ALL POSTS
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Lindsay MacKay – “The Swearing Jar”
Lindsay MacKay is a writer and director. MacKay is a graduate of the York University Film program and went on to get her Masters in Directing from the AFI Conservatory. Her debut feature, “Wet...
Trailer Watch: Kasi Lemmons & Naomi Ackie Tell Whitney Houston’s Story in “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
The story behind the greatest voice of her generation is coming to the big screen. A trailer has dropped for “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” Kasi Lemmons’ Whitney Houston biopic. In...
Celebrating 15 Years of Women and Hollywood
This fall marks the 15th anniversary of Women and Hollywood. When I started Women and Hollywood in 2007, a woman had never won an Oscar for best director; a woman of color had never directed a $100...
Trailer Watch: Brandi Carlile Pushes For “The Return of Tanya Tucker”
“When I heard that Tanya Tucker hadn’t made a record in the better part of 15 years, I suddenly realized how potent an influence Tanya Tucker has been on women in country music,”...
TIFF 2022 Directors: Meet Joseph Amenta – “Soft”
Joseph Amenta was born in Toronto and has an honors degree in film studies from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). They have directed the short films “Cherry...
Carla Simon’s Berlinale Winner “Alcarràs” Named as Spain’s Oscar Pick
This year’s recipient of the Berlinale’s highest honor may be heading to the Oscars. Spain has selected Golden Bear winner “Alcarràs” as its pick for the international...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Angela Wanjiku Wamai – “Shimoni” (“The Pit”)
Angela Wanjiku Wamai works as a film editor in Nairobi, Kenya. She was recently awarded best film editor by the Women in Film Awards – Kenya. In 2018 she wrote “I Had to Bury...
Showrunner Coalition Now in Talks with Studios Re: Abortion Demands, Aiming to Launch Hotline
The coalition of over 400 women and nonbinary showrunners — and the approximately 1,000 directors and male showrunners who are standing with them in solidarity — is continuing its quest...
Austria Submits Marie Kreutzer’s “Corsage” for Oscars, Drops Trailer for the Vicky Krieps-Starrer
“Corsage” is eyeing a trip to the Academy Awards. Austria has selected Marie Kreutzer’s portrait of Empress Elisabeth of Austria as its pick for the 2023 international feature film...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Carmen Jaquier – “Thunder”
Swiss film director Carmen Jaquier graduated from the Cantonal School of Art in Lausanne (ECAL) in 2011. Her graduation film, “The Girls’ Gravere,” went on to receive the Pardino...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Marie Kreutzer – “Corsage”
Marie Kreutzer has had a hand in many Austrian film productions. Her first feature film, “The Fatherless”(“Die Vaterlosen”) (2011), has been shown and awarded at numerous...
Pick of the Day: “Medusa”
I can’t lie: At this point in time, I’m not above indulging in schadenfreude when I hear about people who have played an active part in rolling back women’s rights — white...
Issa Rae’s “Rap Sh!t” Renewed for a Second Season at HBO Max
Shawna and Mia are just warming up. The aspiring rappers will continue their journey in Season 2 of “Rap Sh!t.” Deadline reports that HBO Max has renewed the comedy. Created by...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Jub Clerc – “Sweet As”
Jub Clerc is a Nyul Nyul/Yawuru woman from the Kimberley in Western Austrlia. Clerc spent many years in theatre before moving into film and television, working on multiple award-winning productions....
Zendaya Makes History (Again) at 2022 Emmys, Quinta Brunson Also Among Big Winners
Zendaya is now the youngest actress to receive two Emmys and the first Black woman to win Lead Actress in a Drama Series twice. The 26-year-old took home her second statuette for...
Sofia Coppola to Direct Priscilla Presley Biopic, Cailee Spaeny Will Star
Priscilla Presley is coming back to the big screen, and this time, she’s taking center stage. After being portrayed by Olivia DeJonge in “Elvis” earlier this year, the...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Lila Neugebauer – “Causeway”
Lila Neugebauer is a theater, film, and television director from New York City. Her stage work includes the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Kenneth Lonergan’s “The Waverly Gallery,” starring...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Frances O’Connor -“Emily”
Frances O’Connor is an Australian-English actress living in London who is best known for her film roles in “Mansfield Park” and “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Her TV...
