#Feminism
Brie Larson on Embracing Uniqueness, Directing Herself, and “Captain Marvel”
Brie Larson is an actress who has given standout performances in films such as “Short Term 12” and “Trainwreck.” In 2016 she won an Oscar for her turn as a young mother willing to do...
Submit Your Script to the 2018 Athena IRIS Screenwriting Lab
Are you a female-identifying screenwriter? Then we have some good news for you: Submissions for the 2018 Athena IRIS Screenwriting Lab are now open. The Lab, an intensive focused on script...
TIFF 2017 Women Directors: Meet Sadaf Foroughi — “AVA”
Sadaf Foroughi is an Iranian-born, Montreal-based filmmaker. In 2005 she was selected to participate in the Berlinale Talent Campus as a writer-director. She created a short documentary,...
New Research Disproves Three Myths About Female Directors
You know that only dudes go to the movies, right? That might sound ridiculous — because it is ridiculous and untrue — but that’s a sexist rule of thumb that studio execs still very...
Laura Dern on “Changing the Game for Actresses Over 40” and Equal Pay
Laura Dern is up for an Emmy for her role on “Big Little Lies,” and she’s loudly and proudly acknowledging the impact of the hit HBO series. “We’re changing the game for actresses over...
Venice Film Fest Chief Refuses to Accept Any Responsibility for Lack of Women
The following is a rant. Yesterday, a story broke that included comments from Alberto Barbera, the head of the Venice Film Festival, in which he responded to the lack of women directors in the...
Alankrita Shrivastava’s “Lipstick Under My Burkha” Gets U.S. Release
“Lipstick Under My Burkha” will have a U.S. theatrical run. Alankrita Shrivastava’s feminist film — which opened in India earlier this summer after initially being blocked for release by...
Jenji Kohan Recounts Sexism She Faced While Building Her Writing Career
Like the protagonists of her shows “Weeds” and “Orange Is the New Black,” Jenji Kohan isn’t shy about speaking her mind. And she won’t hesitate to call someone out if she needs to. This...
Women Win Four Categories at Gender-Neutral VMAs
After a much-hyped shift to gender-neutral awards, women won or co-won four of the 15 competitive categories at last night’s 2017 VMAs — approximately 27 percent. Female artists were...
Pink Shares Story About Her Daughter, Celebrates Individuality in Moving VMAs Speech
Pink used her VMAs platform to recount an interaction she’d had recently with her six-year-old daughter. Accepting the Video Vanguard award last night — which recognizes an artist’s career...
James Cameron Disses “Wonder Woman” and the Internet Disses Him Back
Gal Gadot shutting down an attacker in “Wonder Woman”: Clay Enos/Warner Bros. Yesterday, James Cameron found out that he’s no longer the King of the World. There is a new king — actually...
Guest Post: Why the Lack of Women-Made Films in the National Film Registry Is a Problem — and How…
Guest Post: Why the Lack of Women-Made Films in the National Film Registry Is a Problem — and How We Can Fix It Guest Post by Maya Pearson New strides towards equality are being made every...
Amy Schumer Negotiated with Netflix for Better Pay for “The Leather Special”
“I would like to say that I have been selling out arenas these last couple years. Something a female comic has never done,” Amy Schumer wrote in an Instagram post yesterday. “That’s a big...
Just 4 Women-Directed Films Included in BBC’s 100 Greatest Comedies List
BBC Culture recently asked 253 film critics (118 women and 135 men) to identify their top 10 favorite comedies. “We urged the experts to go with their heart and pick personal favorites,” the...
Forbes’ Highest-Paid Actors and Actresses Lists Reveal the Persistent Pay Gap
Forbes has recently released its lists of this year’s highest paid actors and actresses, and we were glad to see that Emma Stone came out on top — of her respective gender category, that is....
Books, Films, News, Television
Riley Keough and Producer Gina Gammell Team Up for Felix Culpa Production Co.
Riley Keough is the latest actress to begin her own production company. Deadline reports that the “Logan Lucky” star has officially launched company Felix Culpa with producer Gina Gammell....
Yvette Nicole Brown Reveals Experience with TV’s Gender Pay Gap
It’s been television’s age-old dirty little secret: Men — white men, in particular — usually make more than their female counterparts. Though this archaic industry standard is still...
