ALL POSTS
Kai Yu Wu & Cherie Dimaline Team Up for “Empire of Wild,” Horror Series Rooted in Indigenous Folklore
Kai Yu Wu is bringing “Empire of the Wild” to the small screen with the help of the horror novel’s author, Cherie Dimaline. The duo are working with Fabel Entertainment on a series...
Venice Film Fest Announces 2021 Competition Slate, 24 Percent of Films Are Directed by Women
Venice Film Festival has announced its 2021 lineup. The 78th edition of the fest will see see 21 titles competing for the fest’s highest honor, the Golden Lion, and five of them are directed or...
Trailer Watch: Lucy Walker Chronicles the 2018 California Wildfires in “Bring Your Own Brigade”
Lucy Walker’s latest sees the Oscar-nominated filmmaker investigating the deadliest week of wildfires in California history. “The world is waking up to the hellish realization that all...
Whoopi Goldberg & Danielle Deadwyler to Star in Chinonye Chukwu’s Mamie Till-Mobley Biopic
Whoopi Goldberg and Danielle Deadwyler (“Watchmen”) have joined the cast of Chinonye Chukwu’s “Till,” which follows Mamie Till-Mobley in the aftermath of the murder of...
NALIP, Disney, Amblin, Starz, and MPA Team Up for Latino Lens: Producers Pipeline Incubator
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) is working with Disney, Amblin Partners, Starz, and the MPA to nurture the next generation of Latinx producers. The orgs have joined...
Trailer Watch: Weed, Romance, & Shenanigans Abound in “Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens” Season 2
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Such is life — and “Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.” A trailer has arrived for Season 2 of Awkwafina’s...
Trailer Watch: Billie Piper Makes Her Directorial Debut with Anti-Rom-Com “Rare Beasts”
“Marriage, babies. these days we wait and wait for everything to align with the stars and it just doesn’t happen,” we’re told in a new trailer for “Rare Beasts.”...
Pick of the Day: “Playing with Sharks”
I’d never heard of Valerie Taylor before “Playing with Sharks,” but Sally Aitken’s loving tribute makes a compelling case for why the pioneer in underwater filmmaking and...
Trailer Watch: Natalie Morales Celebrates Long-Distance Friendship in SXSW Winner “Language Lessons”
Borders and distance can’t keep Natalie Morales and Mark Duplass apart in “Language Lessons,” a tribute to long-distance friendship. The comedy sees Cariño (Morales), a Spanish...
“Cousins” Directors Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace-Smith on Exploring Indigenous Identity and Resilience
Ainsley Gardiner (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Awa, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Whakatōhea), has produced more than a dozen short and feature films, documentaries, and television drama series. Her first short...
rePRO Film Fest Lineup Includes “On the Divide,” “Fly So Far,” & Other Titles Exploring Reproductive Justice
rePRO Film Fest has announced its 2021 lineup. Now in its second edition, rePRO is the only festival in the world dedicated to reproductive justice and advocates for “women’s (cis, trans,...
Alanis Obomsawin to Receive TIFF Tribute Award for Bridging Social Impact and Cinema
Alanis Obomsawin is set to be honored at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, singer, and activist has been named as the recipient of the...
Telefilm Canada Achieves Gender Parity, but Lags in Its Support of Women of Color
Telefilm Canada, Canada’s top film financier, has reached gender parity among the projects it funds. But the org still has some work to do. According to The Hollywood Reporter, there is still a...
Leslie Grace Lands the Lead in “Batgirl”
Leslie Grace is heading from Washington Heights to Gotham City. The “In the Heights” breakout has been tapped to lead Warner Bros. and DC Films’ “Batgirl,” Deadline...
Samantha N. Sheppard and J.E. Smyth Named AMPAS’ 2021 Academy Film Scholars
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is supporting the work of scholars Samantha N. Sheppard and J.E. Smyth. They have been named as the 2021 Academy Film Scholars and will each...
Trailer Watch: Sandra Oh Is “The Chair” In Netflix Higher Ed Comedy
Sandra Oh is taking a break from chasing Jodie Comer around Europe and entering the world of academia. Set to launch on Netflix August 20, “The Chair” sees the “Killing Eve”...
Marie Amiguet Snow Leopard Doc “The Velvet Queen” Acquired by Oscilloscope Following Cannes Premiere
Marie Amiguet’s search for snow leopards is coming to theaters. Oscilloscope snagged U.S. rights to “The Velvet Queen” (“La Panthere des neiges”), a documentary that sees Amiguet...
