ALL POSTS
“Somersault” Director Cate Shortland Has a Miniseries in the Works
Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland is returning to the small screen. The “Somersault” and “Lore” director is working on an eight-part miniseries for Matchbox Pictures, The Playlist reports....
Guest Post: When a Woman Called the Shots at the Screen Writers Guild
Guest Post by J.E. Smyth Current debates in the media about women’s employment, representation, and visibility in Hollywood focus — perhaps predictably — on stars’ pay and the...
Julie Andrews Returns to TV to Teach Kids the Value of Arts Education in “Julie’s Greenroom”
Julie Andrews is coming back to TV to teach kids the value of arts education with Netflix’s “Julie’s Greenroom” set to launch on March 17. The series showcases the impact the arts can have...
SXSW 2017 Women Directors: Meet Natalia Leite — “M.F.A.”
Natalia Leite is a writer/director/actress, born in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her feature film debut, “Bare,” premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015, starring Dianna Agron and Paz De La Huerta....
SXSW 2017 Women Directors: Meet Noël Wells — “Mr. Roosevelt”
Noël Wells is an actor, writer, and director based in LA. Her acting credits include “Happy Anniversary,” “F*cking People,” and “Master of None.” She is also currently developing a show...
SXSW 2017 Women Directors: Meet Ovidie— “Pornocracy”
Ovidie is an author and film director. Her explicitly feminist films like “Pulsion” and “Le baiser” depict an ethical and realistic take on sexuality. Today Ovidie is a journalist, blogger,...
SXSW 2017 Women Directors: Meet Erin Lee Carr — “Mommy Dead and Dearest”
Erin Lee Carr is a New York-based filmmaker and writer. Her debut film, “Thought Crimes,” premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and Hot Docs Film Festival in 2015. Variety named her as one of...
SXSW 2017 Women Directors: Meet Ceylan Özgün Özçelik — “Inflame”
Born in Turkey, Ceylan Özgün Özçelik is a writer, director, producer, and editor. Özçelik produced, wrote, and hosted “En Heyecanlı Yeri,” a TV show about cinema that aired for almost 10...
Guest Post: Candice Thompson on Frizzy Hair, Big Lips, and Navigating a Career in Comedy as a…
Guest Post: Candice Thompson on Frizzy Hair, Big Lips, and Navigating a Career in Comedy as a Biracial Woman Guest Post by Candice Thompson Three things happened when I was eight years old. I...
Monumental Pictures Developing Movie About Roe v. Wade
With the demagogue-in-chief doing everything in his power to outlaw legal abortion, the public — and the elderly white men who are able to legislatively control women’s bodies — needs...
SXSW 2017 Women Directors: Meet Julia Halperin — “La Barracuda”
Julia Halperin previously produced, co-directed, and edited “Now, Forager,” which had its world premiere in 2012 at International Film Festival Rotterdam and its North American Premiere at New...
SXSW 2017 Women Directors: Meet Miao Wang — “Maineland”
Miao Wang an award-winning filmmaker who focuses on documentaries that inspire cultural understanding and a humanist perspective of the world. Her previous directing credits include “Beijing...
Guest Post: Five Tips to Break into a Career in Music Supervision
Guest Post by Laura Katz When I was a child, I met a woman sitting in a wheelchair in a hospital elevator with a nurse. The woman thought I looked a little sad (and I was, because I was a child...
SXSW 2017 Women Directors: Meet Jennifer M. Kroot — “The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin”
Jennifer M. Kroot’s directorial credits include “To Be Takei” and “It Came From Kuchar.” She has received grants from the Andy Warhol Foundation, Creative Work Fund, Frameline, the Pacific...
SXSW 2017 Women Directors: Meet Chris Shellen — “Spettacolo”
Chris Shellen is a writer and filmmaker based in California. She produced the award-winning documentary “Marwencol” and co-authored the companion art book, “Welcome to Marwencol,” which was...
Rebecca Thomas to Direct Adaptation of Cheryl Della Pietra’s “Gonzo Girl”
Rebecca Thomas just booked her next gig. The “Electrick Children” director is bringing Cheryl Della Pietra’s semi-autobiographical novel “Gonzo Girl” to the big screen, Deadline writes....
What Happened to the Women Directors in Hollywood?
