#Films
Doc About Hollywood Gender Discrimination “This Changes Everything” Secures Release
“This Changes Everything,” a documentary investigating Hollywood’s decades of discrimination against women on and off-screen, has nabbed distribution. According to a press...
Vicky Jewson on Telling the Story of a Female Bodyguard in Noomi Rapace-Starrer “Close”
Vicky Jewson began her career at age 16, directing several short films. She founded her production company, Jewson Film, at age 18. Jewson made her feature directorial debut with the 2006’s...
WIF LA Names 2018 Film Finishing Fund Recipients
Women In Film, Los Angeles (WIF LA) has awarded its 33rd annual Film Finishing Fund to nine projects about and/or made by women, a press release announced. The Fund provides cash grants and in-kind...
Berlinale 2019: 41% of Films Eligible for Top Honors in Competition Are Women-Directed
The Berlin International Film Festival has finalized its 2019 Competition. Of the 23 films selected, eight are helmed by women, or about 35 percent. That figure is more than double last year’s...
Upholding Gender Parity Pledge, Cannes Unveils Selection Committee for the First Time
The Cannes Film Festival is sticking to its word. Last year the fest signed the Gender Parity Pledge, promising to make its film selection process more transparent to the public — and inspired...
Box Office Report: “On the Basis of Sex” Hits $10.6M, “Beale Street” $7.7M, & More
Ruth Bader Ginsburg continues to rule at the box office. Last year Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s doc about the Supreme Court Justice, “RBG,” became one of the highest-grossing...
Weekly Update for January 11: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Touch Me Not – Written and Directed by Adina Pintilie (Opens in NY) On the fluid border between reality and fiction, “Touch Me Not” follows the emotional journeys...
NYC’s Film Forum to Host Tribute to Elaine May
New York City cinema Film Forum will pay special tribute to actress-comedian-filmmaker Elaine May during its upcoming “FAR-OUT IN THE 70s: A New Wave of Comedy, 1969-1979” film series....
“On the Basis of Sex” Director Mimi Leder on Finding Inspiration and Common Ground with RBG
“On the Basis of Sex” is a movie that takes place in the 1950s but, sadly, feels like it could be set yesterday or tomorrow. The early years of the now-notorious RBG are basically a superhero...
“Captain Marvel” Pre-Sales Among Top Three in MCU History
Carol Danvers has made history yet again — and we still have another two months before her film opens. According to Deadline, “Captain Marvel,” the Marvel Cinematic...
Athena Fest 2019: “Fast Color,” “Knock Down the House,” & More to Screen
If you’re frustrated by awards season’s exclusion of women filmmakers and their stories, or if you’re encouraged by the growing number of film festivals committing to gender parity,...
Trailer Watch: Issa Rae Helps Regina Hall Through a Cursed Situation in “Little”
Jordan Sanders (Regina Hall) is the boss from hell in the new trailer for “Little” — but she gets her comeuppance. After years of bullying her assistant, terrorizing her staff, and...
“The Favourite” Leads 2019 BAFTA Nominations, Best Director Category Features No Women
The 2019 BAFTA film nominations are in and Olivia Colman-starrer “The Favourite” leads the back with 12 nominations. The dark comedy sees Colman playing a fragile queen at the center of a...
Weekly Update for January 4: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Rust Creek – Directed by Jen McGowan; Written by Julie Lipson (Also Available on VOD) An ordinary woman must summon extraordinary courage to survive a nightmare...
Report: Black Male Directors Made Major Gains in 2018, Number of Women Plateaued Again
The good news: The number of black directors working on top-grossing films reached a 12-year high in 2018. Sixteen black helmers, including “Black Panther’s” Ryan Coogler and...
Miniseries and Film About “Out of Africa” Author Karen Blixen in the Works
The life of author, adventurer, and businesswoman Karen Blixen might make its way to the screen once more. According to Deadline, Nordisk Film is developing “The Lioness,” an...
