ALL POSTS
NYC Invests $5 Million Towards Tackling Gender Inequality in Film and TV Industry
New York City is a Mecca of entertainment. The iconic city serves as the setting for countless film, TV, and theater classics. Now the city is tackling a major absence in many of these works: women....
October 2016 Film Preview
“The Girl on the Train” For those of you who are gearing up for awards season or are planning to celebrate Halloween at the movies, we at Women and Hollywood would just like to say you will not...
Dawn Porter to Be Honored at DOC NYC Film Fest
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Dawn Porter will be honored at this year’s DOC NYC Film Festival, Realscreen reports. Porter will receive the Robert and Anne Drew Award for Documentary...
“The Daily Show’s” Jessica Williams Takes on First Starring Role
Former “Daily Show” correspondent Jessica Williams has landed her first starring role. She’ll re-team with director Jim Strouse for an untitled feature film, taking on a role that was written...
“Audrie & Daisy” Director Bonni Cohen Talks Cyberbullying and Sex Crimes
Interview by Diana Martinez Since co-founding Actual Films in 1998, Bonni Cohen has produced and directed an array of award-winning films, including “The Island President,” “Inside...
Weekly Update for September 23: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“Queen of Katwe” Films About Women Opening This Week Queen of Katwe — Directed by Mira Nair For ten-year-old Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga) and her family, life in the impoverished slum...
“Generation Startup” Directors on Pushing Boundaries and Starting Companies
“Generation Startup” directors Cynthia Wade and Cheryl Miller Houser shared their thoughts on starting their own companies, why it’s important for young people to pursue their business dreams,...
Elite Zexer’s “Sand Storm” is Israel’s Oscar Pick
Another women-directed feature is joining the Oscar race. Israel has chosen to submit “Sand Storm” to represent the country in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2017 Academy Awards,...
Trailer Watch: “Newtown” Doc Examines the Aftermath of Sandy Hook Tragedy
“I don’t think that any of us that were in there feel like anyone needs to know specifically what we saw,” says an interviewee in a newly released trailer for Kim A. Snyder’s “Newtown.”...
Two Women Directors Shortlisted for UK’s Biggest Film Bursary
The BFI and IWC Schaffhausen have revealed the shortlist of writers and/or directors competing for the inaugural IWC Filmmaker Bursary Award in Association with the BFI, and two of the four...
Samuel Goldwyn Writing Awards Have All Male Finalists and Judges
In today’s edition of “Are you fucking kidding me?!?” the Samuel Goldwyn Writing Awards have whittled down their selection to five finalists, and, as far as we can tell, not only are they all...
Women-Directed Films Dominate EFA Debut Film Nominees
Women directors are often shut out of awards conversations, nevermind nominations, but in a refreshing change of pace, female-directed films dominate the nominees for the European Film Awards’...
Trailer Watch: Rebecca Hall Mesmerizes as a Depressed Newscaster in “Christine”
Christine is an on-air reporter who is “always on the lookout for a positive human interest story.” Her boss has another approach to the news: “If it bleeds, it leads.” This tension is one...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Maya Zinshtein — “Forever Pure”
Maya Zinshtein is an Israeli filmmaker and journalist originally from Russia. She has worked as a producer of documentaries, including “Thieves by Law” (2010), and as an investigative...
Producer Effie Brown Named Keynote Speaker at 2016 Film Independent Forum
“Dear White People” producer Effie Brown is slated to deliver the Keynote address at the 12th annual Film Independent Forum, Shadow and Act reports. Film Independent is the the non-profit arts...
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,...
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 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...
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...
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...
Fall 2016 Film Preview
By Rachel Montpelier and Kate Gardner Summer might be over, but the impressive array of fall movie releases guarantees you won’t succumb to the back-to-school and work blues quite yet. The fall...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Susan Johnson — “Carrie Pilby”
Susan Johnson is an Independent Spirit Award winning filmmaker. “Carrie Pilby” marks her feature directorial debut. After a successful career as a music video director, Johnson has produced 10...
TIFF 2016 Women Directors: Meet Maren Ade — “Toni Erdmann”
Maren Ade‘s second feature, “Everyone Else,” won two Silver Bears at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival: the Grand Jury Prize and Best Actress for Birgit Minichmayr. The modern relationship drama...
Trailer Watch: Kristen Stewart Teaches Her First Class in “Certain Women”
“It’s so lovely to think that, if I were a man, people would listen and say OK. That’d be so restful,” says Laura Dern in the new trailer for Kelly Reichardt’s “Certain Women.”...
“La La Land” First Reviews and Twitter Reactions (Updated)
August 31 marked not only the end of an overly heated month (both on and off the web), but also the beginning of this year’s fall festival season. That’s right. It’s Venice (#Venezia73) time....
“White Girl” Writer-Director Elizabeth Wood on Her Controversial New Film
Interview by Diana Martinez After a few years of making experimental and documentary films, Elizabeth Wood received a screenwriting fellowship to Columbia, where she earned her MFA. One of...
September 2016 Film Preview
“Queen of Katwe” by Kate Gardner and Rachel Montpelier From tense horror films to powerful documentaries, the diversity of films this September shows that films by and about women span all...
Trailer Watch: Sibling Rivalry Gets Super Awkward in “My Blind Brother”
A trailer has been released for “My Blind Brother,” Sophie Goodhart’s feature debut. The comedy centers on Bill (Nick Kroll, “Burning Love”), a man who is constantly overshadowed by his...