What Happened to the Women Directors in Hollywood? Part 2: The First Females to Crack the Directors Guild by Carrie Rickey This five-part Truthdig series by Carrie Rickey is published in...
Ferne Pearlstein on Tackling Taboos in Comedy in “The Last Laugh”
Ferne Pearlstein is is a prize-winning cinematographer, a feature film editor, and a writer/director whose work has won numerous awards and been screened and broadcast around the world. In 2003...
What Happened to the Women Directors in Hollywood? Part 1: The Founding Mothers of Film
Print advertisement for Lois Weber’s “Too Wise Wives”: The Duluth Herald (Aug. 1921)/Wikimedia Commons by Carrie Rickey This five-part Truthdig series by Carrie Rickey is published in...
Lauren Graham to Return to TV in “Linda From HR” & “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Lorelai Gilmore. Sarah Braverman. Linda from HR. That’s right, Lauren Graham might have just booked her next iconic role. Deadline writes that the “Gilmore Girls” and “Parenthood” star is...
“Beauty and the Beast” Tracking Suggests the Emma Watson Film Will Open Huge
“Beauty and the Beast” may be “a tale as old as time,” but audiences are clearly still eager to watch the story unfold: early tracking for the film indicates that Disney’s live-action...
Gina Torres May Star in “Suits” Spinoff
Gina Torres hasn’t said goodbye to the “Suits” universe just yet. Deadline reports that the “Alias” actress is in “early talks” with USA Network for a spinoff series centered on her...
Teaser Watch: Oprah Searches for Answers in “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”
“There isn’t a person alive who hasn’t benefited from your mother’s cells,” Deborah Lacks is told in the first teaser for “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” Deborah’s mother...
Weekly Update for February 17: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“XX” Films About Women Opening This Week XX (Anthology) — Directed by Roxanne Benjamin, Sofia Carrillo, Karyn Kusama, Annie Clark (St. Vincent), and Jovanka Vuckovic; Co-Written by Roxanne...
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” Gets Premiere Date from HBO
Mark your calendar. HBO has announced a premiere date for “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” The film, based on Rebecca Skloot’s book of the same name and starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose...
“About Ray” Gets New Name and Release Date
“About Ray” is now “Three Generations.” The film, which has been on the shelf since September 2015, will be released May 19, 2017, The Hollywood Reporter writes. Directed by Gaby Dellal and...
Trailer Watch: Scarlett Johansson Fights Back in “Ghost in the Shell”
“I know I have a past. I’ll find out who I was,” vowed the Major (Scarlett Johansson) in the first trailer for “Ghost in the Shell.” The second trailer for the highly anticipated film sees...
Golshifteh Farahani to Star in Eva Husson Film About Female Resistance Fighters
A female-led film about freedom fighters that’s written and directed by a woman? Count us in. “Paterson” actress Golshifteh Farahani has signed on to star in Eva Husson’s “Girls of the...
Weekly Update for February 10: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“A United Kingdom” Films About Women Opening This Week Speed Sisters (Documentary) — Directed by Amber Fares (Opens in NY) (Also Available on VOD) “Speed Sisters” The Speed Sisters...
Berlinale 2017 Women Directors: Meet Ildikó Enyedi— “On Body and Soul”
Ildikó Enyedi began her career as a concept and media artist as part of the art group Indigo and the Balázs Béla Studio. Her first film, “My Twentieth Century,” won the Cannes Camera d’Or...
Berlinale 2017 Women Directors: Meet Daniela Thomas — “Vazante”
Daniela Thomas writes and directs films and plays, creates opera and theater sets, designs exhibitions, and creates installations. She is based in São Paulo but her work has been seen, exhibited,...
Guest Post: How a Radical Idea from 1994 Finds Itself Right on Time in 2017
Guest Post by Audrey Evans They say timing is everything, but I never dreamed the timing of my lesbian sci-fi dramedy “Genesis: The Future of Mankind is Women” could be so dead-on and accurate...
Octavia Spencer Formally Announces Her Future as a Producer
“I’m really drawn to stories that haven’t really been told,” Octavia Spencer said in a sit-down with Gloria Steinem at the annual Makers Conference. The actress believes movies should...