2018 Celluloid Ceiling Report: Number of Women Directors on Top 250 Films Falls to 8%
New year, same story. Dr. Martha Lauzen and the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film has released a new report, “The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women on...
24 Most Anticipated Films By and About Women of 2019
By Keno Katsuda and Antora Majumdar As we close the book on 2018 and wonder what’s in store for the upcoming year, we do know we can at least look forward to some thrilling new women-centric and...
January 2019 Film Preview
By Antora Majumdar and Keno Katsuda If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to watch more movies, January’s film releases will help you reach your goal. With a solid mix of wholly original...
Weekly Update for December 21: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
Season’s greetings from Women and Hollywood! Thank you so much for your continued support of our work. We’ll be taking some time off for the holidays, so this will be our last weekly...
On the Big and Small Screens, 2018 Was the Year of #MeToo and #TimesUp
Despite being so deeply ingrained in the cultural discourse, #MeToo and #TimesUp are still in their early days as social movements. #TimesUp is less than a year old and, while Tarana Burke created it...
“Bumblebee” Writer Christina Hodson on Creating Female Characters Who Don’t Need To Be Saved
“Bumblebee” is a new take on the “Transformers” franchise. Finally, one of these films is watchable — and in fact really enjoyable. Hailee Steinfeld takes the lead and...
2018’s Best Films By and About Women
Many of our favorite films saw female characters claiming or reclaiming their power: Mary Stuart set her sights upon the English throne, and two ladies-in-waiting realized winning Queen Anne’s...
Guest Post: Mira Nair’s Groundbreaking Career, from Bollywood to Hollywood
Guest Post by Amardeep Singh I’ve been fascinated by director Mira Nair since I first saw her 1991 film “Mississippi Masala,” a drama about the romance between an Indian immigrant (Sarita...
2018’s Best Documentaries By and About Women
Women and Hollywood’s top documentaries of 2018 feature a Nobel-winning activist, a filmmaker investigating her stolen project, and a world-renowned pop singer. Inspiring, heartbreaking, and...
Berlinale 2019’s Panorama Program Is 23% Women-Helmed So Far
The Berlin International Film Festival has unveiled the first half of its 2019 Panorama program. Unfortunately, its initial numbers aren’t as encouraging as the Competition lineup’s...
Costume Designer Alexandra Byrne Talks Creating the Looks of “Mary Queen of Scots”
For Alexandra Byrne, designing the clothes for “Mary Queen of Scots” came somewhat naturally. After all, she created the costumes for “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” and won an Oscar for her...
Weekly Update for December 14: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Mary Poppins Returns (Opens December 19) “Mary Poppins Returns” “Mary Poppins Returns” is set in 1930s, Depression-era London — the time period of the...
Trailer Watch: Cybill Shepherd Hits the Road and Falls in Love in “Being Rose”
“Since my husband died, I’ve been like a ghost,” Cybill Shepherd admits in the trailer for “Being Rose.” Her character, Rose, is isolated, unhappy, and missing her...
Exclusive: Roberta Grossman’s WWII Resistance Doc “Who Will Write Our History” Secures Release
“Who Will Write Our History,” Roberta Grossman’s chronicle of a lesser known form of WWII-era resistance, will have a theatrical run, Women and Hollywood has learned exclusively....
Sudabeh Mortezai’s “Joy” Wins Best Film at Marrakech Fest
Sudabeh Mortezai has nabbed another festival prize for her second feature, “Joy.” Less than two months after it took BFI London Film Festival’s top prize, Variety confirms the sex...
Weekly Update for December 7: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Mary Queen of Scots – Directed by Josie Rourke It’s a little crazy to say Mary, Queen of Scots is the perfect role for Saoirse Ronan because I am certain that...
Golden Globes Nominate Zero Women Directors. Again.
It seems another Time’s Up red carpet protest is in order. The Golden Globe nominations have been announced and, even for a Hollywood awards ceremony, they are very male and, in many...