Venice: Chloé Zhao, Cynthia Erivo, Sarah Gadon, and Virginie Efira Will Serve in Fest’s Main Jury
Last year Chloé Zhao received Venice Film Festival’s top honor, the Golden Lion. This year the “Nomadland” writer-director will return as a member of the upcoming edition’s...
English-Language Remake of Lesbian Romantic Drama “Two of Us” in the Works
“Two of Us,” a French drama about a retirement-age lesbian couple, may be getting an English-language update. According to Screen Daily, Sarah Sulick of London’s Bright...
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...
Trailer Watch: Isabelle Huppert Is an Evil Stepmother in Anne Fontaine’s Carnal Fairy Tale “White as Snow”
Anne Fontaine gives “Snow White” a modern makeover in “White as Snow,” a sexually charged take on the classic fairy tale. The dark comedy tells the story of Claire (Lou de...
“Pen15,” “I May Destroy You,” “Girls5eva,” and More Awarded ReFrame TV Stamp
Buzzy titles and awards nominees such as “I May Destroy You,” “Pen15,” “Hacks,” “Girls5eva,” and “Pose” are among the latest awardees of...
TIFF Starts Unveiling Gala & Special Presentation Programs, 28 Percent of Titles Directed by Women
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced the first selections in its two highest-profile programs, Gala and Special Presentations. The 46th edition of the fest will include...
Sophia Nahli Allison Directing Follow-Up Special to Civil Rights Docuseries “Eyes on the Prize”
For her next project, Oscar-nominated “A Love Song for Latasha” filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison will embark on a journey begun by Henry Hampton’s Peabody-winning civil rights...
Debra Granik Bringing Una LaMarche YA Novel “Like No Other” to the Big Screen
Debra Granik is taking on a new genre. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker will make her first foray into the YA world with a feature adaptation of “Like No Other,” Una LaMarche’s 2014 novel...
Pick of the Day: “How It Ends”
It’s the end of the world and Zoe Lister-Jones is feeling anything but fine in “How It Ends,” an apocalyptic Sundance comedy that sees the multi-hyphenate reuniting with the star of...
Teaser Watch: Rosa Salazar Is a Filmmaker Looking for Revenge in “Brand New Cherry Flavor”
Rosa Salazar heads to Hollywood looking to make her dreams a reality in “Brand New Cherry Flavor,” a new Netflix limited series with “Mulholland Drive” vibes. Set in the early...
Trailer Watch: Rep. Barbara Lee Has Been “Speaking Truth to Power” Throughout Her Career
“I see myself more as a public servant, not necessarily a politician,” Congresswoman Barbara Lee tells us in the trailer for “Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power.” From...
San Sebastian Film Fest Announces First Batch of Competition Titles, Majority Hail from Women Directors
San Sebastian Film Festival has announced its first Competition titles, and — so far — the program is dominated by women directors. Of nine titles set to screen, six are helmed by women,...
“Titane” Wins Palme d’Or, Julia Ducournau Becomes Second Woman Director to Take Home Cannes’ Top Honor
Lady Palme finally has some company. Julia Ducournau is following in Jane Campion’s footsteps and giving Cannes’ history books a much-needed, long-delayed makeover. Her second feature,...
Cannes: Kira Kovalenko’s “Unclenching the Fists” Wins Top Prize in Un Certain Regard Sidebar
“Unclenching the Fists” has clenched the Grand Prize in Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard sidebar, Deadline reports. Written and directed by Kira Kovalenko, the Russian drama is...
Bentonville 2021: 71% of Competition Lineup Directors Are Women, 75% BIPOC/AAPI, 33% LGBTQIA+
Bentonville Film Festival (BFF) has announced its 2021 program, and the Geena Davis-led event promises to be an inclusive celebration of talent on both sides of the camera. Seventy-one percent of...
Janicza Bravo Tapped to Direct FX Adaptation of Octavia Butler’s “Kindred”
Janicza Bravo is set to bring a beloved sci-fi novel to the small screen hot on the heels of adapting a viral Twitter thread. The “Zola” filmmaker is taking inspiration from Octavia...
Trailer Watch: “Julia” Child Doc Sees Betsy West & Julie Cohen Paying Tribute to a Revolutionary Cook
Julia Child transformed the way Americans cook, and her impact on the culinary would cannot be overstated. A new trailer for “Julia,” an upcoming doc about the trailblazer, emphasizes...