Guest Post: Hollywood’s Changing Attitudes Towards Latina Actresses
Guest Post by Marlene Forte Not sure when I became the old broad on set, but here I am, in 2017, recurring on four TV shows as the mama to female leads who all happen to be Latinas! Twenty-five...
Quote of the Day: Megan Ellison Urges Hollywood to Spread the Wealth
Accepting the Visionary Award at the Producers Guild of America Awards, Annapurna Pictures’ founder Megan Ellison referred to herself as an outsider, albeit one who has received a lot of support...
Protesting Pressure: February VOD and Web Series Picks
“The Watermelon Woman” Whether they’re romantic comedies, suspenseful thrillers, or spoofs, each one of this month’s VOD and web series picks gives us a look at how women handle societal...
Weekly Update for February 3: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous” Films About Women Opening This Week This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous (Documentary) — Directed by Barbara Kopple (Opens in NY and LA; Available on...
Emmy Winner Lili Fini Zanuck to Direct Documentary about Eric Clapton
A documentary about the legendary Eric Clapton is on its way and we couldn’t be happier — because it will be directed by Lili Fini Zanuck. Variety reports that Zanuck, who won an Oscar for...
Carol Burnett’s New Show Gets Pilot Order from ABC
We may be welcoming Carol Burnett back to the small screen. Her new comedy project, “Household Name,” has snagged a formal pilot pickup from ABC, Variety reports. Burnett toplines the potential...
Mimi Leder to Direct Ruth Bader Ginsburg Biopic Starring Natalie Portman
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Steve Petteway/ Wikimedia Commons/Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States Finally, some good news about the Supreme Court. The long-gestating Ruth Bader Ginsburg...
Watch: Patricia Clarkson is a Party Pooper in First Clip of Sally Potter’s “The Party”
Sally Potter’s newest film, “The Party,” is set to make its world premiere at Berlinale this month, where it’s screening in competition. Fortunately for those of us who can’t make it to...
February 2017 Film Preview
“A United Kingdom” There may or may not be love in the air this February, but one thing is certain: there is an abundance of female-led horror on the screen. There are, of course, some lighter...
Quote of the Day: DP Nancy Schreiber on Opening Doors for Other Women
Nancy Schreiber is set to make history. The veteran cinematographer will be the first woman to receive the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Presidents Award, Variety reports. In fact,...
César Nominations Recognize Existence of Women Directors
Nominations for the 2017 César Awards, France’s national film awards, have been announced. The Césars are considered France’s equivalent to the Oscars. This Academy actually recognized the...
Sundance Deals: Sales for Women-Directed “Landline,” “To the Bone,” & More
This year’s edition of the Sundance Film Festival is shaping up to be a memorable one for women directors. In the past day alone Gillian Robespierre’s “Landline,” Amanda Lipitz’s...
Daisy Ridley to Play a Spy in “A Woman of No Importance”
We’ve seen how well Daisy Ridley can handle a lightsaber, and now we’ll have the chance to see her in action as a spy. The “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” breakout is attached to star in...
Oscar 2017 Nominations: #OscarsSoWhite Gets a Slight Makeover
The 2017 Oscar nominations are in, and the more inclusive group of actors and films to receive nods suggests that the Academy’s decision to invite a diverse new class of members was, as expected,...
“Fresh Off the Boat” Team Secures Pilot Order from NBC for Family Comedy
NBC has ordered a pilot for an untitled comedy based on the life of “Fresh Off the Boat” producer Kourtney Kang, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. The project marks the first comedy pilot the...
Sundance 2017 Women Directors: Meet Zoe Lister-Jones — “Band Aid”
Zoe Lister-Jones is an actor, director, writer, and producer who is currently starring in CBS’ “Life in Pieces.” She recently co-starred in “Confirmation” for HBO. As a...
Sundance 2017 Women Directors: Meet Jennifer Brea — “Unrest”
Jennifer Brea is a filmmaker, writer, and data wrangler. She earned her AB in Politics from Princeton University, and is a TED Fellow. Prior, she was a freelance journalist in China and East and...
Sundance 2017 Women Directors: Meet Amanda Kernell — “Sami Blood”
Amanda Kernell has directed a number of shorts, including “Stoerre Vaerie,” or, “Northern Great Mountain,” which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and won the Best Swedish Short...