#Cannes
Claire Denis, Riley Keough, and More Women Filmmakers Win Big at Cannes 2022
Less than a year after Julia Ducournau made history as the second woman director to take home Cannes’ top prize, the Palme d’Or — and following weeks of its usual foolishness —...
Miriam Chandy Menacherry’s “From the Shadows” Selected for Breaking Through the Lens Program
“From the Shadows,” a documentary about child sex trafficking from Miriam Chandy Menacherry, has been chosen for the Breaking Through the Lens initiative out of the Cannes Film Market....
Cannes’ Vicky Krieps-Starrer “Corsage” Heading to IFC Films, Marie Kreutzer Directs
Vicky Krieps is continuing her Cannes hot streak. One of her upcoming projects, Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s “Hot Milk,” was acquired out of the Marché du Film; she’s starring in two Un...
Diversity in Cannes Creator Yolonda Brinkley Launches “Dear Cannes, Do Better,” Calls for More Inclusion
Yolonda Brinkley, the creator of inclusion movement Diversity in Cannes, is celebrating the festival’s 75th edition by urging it to make more of an effort — specifically to...
Cannes 2022 Women Directors: Meet Romane Gueret & Lise Akoka – “The Worst Ones” (“Les Pires”)
Romane Gueret studied cinema at the Sorbonne and took her first steps toward directing as an assistant director, casting assistant, and camerawoman. A trained actress, Lise Akoka discovered, in the...
Julianne Moore, Sandra Oh, & Lynne Ramsay Teaming Up for Margaret Atwood Adaptation “Stone Mattress”
Another Margaret Atwood adaptation is on the way, this time with Lynne Ramsay at the helm. Deadline confirms the “You Were Never Really Here” filmmaker is directing “hot Cannes...
Cannes 2022 Women Directors: Meet Charlotte Vandermeersch – “The Eight Mountains”
Charlotte Vandermeersch is an acclaimed Belgian stage and screen actress. She also sings and writes for film and theater. In 2011 she wrote a version of the screenplay of “The Broken Circle...
Cannes 2022 Women Directors: Meet Emily Atef – “More Than Ever” (“Plus Que Jamais”)
Emily Atef is a French-Iranian director born in Berlin. Her first feature film, “Molly’s Way,” won the Best Screenplay Award at the Munich Film Festival and the Grand Jury Prize at...
Maxine Peake Will Play Hero Journalist and Putin Critic Anna Politkovskaya in “Mother Russia”
Maxine Peake is adding “crusading journalist” to the list of the 90+ characters she has brought to life. The BAFTA and BIFA-nominated actress has signed on to portray Anna Politkovskaya,...
Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley Reunite for Thea Sharrock’s “Wicked Little Letters”
Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley are set to re-team less than one year after the release of “The Lost Daughter.” Their performances in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s feature directorial debut...
Cannes Reminds Us (Again) of How Much It Is Holding the Film Industry Back
Last week I was wondering why I was feeling so calm and then I realized that I wasn’t preparing to go to Cannes. For several years before the pandemic, I joined the annual pilgrimage to...
Léa Mysius’ “The Five Devils” Acquired by Mubi Ahead of Cannes Premiere
Léa Mysius’ latest, “The Five Devils,” has secured distribution ahead of its world premiere at Cannes in the Directors’ Fortnight section. According to a press release, Mubi...
Cannes Market: “Dirty Dancing” Sequel Planning 2024 Release, Script Hails from Elizabeth Chomko
Get ready to have the time of your life — again. Lionsgate is bringing its long-in-the-works, “Dirty Dancing” sequel to the Cannes Market. The “hot market package” is...
Projects Starring Ann Dowd, Maisie Williams to Launch Sales at Cannes Market
Women-penned pics starring Ann Dowd and Maisie Williams are among the latest projects heading to the 2022 Cannes Film Market. Dowd will be toplining “The Undertaker’s Children,” a thriller...
Trailer Watch: Lola Quivoron’s Cannes Pic “Rodeo” Teases the Underground World of Dirt Bike Riding
Among the films set to premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the upcoming Cannes film festival is “Rodeo,” Lola Quivoron’s narrative feature directorial debut. Now, thanks to...
Maryam Touzani’s Cannes Pic “The Blue Caftan” Acquired by Films Boutique
We’re still more than a week out from Cannes 2022 but its films are already being picked up for distribution. Among them are Maryam Touzani’s sophomore feature, “The Blue...