Apply Now to the SouthMed Women in Audiovisual Program
While Hollywood continues to overlook its blatant disregard for inclusivity, programs around the world are working towards leveling the playing field. Women in Audiovisual in the Southern...
Movies Announced from Directors St. Vincent, Emily Harris, & Brittany Poulton
Several new women-directed films are on the way. According to recent reports, we can expect the feature directorial debut from musical artist St. Vincent as well as Emily Harris’ first solo...
Patty Jenkins in Final Talks to Direct “Wonder Woman 2”
Patty Jenkins will return to direct “Wonder Woman 2.” After more than two months of speculation and rumors, Deadline reports that Jenkins is close to signing on for the sequel in a historic...
All-Female Theater Company Established in London
Thirty-six actresses have come together to fight theater’s woman problem. According to The Stage, a new, all-female acting company, Dangerous Space, has been introduced in London. Voice coach and...
Susan Sarandon to Receive Woodstock Film Festival Maverick Award
Activist and Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon will be honored with the Maverick Award this year at the Woodstock Film Festival, the Daily Freeman reports. According to the festival’s press...
Emma Stone Tops Forbes’ 2017 Highest-Paid Actresses List
Emma Stone has achieved another milestone. Less than six months after winning the Academy Award for Best Actress, the “La La Land” star took the top spot on Forbes’ annual list of the...
Quote of the Day: Helen Mirren on Beauty and What She’d Tell Her Younger Self
“Nastiest of All Nasty Women” Helen Mirren has been redefining and challenging Hollywood standards for decades. From her longstanding role as DCI Jane Tennison in “Prime Suspect” to her...
Taylor Swift Wins Sexual Assault Lawsuit
After four long years, Taylor Swift’s sexual assault case has finally come to a close. As reported by Vanity Fair, jurors determined that D.J. David Mueller “assaulted the pop star by grabbing...
Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton’s “Battle of the Sexes” Set as American Express Gala at BFI…
Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton’s “Battle of the Sexes” Set as American Express Gala at BFI London Film Fest The BFI London Film Festival will be hosting the “Battle of the Sexes.”...
“Wonder Woman” Is Now the Top Female-Helmed Film at the Domestic Box Office
Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman” can add another accomplishment to its ever-growing list of milestones. As you might have heard, the superheroine pic surpassed the $400 million mark at the...
Teaser Watch: The Most Powerful Men in the World Play “Molly’s Game”
“I’m Molly Bloom. Do you know about me?” a confident Jessica Chastain asks an unimpressed Idris Elba in the new teaser for “Molly’s Game.” If he doesn’t, he will soon. You see, at the...
“Simpsons” Writer Mimi Pond on Being Shut Out of All-Male Writers’ Room
For a show that gave us Lisa Simpson, one of the most feminist TV characters of all time, “The Simpsons” hasn’t always been a welcoming environment for women. Just the opposite in fact,...
Female TV Directors Share Stories, Talk Ryan Murphy’s Half Program at FX Panel
Seven female directors gathered for a panel hosted by FX Networks on Wednesday to talk about their professional experiences. One of the main topics of conversation? The catch-22 most new episodic...
“Finding Dory” Co-Writer Victoria Strouse to Adapt Book About Female Aviators
Victoria Strouse is shifting her focus from under the sea to the skies above. The “Finding Dory” co-writer has been hired by Fox 2000 to adapt Katherine Sharp Landdeck’s upcoming nonfiction...
Quote of the Day: Playing Billie Jean King Was a “Game Changer” for Emma Stone
Representation matters, and not just for audiences. Emma Stone described playing tennis pro Billie Jean King as a “game changer” in a new interview with Marie Claire. She portrays the...
Melissa McCarthy to Topline and Produce Film About Boston’s First Female Cops
Melissa McCarthy has lined up her next project. The comedy superstar will team up with her producing partner, frequent collaborator, and husband Ben Falcone on an untitled film about Boston’s...
Guest Post: Plenty of Qualified Women Directors Are Ready to Fill the Ranks
Guest Post by Rachel Feldman If asked to imagine a film or TV director, most people conjure the image of a man. Sadly, this is true for those who work in the film and television industry as well....
