie,” in which Portman plays Jackie Kennedy before and after the assassination of JFK, has...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Bronwen Hughes — “The Journey is the Destination”
Bronwen Hughes is a Canadian-British film director based in New York and Hollywood. “The Journey is the Destination” is her fourth feature film. Hughes’ previous films include “Forces of...
“Saturday Night Live” Finally Hires First Latina Cast Member
“Saturday Night Live” announced three new cast members for its upcoming 42nd season yesterday, one of whom will be the sketch series’ very first Latina. Melissa Villaseñor has been added as...
“Transparent” Creator Jill Soloway Talks the Female Gaze at TIFF
Jill Soloway, one of our favorite artists and creator of hit series “Transparent” and the new comedy “I Love Dick,” hit up the Toronto International Film Festival to give a master class on...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Erin Heidenreich — “Girl Unbound”
Director-writer-producer of documentaries, short films, and branded content, Erin Heidenreich’s voice has been shaped by the cultures she has immersed herself in across the globe. Set in the...
Sarah Jessica Parker to Play a Singer in Upcoming Drama
Sarah Jessica Parker in “All Roads Lead to Rome”: Cristina di Paolo Antonio / eOne Entertainment Sarah Jessica Parker portrays a woman who is ending her marriage in HBO’s upcoming series...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Elite Zexer — “Sand Storm”
Interview by Eboni Boykin and Laura Berger Elite Zexer’s previous short films are “Take Note,” which won the Best Fiction Film Award at the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, and...
Elisabeth Moss’ “The Square” Heading to Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. distribution rights to “The Square,” starring Elisabeth Moss, The Hollywood Reporter writes. The film, THR reports, which is set in the art world, “follows...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Robin Swicord — “Wakefield”
Robin Swicord made her feature directorial debut with “The Jane Austen Book Club,” which she also penned the screenplay for. Her other screenwriting credits include “Memoirs of a Geisha,”...
Trailer Watch: Issa Rae Makes a Change in New “Insecure” Full Trailer
“Go shorty. It’s your birthday. But no one cares cause I’m not having a party. Cause I’m feeling sorry for myself,” Issa Rae sings into her bathroom mirror, fully capturing the hilarious...
TIFF 2016: Oscar-Worthy Performances, Nudity, and Other Highlights
“American Honey” The Toronto International Film Festival’s program is stacked. While our TIFF preview collected highlights from the slate, there were literally dozens of worthy...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Emmanuelle Bercot — “150 Milligrams”
Emmanuelle Bercot’s previous directing credits include “Clément,” “Backstage,” “On My Way,” and “Standing Tall.” Bercot’s films have earned her many awards and honors,...
Katie Holmes’ Feature Directorial Debut Gets Distribution
Katie Holmes’ feature directorial debut has found a home. Gravitas Ventures has acquired the North American rights to “All We Had,” Holmes’ mother-daughter drama that premiered at the...
Quote of the Day: Natalie Portman Calls for More of the “Female Gaze”
In a 25 year career and with 45 acting credits, Natalie Portman had never worked with a female director. Last year, Portman became one herself with her directorial debut “A Tale of Love and...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors : Meet Sofia Exarchou — “Park”
Sofia Exarchou was born in Athens. She has been working as an assistant director in feature films and commercials since 2004. She has written and directed two short films, “Distance” and...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet María José Cuevas — “Beauties of the Night”
María José Cuevas’ practice draws from her experience in documentary, experimental video, design, and photography. She has collaborated on a variety of diverse cultural projects, which have...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Sarah Adina Smith — “Buster’s Mal Heart”
Sarah Adina Smith’s first feature, “The Midnight Swim,” won six top prizes on the festival circuit, including the breakthrough audience award from AFI FEST. Smith was the only female director...
Trailer Watch: Jessica Sula is a Fish-Out-of-Water in Rebecca Johnson’s “Honeytrap”
Raised by her grandparents in Trinidad, 15-year-old Layla (Jessica Sula) moves to Brixton, London to find an uncaring mother and a whole new set of rules and pressures from the area’s teen set. On...
Movies are Officially Dead — Meryl Streep is Heading to Television
Film history, as it shall be written, will cite this announcement as a musical triangle in the blaring orchestra that sounds the death knell of big screen cinema. Following the footsteps of Gloria...
“Muriel’s Wedding” Heading to the Stage
Credit: Miramax Looks like we could soon be hearing more ABBA on Broadway. “Muriel’s Wedding,” the 1994 Australian comedy starring Toni Collette, is heading to the stage in Sydney. As Yahoo!...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet April Mullen — “Below Her Mouth”
April Mullen’s previous features include “88,” an action thriller, and “Dead Before Dawn 3D,” which confirmed Mullen as the youngest person and first female to direct a live action...
Weekly Update for September 9: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“As I Open My Eyes” Films About Women Opening This Week As I Open My Eyes — Directed by Leyla Bouzid; Written by Leyla Bouzid and Marie-Sophie Chambon (Opens in NY; Opens in LA September...