Georgia Oakley’s Venice Winner “Blue Jean” Acquired by Magnolia Pictures
“Blue Jean” has secured North American distribution on the heels of its world premiere at Venice Film Festival, where it landed the Giornate degli Autori People’s Choice Award....
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Liliane Mutti – “Miúcha, The Voice of Bossa Nova”
Born in Salvador, Brazil, Liliane Mutti is the founder of the Ciné Nova Bossa Association in Paris. She produces and directs films with strong political engagement, such as “Ecocide,”...
Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” & Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer” Take Top Prizes at Venice
For the third consecutive year, Venice Film Festival has awarded its top prize, the Golden Lion, to a film by a woman director. Following in the footsteps of Chloé Zhao in 2020...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Sophie Kargman – “Susie Searches”
Sophie Kargman is a director, writer, producer, and actor based in Los Angeles. Her short film “Query,” which she also co-wrote and produced, had its world premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Tamana Ayazi – “In Her Hands”
Tamana Ayazi is a filmmaker and journalist from Afghanistan. She has a background in business, sports, and activism. She is a NatGeo explorer who uses storytelling as a tool to advocate for equality...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Amy Redford – “Roost”
Amy Redford’s career in the creative arts spans over three decades as a director, producer, and actor in film, television, music videos, and theater. “The Guitar” marked her directorial...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Bess Wohl – “Baby Ruby”
Bess Wohl is a writer, director, and playwright. In theater, her play “Grand Horizons” was nominated for a Tony Award. In film and television she has developed projects with Amazon, HBO,...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Aitch Alberto – “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”
Aitch Alberto is a writer and director born and raised in Miami, Florida. She is a Sundance Episodic Lab fellow, the recipient of a Skowhegan Artist Residency, a Yaddo fellowship, and a Latino...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Stephanie Johnes – “Maya and the Wave”
Stephanie Johnes is a director, producer, and documentary filmmaker who gravitates toward stories of underdogs and dreamers. Her directorial debut, “Doubletime,” premiered at SXSW and Tribeca and...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Maggie Levin and Vanessa Winter – “V/H/S/99”
Maggie Levin is a filmmaker with rock ‘n’ roll roots. She served as second unit director and credit designer for Universal’s “The Black Phone,” in theaters now....
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Mary Nighy – “Alice, Darling”
Mary Nighy is a UK-based director who has directed episodes of “Industry,” a new series for HBO and Bad Wolf, and “Traces,” a new series for Red Productions. Nighy was the...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Lauren DeFilippo – “Free Money”
Lauren DeFilippo is a documentary filmmaker based in New York City. She most recently produced “Ailey” (Sundance 2021), an acclaimed feature documentary that was released in theaters...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Vera Drew – “The People’s Joker”
Vera Drew (she/her) is an accomplished LGBTQ+ director and editor who has worked in TV and film for nearly a decade. She recently directed Season 12 of Tim Heidecker’s “On Cinema at...
Trailer Watch: Essie Davis Will Go to Any Lengths to Get Her Kids Back in “The Justice of Bunny King”
Described by director Gaysorn Thavat as “a social justice action film about motherhood,” “The Justice of Bunny King” sees the titular character (Essie Davis, “The...
Pick of the Day: “True Things”
I love stories that give their female characters the space and compassion to be messy, stories that are unconcerned if, on paper, they’re flirting with the misogynist “crazy woman”...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Selcen Ergun – “Snow and the Bear” (“Kar ve Ayı”)
Selcen Ergun is a director and screenwriter from Turkey. She began her career as an assistant director, working on many national and international productions. Her short films...