“Bridgerton’s” Julie Anne Robinson & Adjoa Andoh Reteam for Adaptation of Vanessa Riley’s “Island Queen”
Julie Anne Robinson is celebrating her Emmy nomination for directing “Bridgerton” by reteaming with one of the smash hit’s stars. She’s optioned “Island Queen,”...
Pick of the Day: “No Ordinary Man”
In January 1989, jazz musician Billy Tipton died from a bleeding ulcer with his son, Billy Tipton, Jr., by his side. When the paramedics arrived, they and the younger Tipton discovered Billy —...
Trailer Watch: A Māori Family Finds Their Way Back to One Another in “Cousins”
“People go away or they die — your land, that’s where you belong,” we’re told in a new trailer for “Cousins.” The drama is based on Patricia Grace’s...
Swedish Film Institute & Netherlands Film Fund Launch International Fund to Support Underserved Filmmakers
The Swedish Film Institute and the Netherlands Film Fund are partnering on an initiative designed to support filmmakers who are too often denied funding. A press release announced that the two orgs...
Joey King Signs First-Look Deal with Netflix
Joey King is taking the next step in her relationship with Netflix. The star of the streamer’s wildly successful “Kissing Booth” franchise has inked a first-look deal with the...
Noora Niasari to Direct Historical Drama “Raya”
Noora Niasari is bringing “Raya” to the big screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Iranian-Australian filmmaker has been tapped to write and direct an adaptation of Mahsa...
Apply Now: BBC Studios & Directors U.K.’s Mentorship Scheme for Underrepresented Voices
BBC Studios Productions and Directors U.K. have teamed up to launch a mentorship scheme with the goal of supporting underrepresented voices in the British entertainment industry. Designed to deliver...
Nathalie Álvarez Mesén’s “Clara Sola” Acquired by Oscilloscope Laboratories
Nathalie Álvarez Mesén’s debut feature has found a home following its world premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight section at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. A press release announced...
The Future of Film Is Female Announces Spring 2021 Grant Recipients
The Future of Film Is Female (FOFIF) has awarded its latest round of funding. The org, which supports female filmmakers with financial support, exhibition, and promotion, presented Spring 2021 grants...
Emmy Nominations: “I May Destroy You,” “Hacks,” “Pen15,” and More
“I May Destroy You’s” egregious snub at this year’s Golden Globe Awards remains as infuriating as ever, but Michaela Coel’s acclaimed drama is getting major love from...
Apply Now: Screenwriting Fellowship for Black Women in Comedy
Sundance Institute and Laugh Out Loud, Kevin Hart’s production company and digital network, are teaming up to launch Women Write Now, a screenwriting fellowship dedicated to championing the...
Vanessa Bayer and Molly Shannon Team Up for Showtime Comedy “I Love This for You”
More “Saturday Night Live” alumni are teaming up. Hot on the heels of the announcement that Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer will act in, write, and executive produce holiday parody “A...
Trailer Watch: Tilda Swinton Can’t Stop Hearing a Mysterious Sound in Cannes Drama “Memoria”
The jungles of Colombia leave a lasting mark on Tilda Swinton in “Memoria,” a Cannes drama about Jessica (Swinton), a Scottish woman who begins experiencing a mysterious sensory syndrome...
Anna Kendrick, Wunmi Mosaku, & Kaniehtiio Horn Will Star in Mary Nighy Thriller “Alice, Darling”
Anna Kendrick is teaming up with Mary Nighy for Lionsgate’s “Alice, Darling,” a thriller that marks Nighy’s feature directorial debut. Currently in production in Canada, the...
Quote of the Day: Jodie Turner-Smith Calls for Inclusive Hiring Above & Below the Line During Cannes Talk
Jodie Turner-Smith is emphasizing the importance of inclusive hiring — and not just directors and actors. Per Variety, the “Queen & Slim” star called on the industry to provide...
Trailer Watch: Kristine Stolakis Exposes the Toll of Gay Conversion Therapy in “Pray Away”
Kristine Stolakis pulls back the curtain on the “ex-gay movement” in “Pray Away,” a doc exploring how former leaders of Exodus International, the largest conversion therapy...
Cannes 2021 Women Directors: Meet Kira Kovalenko – “Unclenching the Fists”
Kira Kovalenko was born in Nalchik, Russia. She graduated from Alexander Sokurov’s directing workshop at Kabardino-Balkarian State University in 2015. She made her feature directorial debut in 2016...