Viola Davis and Quvenzhané Wallis Join Claire McCarthy’s “Personal History Of Rachel Dupree”
Two Oscar nominees are joining forces for Claire McCarthy’s period drama “The Personal History Of Rachel Dupree.” Viola Davis and Quvenzhané Wallis have signed on, with Davis playing the...
Lexi Alexander Returning to Film to Direct Wrestling Biopic “Crossface”
Credit: Aaron Goodwin/Courtesy of Lexi Alexander/NPR Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lexi Alexander has signed on to direct “Crossface,” the story of wrestler Chris Benoit. Alexander will helm the...
Trailer Watch: Talulah Riley’s Wildlife RomCom “Scottish Mussel”
Boy meets girl. Girl is saving mussels from pearl poachers. Boy is a pearl poacher. Hijinks and romance commence with the aid of doofus-y friends, a strapping American rival for the girl’s...
Apply Now to Writers Guild’s “Made in NY Writers Room” Fellowship
The Writers Guild of America, East has teamed up with The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and the New York City Department of Small Business Services to launch the Made in NY Writers...
TIFF 2016: Meet Chloé Robichaud — “Boundaries”
Born in Quebec, screenwriter and director Chloé Robichaud lives and works in Montreal. Her first feature film, “Sarah préfère la course,” was selected for the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Her...
No More Excuses, Just Hire More Women
According to the Media, Diversity, & Social Change Initiative’s latest study, 29 female directors were involved in 800 of the top-grossing films between 2007 and 2015 (excluding 2011). 29 out...
TIFF 2016: Isabelle Huppert Seen Through the Male and Female Gaze
Here at TIFF there are three movies starring the amazing Isabelle Huppert, who seems to get better and better as she ages. I saw two of them — Mia Hansen-Love’s “Things to Come” and Paul...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Rachel Lambert — “In the Radiant City”
Rachel Lambert received a BFA from Boston University and also studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. After graduating, she worked for HanWay Films in addition to writing and...
Ana Lily Amirpour’s “The Bad Batch” Acquired By Netflix Out of Venice
Ana Lily Amirpour’s “The Bad Batch” has been acquired by Netflix out of the Venice Film Festival, The Hollywood Reporter writes. The deal is for SVOD rights. Amirpour’s second feature after...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Selma Vilhunen — “Little Wing”
Selma Vilhunen is an Academy Award nominated director and screenwriter based in Helsinki, Finland. She has written and directed both documentaries and fiction films since 1998. Vilhunen’s short...
The Ties That Bond: Crowdfunding Picks
Julia Ngeow, writer and director of “Eudaemonia” Connecting with another person, really bonding with them, can be very difficult as an adult. Whether you’re making a new friend, attempting to...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Amma Asante — “A United Kingdom”
Amma Asante’s previous directing credits include “Belle” and “A Way of Life.” Both films premiered at TIFF. Asante has been named by Variety as one of the Top Ten Directors to Watch, and...
Rooney Mara Confronts Her Past in Tension-Filled “Una” Clip
Rooney Mara stars in “Una,” an adaptation of the play “Blackbird,” which follows a young woman seeking answers for long-ago events that have shaped her path in life, for better...
“Fun Home” Writers Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron on Saying Goodbye to Broadway
Gabriella Pizzolo and Michael Cerveris in “Fun Home”: Joan Marcus Musicals take many years to develop, and when that development results in a successful Broadway run, saying goodbye can be...
Mindy Kaling and Reese Witherspoon May Join Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle in Time”
Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle in Time” seems like it’s gearing up to being the coolest movie ever. As The Hollywood Reporter writes, Mindy Kaling and Reese Witherspoon may be joining...
“As I Open My Eyes” Writer-Director Leyla Bouzid on Arab Women and Revolution
Interview by Siân Melton Leyla Bouzid is a Tunisian born and raised filmmaker. She studied French literature at the University of Paris and film directing at La Fémis. Her shorts...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Alison Maclean — “The Rehearsal”
Alison Maclean’s credits include “Crush,” “Jesus’s Son,” and “Kitchen Sink.” She was born in Canada and raised in New Zealand. “The Rehearsal” will premiere at the 2016 Toronto...
Julianne Moore Cast as Opera Singer in “Bel Canto” Adaptation
Oscar-winner Julianne Moore is set to play a world-famous American soprano in an upcoming adaptation of Ann Patchett’s “Bel Canto.” Directed by Paul Weitz , the film finds Moore’s Roxanne...
“Arrival” is Amy Adams’ Movie, and Jeremy Renner Knew That
Jeremy Renner hasn’t exactly been America’s sweetheart. He came under fire in 2015 when he and fellow Avenger, Chris Evans, called Scarlett Johansson’s character Black Widow a “slut” and a...
TIFF 2016 Preview: Women-Directed Films About Athletes, Geniuses, and Cannibals
“A United Kingdom” The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off today, and with nearly 30 percent of the program helmed by women (if you include shorts), there’s lots to look forward to....