Quote of the Day: Brie Larson Hopes by Directing She Can Inspire Others to “Take the Risk”
Brie Larson’s feature directorial debut, “Unicorn Store,” won’t hit theaters until later this year, but the Oscar-winning actress is already gauging the movie’s success. And,...
Paula Vogel’s “Indecent” Ends Broadway Run with Highest Weekly Gross Yet
Paula Vogel’s Tony-winning play “Indecent” ended its Broadway run last night on a new high. After 128 performances and 15 previews at Cort Theatre, the show closed with its highest weekly...
Australia’s Smart for a Girl: ROAR Program Supports Entry-Level Female TV Writers
Producer Imogen Banks and screenwriter Alice Bell have launched a new program for women starting out as television writers: Smart for a Girl: ROAR. With financial support from Gender Matters:...
Quote of the Day: Ava DuVernay Doesn’t “Understand a Structure Where Women Aren’t Making Decisions”
Ava DuVernay is at it again. The “13th” director can always be counted on to deliver powerful truths about the industry, whether she’s describing Hollywood as “a patriarchy, headed by men...
NBC Launches Initiative to Train and Hire Women Directors
Just one drama pilot was directed by a woman this broadcast pilot season. One. As much as people like to treat TV like film’s woke — or at least more woke — sophisticated, cooler...
TIFF’s Platform Program 50% Women-Directed, Includes World Premiere of Clio Barnard’s “Dark River”
The Toronto International Film Festival’s Platform program has arrived, and it’s something to celebrate. Hailing from eight countries on five continents, the lineup features 12 films, six of...
Academy to Host Event Celebrating Trailblazing Women of Animation
“Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King,” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” are just a few of the many movies women animators helped bring to the screen. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts...
Quote of the Day: Halle Berry Loves Seeing “A Woman of Color Get to Save the Day”
It’s time for a mom to come to the rescue. “Taken” and plenty of other action flicks have seen dads go to hell and back to save their kids. Now Halle Berry is getting the chance to be a hero...
London Feminist Film Fest Unveils 2017 Lineup
“In these politically and socially turbulent times we felt a real need to address the rising levels of misogyny, racism, and xenophobia,” write the organizers of the fifth London Feminist Film...
Quote of the Day: Jessica Lange Says “Ageism is Pervasive” in the Film Biz
After more than four decades in the industry, Jessica Lange continues to deliver standout performances and rack up awards. She’s up for an Emmy this year for playing Joan Crawford in “Feud:...
Study: The Last Decade’s Most Popular Films Are Lacking in Inclusivity
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” the top-earning film of 2016 in the U.S. Conversations about more inclusivity and better representation in film have undoubtedly increased within the last decade;...
Quote of the Day: Phoebe Waller-Bridge Calls People-Pleasing “A Fucking Nightmare”
“Being proper and sweet and nice and pleasing is a fucking nightmare. It’s exhausting,” says Phoebe Waller-Bridge in a new interview with The Guardian. It’s just the kind of observation her...
Women-Directed Films Account For Less Than 5 Percent of Venice’s Competition Lineup
“Venice is recognized as the oldest film festival in the world, but the 73rd iteration of the fest demonstrates that they are lagging behind when it comes to gender equality in their...
Welle Entertainment Nabs Rights to Book About the Female Heroes of Silicon Valley
Love HBO’s “Silicon Valley” but wish women had more of a presence in the comedy? Fortunately it looks like a story about “the unsung female heroes of Silicon Valley” is coming to the...
Book Excerpt: “Nancy Meyers”
The following is excerpted from Deborah Jermyn’s “Nancy Meyers,” which will be released July 27. May 2014. A BBC journalist was on the phone. It was shortly to be the twentieth anniversary of...
Michelle Terry Named As Globe Theatre’s New Artistic Director
Michelle Terry is set to take over from departing artistic director Emma Rice at London’s Globe Theatre. The celebrated Shakespearean actor will start as artistic director designate at...
BBC Women Demand Equal Pay
Last week the BBC published its annual report on its spending and program offerings, which revealed the disappointing, but sadly unsurprising fact that the corporation’s biggest female stars are...