Teaser Watch: Chloë Grace Moretz Travels Through Time in Dystopian Sci-Fi “The Peripheral”
“Westworld” creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan are unveiling their next sci-fi epic, “The Peripheral,” a Prime Video series based on William Gibson’s novel of the same...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Malou Reymann – “Unruly”
Malou Reymann is a director and screenwriter who graduated from the National Film and Television School in England. Her debut feature, “A Perfectly Normal Family,” which premiered at...
Octavia Spencer, Krista Vernoff, & Meghann Plunkett Bringing Ashley Elston Novel “First Lie Wins” to Hulu
Octavia Spencer is collaborating with “Grey’s Anatomy” showrunner Krista Vernoff and “Station 19” writer Meghann Plunkett on a Hulu adaptation of Ashley Elston’s...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: V.T. Nayani – “This Place”
V.T. Nayani is a director, producer, and writer. She is a recipient of the UN Women Yvonne M. Hebert Award for filmmakers and photographers. Most recently, she completed her residency in the...
Anna Kendrick to Make Directorial Debut with True Crime Pic “The Dating Game”
Less than a week ahead of the world premiere of her latest film, “Alice, Darling,” word comes that Anna Kendrick is stepping behind the camera. Deadline reports that the Oscar-nominated...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Sinéad O’Shea – “Pray for Our Sinners”
Sinéad O’Shea is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. Her first feature documentary, “A Mother Brings her Son to be Shot,” premiered at CPH:DOX 2018 where it was nominated for a...
Trailer Watch: Jessica Chastain Risks It All to Protect Her Patients in “The Good Nurse”
Jessica Chastain crosses paths with a Dr. Death-type in “The Good Nurse.” A new trailer for the Netflix thriller introduces us to Amy (Chastain), a single mom dealing with long shifts at...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Laura Baumeister – “Daughter of Rage”
Laura Baumeister was born and raised in Nicaragua and trained at Mexico’s Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica. A sociologist as well as a filmmaker, Baumeister has directed the...
Quote of the Day: Viola Davis & “The Woman King” Cast on Being Black Women in the Biz & Building Sisterhood
The stars of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s highly anticipated “The Woman King” — Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Thuso Mbedu, and Adrienne Warren — speak frankly...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Alice Winocour – “Paris Memories”
Alice Winocour directed her first feature film in 2011, “Augustine.” It was selected for Cannes’ Critics Week and nominated for a César Award for the Best First Film. Her second...
Buffy Sainte-Marie to Receive TIFF Tribute Award
Buffy Sainte-Marie is getting a TIFF Tribute Award at the 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. The Oscar-winning Indigenous Canadian-American musician will be honored with the...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Nisha Pahuja – “To Kill a Tiger”
Nisha Pahuja is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker based in Toronto and Bombay. Her credits include the critically-acclaimed “Diamond Road,” “Bollywood Bound,” and “The World...
Muslim Characters Are Erased & Stereotyped in Popular TV, According to Inclusion Initiative Study
Last year, Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released a study outlining the inadequate representation the Muslim community has received in popular film in recent years....
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Carolina Markowicz – “Charcoal”
Carolina Markowicz is a screenwriter and director based in São Paulo, Brazil. Her short films have won many international awards and have played in more than 200 festivals worldwide including TIFF,...
Quote of the Day: Jennifer Lawrence Reflects on Pregnancy & Motherhood in the Wake of Roe Reversal
“The morning after I gave birth, I felt like my whole life had started over. Like, Now is day one of my life,” Jennifer Lawrence recalls in a new feature for Vogue. “I just stared. I...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Gail Maurice – “Rosie”
Gail Maurice is a fluent Cree/Michif-speaking actor and an award-winning independent filmmaker and Arts Laureate. She is a recipient of the Hnatyshyn Foundation Indigenous Award for Excellence in the...
Trailer Watch: Mila Kunis Is the “Luckiest Girl Alive”
“I don’t know what’s me and what part I invented,” Mila Kunis admits in a new trailer for “Luckiest Girl Alive.” Netflix’s adaptation of Jessica...