ALL POSTS
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...
TIFF 2017 Adds More Programs: “Alias Grace” Series to Make World Premiere
The Toronto International Film Festival announced even more programs for its 2017 edition today. In addition to the Canadian and Cinematheque film lineups, TIFF unveiled the finalists for Telefilm...
Paula Vogel’s “Indecent” Ends Broadway Run with Highest Weekly Gross Yet
Paula Vogel’s Tony-winning play “Indecent” ended its Broadway run last night on a new high. After 128 performances and 15 previews at Cort Theatre, the show closed with its highest weekly...
Amanda Lipitz on the Inspiring Girls of “Step”
Do yourself a favor and go see “Step” this weekend. It’s impossible to watch without wanting to dance in your seat. Directed by Amanda Lipitz, the inspiring doc follows three senior...
Quote of the Day: Halle Berry Loves Seeing “A Woman of Color Get to Save the Day”
It’s time for a mom to come to the rescue. “Taken” and plenty of other action flicks have seen dads go to hell and back to save their kids. Now Halle Berry is getting the chance to be a hero...
August 2017 Film Preview
“The Glass Castle” With summer drawing to a close, August brings a bevy of films by and about women that engage with quirky themes and unique perspectives. The month kicks off with “Step,”...
Weekly Update for July 28: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Atomic Blonde” Films About Women Opening This Week Atomic Blonde Oscar-winner Charlize Theron explodes into summer in “Atomic Blonde,” a breakneck action-thriller that follows MI6’s most...
Trailer Watch: The Pfeffermans Go to Israel in “Transparent” Season 4
“You can just start again and never look back,” says Maura (Jeffrey Tambor) in a newly released trailer for “Transparent’s” upcoming fourth season. But — for better and for...
Could “Wonder Woman” Be an Oscar Contender? Warner Bros. Thinks So
Goddess willing, this Oscar season could be a game-changer. “Wonder Woman” is the highest-grossing film of the summer, the second highest-grossing film of the year behind “Beauty and the...
Rachel Carey’s Film About Chicago’s Underground Abortion Network Goes into Production
Production has begun on a new film based on the true story of the underground abortion network known as The Jane Collective, a press release has announced. “Ask for Jane” is the brainchild of...
Katherine Dieckmann on Crafting an Unconventional Female Protagonist in “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,...
Book Excerpt: “Nancy Meyers”
The following is excerpted from Deborah Jermyn’s “Nancy Meyers,” which will be released July 27. May 2014. A BBC journalist was on the phone. It was shortly to be the twentieth anniversary of...
Trailer Watch: Tig Notaro’s “One Mississippi” Returns For Second Season
The last time we saw Tig Notaro’s “One Mississippi” alter-ego, she was still oscillating between life crises and a new lease of life “down on the bayou.” The comedian’s...
Ingrid Jungermann on How “Serial” Influenced “Women Who Kill”
Ingrid Jungermann created the WGA-nominated web series “F To 7th,” featuring Amy Sedaris, Michael Showalter, and Gaby Hoffmann, and co-created “The Slope.” She received her MFA at NYU...
Jane Campion Calls for Quotas for Women Directors
Jane Campion is proposing a solution to make the film world more equitable: quotas. The first female filmmaker ever to win the Palme d’Or, Campion took home the honor in 1993 for “The Piano.”...
Nisha Ganatra to Direct Margaret Cho’s TNT Pilot
“Transparent,” “Girls,” “Better Things” — Nisha Ganatra has directed some of TV’s most critically acclaimed comedies, and now she’s set to helm Margaret Cho’s hourlong TNT...
“Desert Hearts” Director Donna Deitch Talks Love Scenes, Gloria Steinem, and the Sequel
The groundbreaking lesbian film “Desert Hearts” has been digitally remastered and is being released on the big screen and on Blu-ray. Originally released in 1986, the Natalie Cooper-written film...
Jodie Whittaker Becomes the First Female “Doctor Who” Lead
After decades on the air and 12 Doctors, a female actor has finally been cast as Doctor Who. The BBC has revealed that Jodie Whittaker will take on the iconic role after the series’ current star,...