Renée Webster’s “How to Please a Woman” & More Secure Distribution Ahead of Cannes Market
A slew of women-directed films have just landed distribution deals ahead of their respective screenings at the Cannes film market later this month — they are WWII drama “The...
Cannes 2022: Valeria Golino & Rossy de Palma to Respectively Head Un Certain Regard & Camera d’Or Juries
The 2022 Cannes Film Festival has tapped multi-hyphenate Valeria Golino and actress Rossy de Palma to lead two of its juries. According to press releases from the fest, Golino has been named...
Kelly Reichardt to Receive Carrosse d’Or Award at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight Sidebar
Kelly Reichardt is one of the three women with films screening in Competition at Cannes this year. She’ll also be making an appearance at the prestigious fest’s sidebar, Directors’...
Cannes’ Ratio of Women-Directed Competition Films Remains Stagnant at 17 Percent
Update: Cannes announced additional titles April 21. Revised stats can be found below our original post. It’s been nearly four years since Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Frémaux signed...
Anita Rocha da Silveira’s Cannes Pic “Medusa” Heads to Music Box Films
“Medusa,” writer-director Anita Rocha da Silveira’s satirical thriller exploring the pressure women put on themselves to be perfect, has found a home. According to Deadline, Music...
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...
Diversity in Cannes Will Make Its Post-Pandemic Return with Diversity Day 2021
Unless you live under a rock, the following won’t come as a surprise, yet it still bears repeating: Cannes is not overly concerned about diversity or inclusion. Despite pledging to do better in...
Trailer Watch: Tatiana Huezo Brings “Prayers for the Stolen” to Cannes
An adaptation of Jennifer Clement’s novel of the same name, “Prayers for the Stolen” is set in a solitary town in the Mexican mountains where being a girl or having a daughter is...
Jodie Foster Will Receive Honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes This Year
Jodie Foster is joining the likes of Agnès Varda, Jane Fonda, and Jeanne Moreau. The actress, director, and producer is set to receive Cannes Film Festival’s Honorary Palme d’Or,...
Cannes 2020: Charlie Buhler & Jenna Lyng Adams’ Pandemic Thriller “Before the Fire” Goes to Dark Sky
An extremely prescient thriller written and directed by women has secured North American distribution. According to Deadline, Dark Sky Films nabbed the rights to “Before the Fire,” a...
Virtual Market(s) Being Prepped for Cannes
Despite being scheduled to kick off in less than two months, Cannes Film Festival and Marché du Film (Cannes Film Market) haven’t been cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The...
Submit Now: Breaking Through the Lens Financing Event at Cannes
Cannes Film Festival is notorious for its lack of women-directed programming, but Breaking Through the Lens is working towards making the fest, and the film industry, more inclusive. The grassroots...
The Biggest Moments of the Decade for Women in Film
The fight for gender equality and inclusion in show business is very much one step forward, two steps back. Just consider the 2020 Golden Globe nominations: even though there were a bunch of great...
Justine Triet’s “Sibyl” Lands at Music Box
“Sibyl” has found a home. Variety reports that Music Box Films acquired U.S. and Canadian rights to Justine Triet’s dark comedy, which was one of just four women-directed titles to...
“Saint Maud” Lands at A24
A24 has snagged North American rights to “Saint Maud” following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Rose Glass’ psychological horror pic was the only...
Trailer Watch: Art Transforms into Desire in Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”
“She wore out one painter before you. She refused to pose,” The Countess (Valeria Golino) warns an intrigued painter (Noémie Merlant). “You must paint without her knowing… Is...
Cannes 2019 Winners Include “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” “Atlantics,” and “For Sama”
Trailblazer Mati Diop has taken home Cannes Film Festival’s second-most prestigious prize. The French-Senegalese director made history as the first black female filmmaker to screen a feature in...
Cannes: “Bull” Director Annie Silverstein on Rodeo Culture and the Realities of On-Set Childcare
Interview by Becca Harrison Annie Silverstein won the Cinéfondation jury prize at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival for “Skunk,” a short about a 14-year-old girl whose pit bull is stolen by...
Louise Courvoisier’s “Mano a Mano” Takes Home Cannes Cinefondation Top Honor
Louise Courvoisier is leaving Cannes with a €15,000 grant (about $16,000 USD), the guarantee of having her debut feature screen at the fest, and the distinction of being named the first prize...