Listen: Podcast with Clea DuVall, Writer, Director, and Star of “The Intervention”
Women and Hollywood spoke with Clea DuVall, writer, director, and star of “The Intervention.” DuVall has been acting on screen for 20 years, with credits including “Veep,” “American Horror...
Bias and Stereotypes Hold Women Back from Theater Leadership Positions
Why are so few women in top leadership positions in theaters and how can these numbers improve? HowlRound, a commons by and for people who make performance, has shared new research seeking answers...
Trailer Watch: Kirsten Johnson Records Life Around the World in “Cameraperson”
A trailer has landed for “Cameraperson,” Kirsten Johnson’s award-winning new documentary. The film made its World Premiere at Sundance in January, and in June snagged top honors at the...
Trailer Watch: “Audrie & Daisy” Doc Tackles Sex Crimes and Cyber Bulling
Netflix has released a heartbreaking trailer for “Audrie & Daisy.” The documentary chronicles the lives of two underage teen girls in the aftermath of being sexually assaulted and having the...
Weekly Update for August 19: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
“A Tale of Love and Darkness” Films About Women Opening This Week A Tale of Love and Darkness — Written and Directed by Natalie Portman “A Tale of Love and Darkness” is based on the...
Ava DuVernay Talks Making History
Ava DuVernay: THR “Selma” director Ava DuVernay cannot be stopped. No one is going to tell her what to do. And thank goodness. Not only does the director have an abundance of projects coming up,...
The Taint on “The Birth of a Nation”
This past Friday, the public learned (at least the public that was paying attention on a steamy August Friday) that Nate Parker, the most recent Sundance Institute Vanguard winner, and writer and...
Frankie Shaw Gets Showtime Pilot
Showtime has ordered a pilot for Frankie Shaw’s “SMILF,” Deadline reports. The series is based on her short of the same name that won the Short Film Jury Award at Sundance last year. The...
Emmy Winner Tracy Droz Tragos on Her New Doc “Abortion: Stories Women Tell”
Tracy Droz Tragos is an award-winning independent filmmaker. Tragos’ “Rich Hill” explored rural poverty and won the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival....
So Yong Kim’s “Lovesong” Acquired by Strand
Strand Releasing has purchased select U.S. rights to So Yong Kim’s “Lovesong,” Variety reports. Jena Malone (“The Neon Demon,” “The Hunger Games” franchise) and Riley Keough (“The...
NYFF Announces Main Slate: 20 Percent Women-Directed
The New York Film Festival has announced the Main Slate for its 54th edition. Only five of 25 films screening, or 20 percent, are helmed by women. Still, these numbers demonstrate that the fest is...
Stacie Passon to Direct Shirley Jackson’s “We Have Always Lived in the Castle”
Stacie Passon has co-written and will direct a film adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s 1962 story “We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” The Hollywood Reporter writes. The creepy story “centers...
Molly Bernstein on Her New Doc About Photographer Rosamond Purcell
Interview by Freja Dam Molly Bernstein directed, produced, and edited “Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay.” She has written and directed documentary profiles of other...
Serbian Actress Mirjana Karanović on Her Directorial Debut “A Good Wife”
“A Good Wife”: Karlovy Vary Interview By Tina Poglajen Mirjana Karanović has been one of the most instantly recognizable faces of the cinema of the countries of ex-Yugoslavia at least since...
Brie Larson to Make Feature Directorial Debut with “Unicorn Store”
Brie Larson is having a banner 2016. After winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in “Room” earlier this year, Larson was recently announced as taking on the role of...
Trailer Watch: “The Eagle Huntress” Goes Where No Woman Has Gone Before
Sony Pictures Classics’ inspiring new documentary “The Eagle Huntress” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year to great reviews, and now the new trailer adds a familiar voice...
Brazilian Women Directors to be Showcased at Museum of the Moving Image
As the Summer Olympic Games gets underway in Rio, the Museum of the Moving Image in New York is launching a season of women-directed films celebrating contemporary Brazilian cinema. According to a...
Rose McGowan and SeriesFest Launch Script Competition For Women-Centric Content
Rose McGowan wants to see more episodic content “about, for, and featuring women.” That’s why the actress and director’s production company, Damage Inc. Productions, has teamed up with...
“Winter’s Bone” Helmer Debra Granik to Write and Direct New Adventure Drama
Debra Granik, best known for her 2010 indie sensation “Winter’s Bone,” is set to co-write and direct a new adventure drama. The Tracking Board reports that Granik is working on an adaptation...
Venice Days Lineup Highlights Female Directors
Venice Days, The Venice Film Festival’s independent arm modeled on Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, has unveiled their lineup for the 13th fest, which runs from August 31-September 10...
Listen: Podcast with “Equity” Director Meera Menon
Women and Hollywood recently had the chance to talk with director Meera Menon about her trailblazing new film. “Equity” tells the story of the women of Wall Street — the powerful female...
Writer-Director Nijla Mu’min Selected for Panavision New Filmmaker Program
Nijla Mu’min is set to receive some valuable support for her feature film debut: the writer-director has been selected for The Panavision New Filmmaker Program. In “Jinn,” Mu’min will tackle...
Women Will Guest Program Aspen Film’s 2016–2017 Season
Aspen Film has announced special guest programmers for its 2016–2017 season and they are all women. Rachel Chanoff has been named Director of Programming for the 38th annual Aspen Filmfest, Jane...