Donna Deitch’s Digitally Restored “Desert Hearts” to Screen at IFC, Receives New Trailer
“Desert Hearts” Donna Deitch’s pioneering LGBTQ film “Desert Hearts” is returning to the big screen. The 1986 movie, which recently received a digital restoration, will be screening at the...
Amy Schumer’s “I Feel Pretty” & Cate Blanchett’s “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” Get Release Dates
Theatrical releases have been set for the Amy Schumer comedy “I Feel Pretty,” and the Cate Blanchett-led “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” “I Feel Pretty,” in which Schumer plays a woman...
Female and Older Moviegoers Helped “Wonder Woman” Soar at the Box Office
No, it’s not just teenage boys who drive the box office. Hollywood is full of sexist myths about who goes to see movies and who they want to see stories about. Hopefully “Wonder Woman’s”...
Book Excerpt: “Off the Cliff: How the Making of Thelma & Louise Drove Hollywood to the Edge”
The following is excerpted from Becky Aikman’s “Off the Cliff: How the Making of Thelma & Louise Drove Hollywood to the Edge,” which is available now. Less than two years earlier, Callie...
Unconventional Portraits: July’s VOD and Web Series Picks
“Girl on Girl” Historically, summer is a season of convention. We may expect the same sunny weather, celebratory barbecue, and the (usually male-led) poorly written summer blockbuster. However,...
Academy Board of Governors Is Now 39% Female
Shortly after inviting a historic 774 new members to join its ranks, the Academy held its annual board of governors election and, per The Hollywood Reporter, women were elected in...
July 2017 Film Preview
“Girls Trip” As “Wonder Woman” becomes the highest-grossing live action film directed by a woman, July promises to bring even more interesting, powerful women to the big...
Exiting Globe Artistic Director Emma Rice to Start New Theater Company
Emma Rice won’t leave her post as artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe until 2018, but she has already lined up her next gig. Per The Stage, Rice has announced her plans to establish Wise...
Cross-Post: A Collective Call Against Critical Bias
Paula Vogel’s “Indecent”: NewYorkTheater/YouTube This piece, “A Collective Call Against Critical Bias,” was originally published on HowlRound, a knowledge commons by and for the theatre...
The Kilroys Publishes List Spotlighting Women Playwrights of Color
The Kilroys, an independent collective in Los Angeles, has released its annual list of “new plays by women deemed worthy of production,” The New York Times reports. This year’s installment...
Weekly Update for June 23: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“The Beguiled” Films About Women Opening This Week The Beguiled — Written and Directed by Sofia Coppola (Opens in Limited Release; Opens Wider on June 30) “The Beguiled” is an...
Trailer Watch: Marion Cotillard Longs for Her Lover in Nicole Garcia’s “From the Land of the Moon”
“All I do is wait,” Marion Cotillard writes to her lover in a new trailer for “From the Land of the Moon.” “I need you to talk to me,” she begs. The trailer suggests that many of her...
“Queen Sugar” Season 2 Premiere Scores Series-High Ratings Among Women Aged 25–54
All hail the “Queen.” The second season premiere of OWN’s “Queen Sugar” drew 2.3 million viewers as well as a 0.7 18–49 rating and a 2.09 rating among women 25–54 on Tuesday night. As...
Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, & Reese Witherspoon Make THR’s Most Powerful People in Entertainment…
Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, & Reese Witherspoon Make THR’s Most Powerful People in Entertainment List Ava DuVernay: The Hollywood Reporter/YouTube Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Ava...
Cross-Post: Lillian Hellman’s Regina Giddens: The Theatre’s Original “Nasty Woman”
By Sarah Rebell The following has been reposted from The Interval with the author’s permission. When I set out to write a piece on “The Little Foxes,” I headed right to the Drama Book Shop in...
Cheryl Dunye, Aurora Guerrero, & DeMane Davis Among Directors of “Queen Sugar” Season 2
Season 1 of Ava DuVernay’s “Queen Sugar” was helmed entirely by female directors. As she explained in a Los Angeles Times profile, that was no accident — and Season 2 will be no...
LAFF 2017 Women Directors: Meet Jennifer Arnold — “Fat Camp”
Jennifer Arnold is an Emmy-nominated director whose credits include documentaries “A Small Act,” “The Diplomat,” and “Tig.” She’s been an advisor at Outfest, Film Independent, Women in...