Cannes: Rebecca Zlotowski’s “An Easy Girl” Named Best French-Language Film at Directors’ Fortnight
Rebecca Zlotowski’s fourth feature has been honored at Cannes Film Festival. Her 2019 Directors’ Fortnight selection, “An Easy Girl,” won the sidebar’s prize for best...
Quote of the Day: “Port Authority’s” Leyna Bloom on Being the First Trans WOC to Lead a Cannes Pic
Leyna Bloom, star of Danielle Lessovitz’s “Port Authority,” is the first trans woman of color to lead a film selected for the Cannes Film Festival. As she explained in a talk at the fest,...
Cannes: Annabelle Attanasio’s “Mickey and the Bear” Lands at Utopia
Father-daughter story “Mickey and the Bear” has found a home. Utopia acquired worldwide rights to Annabelle Attanasio’s feature debut just after it screened in Cannes’ ACID...
Cannes: Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” Sold to Neon and Hulu
Buzz is growing for Céline Sciamma’s Palme d’Or contender ‘”Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” The pic has been acquired following its well-received world premiere at Cannes. Neon and...
New Database of Women Working Above & Below the Line in Film Introduced at Cannes
The tired myth that gender equality in film is impossible because there just are not enough women working is being disproven yet again. A new database, Primetime, debuted at Cannes today. Founded by...
Cannes 2019 Women Directors: Meet Alice Furtado – “Sick, Sick, Sick”
Alice Furtado is a Brazilian filmmaker and editor. She worked as an editor on Eduardo Williams’“El auge del humano,” and Tiago Mata Machado’s “Os sonâmbulos.” She directed the short film...
New Study From 5050×2020 Finds Significant Gender Gap in French Film Criticism
It’s been a year since 5050×2020 introduced the Gender Parity Pledge at Cannes, but the equality collective’s work is far from over. Since Cannes 2018, 5050×2020 has...
Cannes: Rosa Salazar to Star in and Exec Produce Lauren Schacher’s Feature Debut
Best known for playing an ass-kicking cyborg in “Alita: Battle Angel,” Rosa Salazar will take on the role of a chemistry teacher in “The Bang Bang Girls.” World rights to the...
Cannes 2019 Women Directors: Meet Maryam Touzani – “Adam”
Maryam Touzani is a director, screenwriter, and actress. Her first short film, 2012’s “When They Slept,” was selected by a number of prestigious international festivals and received...
Cannes 2019 Women Directors: Meet Sofía Quirós – “Ceniza Negra”
Sofía Quirós is a director and writer. Her short film “Selva” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Critic’s Week in 2017. Since then, it has screened in more than 40 cities around the world...
Cannes 2019 Women Directors: Meet Shahrbanoo Sadat – “The Orphanage”
Shahrbanoo Sadat is an Afghan writer and director based in Kabul. Her first feature film, “Wolf and Sheep,” was developed with the Cannes Cinéfondation Residence in 2010. Twenty years old at the...
Cannes: Ashley Judd to Topline Biopic of Singer and Anti-Gay Activist Anita Bryant
Besides her Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated work as an actress, Ashley Judd is known for her progressive political activism, which includes furthering the rights of girls and women worldwide and...
Watch: A Woman Gets a Text from Her Missing Lover in Clips of Mati Diop’s Cannes Pic “Atlantics”
Mati Diop’s “Atlantics” is making history as the first film directed by a black woman to screen in Cannes’ main Competition. The drama centers on Ada (Mame Bineta Sane), a young woman...
Quote of the Day: Julianne Moore Speaks in Favor of Quotas While Attending Cannes
“We will not have gender parity unless everybody is cooperating,” said Julianne Moore at recent event at the Cannes Film Festival, per TIME. Cannes signed the 5050×2020 gender parity...
Cannes 2019 Women Directors: Meet Danielle Lessovitz – “Port Authority”
Danielle Lessovitz is a New York-based writer and director in film and advertising. Her most recent screenwriting effort, “Mobile Homes,” which she co-wrote with Vladimir de Fontenay,...
Cannes 2019 Women Directors: Meet Melina León – “Song Without a Name”
Melina León is a Peruvian director based in Lima and New York. Her short film “El paraíso de Lili,” translated as “Lili’s Paradise,” premiered at the New York Film...