America Ferrera, Emmy Rossum, and More Discuss Onscreen Nudity and Gender Pay Gap in Roundtable
America Ferrera in THR’s Comedy Actress Roundtable: THR “I think we should be equal opportunity P and D,” Emmy Rossum stressed during The Hollywood Reporter’s Comedy Actress Roundtable....
Jennifer Arnold’s “Fat Camp” Snagged by BET
Jennifer Arnold’s “Fat Camp” has found a home just days before its world premiere at the LA Film Festival (LAFF). A press release announced that the comedy has been acquired by BET with plans...
Weekly Update for June 16: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Rough Night” Films About Women Opening This Week Rough Night — Co-Written and Directed by Lucia Aniello In this edgy R-rated comedy, five best friends from college (played by Scarlett...
LAFF 2017 Women Directors: Meet Leena Pendharkar — “20 Weeks”
Leena Pendharkar is an award-winning writer and director working in film, television, and new media. Her first feature film, “Raspberry Magic,” about a young girl’s connection to nature,...
LAFF 2017 Women Directors: Meet Valerie Red-Horse Mohl — “Mankiller”
Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, a filmmaker of Cherokee ancestry, is the owner/founder of Red-Horse Native Productions, Inc., which has become a preeminent collaborator with American Indian tribal nations...
LAFF 2017 Women Directors: Meet Sara Lamm — “Thank You For Coming”
Sara Lamm is a writer, performer, and documentary filmmaker. Her most recent film, “Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and the Farm Midwives,” co-directed with Mary Wigmore, won the Audience Award at...
LAFF 2017 Women Directors: Meet Jennifer Morrison — “Sun Dogs”
Jennifer Morrison is an actress, producer, and director. Her acting credits include “Once Upon a Time,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and “House.” She’s the founder of Apartment 3C...
Exclusive: Sony Pictures Classics Co-President Tom Bernard Talks Supporting Women Directors
Michael Barker and Tom Bernard of Sony Pictures Classics were honored with the The Women In Film Beacon Award at last night’s Women in Film LA’s Crystal + Lucy Awards. Below is Bernard’s...
LAFF 2017 Women Directors: Meet Ciara Lacy — “Out of State”
Ciara Lacy is a Native Hawaiian filmmaker whose interest lies in using strong characters and investigative journalism to challenge the creative and political status quo. Her work has shown in...
Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Banks Praise “Wonder Woman” at Crystal + Lucy Awards
Cuts to Planned Parenthood, the renewed global gag rule, ending the Let Girls Learn initiative — times have been especially trying for U.S. feminists lately. Luckily, the success of Patty...
LAFF 2017 Women Directors: Meet Whitney Cummings — “The Female Brain”
Whitney Cummings is a Los Angeles-based comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director. Best known for creating and starring in the NBC series “Whitney,” she also co-created and co-wrote the...
Human Rights Watch FF 2017 Women Directors: Meet Sophia Scott and Georgia Scott — “Lost in Lebanon”
Sophia Scott is a producer, director, and cinematographer. She has worked extensively as a self-shooting camerawoman across Africa and Asia for various organizations including the UN, PBS, CBC, The...
“Megan Leavey” Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite Talks Dogs, War, and Feminism
“Megan Leavey” is both a story of war and a story of love. Based on a true story, the movie centers on Megan (Kate Mara), a woman at the end of her rope. She joins the Marines and winds up in a...
Human Rights Watch FF 2017 Women Directors: Meet Heather White — “Complicit”
Heather White is a first-time documentary director. She is the founder and former Executive Director of Verité, an award-winning non-profit organization recognized for its groundbreaking leadership...
Tony Awards 2017 Highlights: Bette Midler, Rebecca Taichman, Cynthia Nixon, & More
The personal overlapped with the political in last night’s Tony Awards — as is usually the case in the best award ceremonies. “Hello, Dolly!” star Bette Midler got one step closer to...
Human Rights Watch FF 2017 Women Directors: Meet Katia Maguire and April Hayes — “Home Truth”
Katia Maguire is a director and producer of documentary films. She recently produced two projects for PBS, a film about the lives of three witnesses to the US-Mexico “war on drugs,” and a series...