December 2018 Film Preview
By Antora Majumdar and Keno Katsuda If you’re hoping to hit the multiplex over the holidays, December’s film releases do not disappoint. With plenty of pics driven by complex female...
“The Favourite” Nabs Record 10 BIFA Awards, Continues to Reign Over the Box Office
“The Favourite” revolves around the manipulations and betrayals of Queen Anne’s court, but it’s inspiring a lot of love and loyalty from audiences and awards committees. The...
Weekly Update for November 30: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Clara’s Ghost – Written and Directed by Bridey Elliott (Opens December 6) (Available on VOD December 7) Set over the course of a single evening in the Reynolds...
Trailer Watch: “The Heiresses” Run Out of Money in Paraguay’s Oscar Submission
A trailer has dropped for “The Heiresses,” Paraguay’s official submission in the foreign-language Oscar race. The award-winning drama tells the stories of Chela (Ana Brun) and Chiquita...
Under the Radar: Aube Giroux’s “Modified” Is a Personal, Political Exploration of Food Policy
By Antora Majumdar and Keno Katsuda “If you add water to a food product, you must add ‘water’ to the food label. But if you add insecticide [to food] through genetic engineering, you...
Trailer Watch: Katherine Waterston Investigates a Mysterious Death in “State Like Sleep”
“Peel back a layer and no one’s who they seem to be,” Michael Shannon says in the trailer for “State Like Sleep.” That’s what protagonist Katherine (Katherine...
Women Represent 42 Percent of Sundance 2019 Competition Directors
If you’re planning to attend the Sundance Film Festival in January, there will be plenty of women-directed films to check out. The fest has announced its 2019 feature lineup, and 42 percent of...
Women Make Up Over 50 Percent of Variety’s Annual Directors to Watch List
Women dominate Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch list for 2019. Women represent 60 percent of slots on the annual ranking, which recognizes up-and-coming filmmaking talent. Olivia Wilde...
Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Releasing Lisa France Documentary “Roll With Me”
ARRAY has lined up its latest film release. Ava DuVernay’s independent distribution company will be screening “Roll With Me,” Lisa France’s doc about recovering addict and...
Trailer Watch: A Tragic Romance Unfolds in “If Beale Street Could Talk”
“You trusted love this far. Trust it all the way,” says Regina King in an emotional new trailer for “If Beale Street Could Talk.” Barry Jenkins’ follow-up to...
2018 Gotham Awards: Wins for Chloé Zhao’s “The Rider,” “Killing Eve,” Elsie Fisher, & More
Women were among the big winners at last night’s IFP Gotham Awards. Not only did Chloé Zhao’s Western, “The Rider,” take home the top prize, but women-driven and -created...
“Roma” and “The Favourite” Shine at the Box Office
It appears turkey wasn’t the only thing people were craving over Thanksgiving weekend: a box office report from Deadline suggests that women-driven films with awards buzz were also high in...
Cannes 2019’s Directors’ Fortnight Now Accepting Submissions
Cannes Film Festival sidebar Directors’ Fortnight is now accepting films for its 2019 edition. Organized by the French Directors’ Guild, next year’s Directors’ Fortnight...
Weekly Update for November 21: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING The Favourite – Written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara (Opens in NY and LA November 23) Set in the early 18th century, we take a closer look at the reign of Queen...
Reclaiming Our Experiences, Telling Our Stories: Crowdfunding Picks
When you take in the news today, what do you notice? Stories about women experiencing sexual assault, online harassment, body shaming, criticism for being too loud or not enough. Our culture is...
Writer to Watch: “The Little Drummer Girl’s” Claire Wilson
Persistence and playing the long game have been the secrets to UK screenwriter Claire Wilson’s success. The co-writer of new AMC/BBC One miniseries “The Little Drummer Girl” was in...
Weekly Update for November 16: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Widows – Written by Gillian Flynn and Steve McQueen Viola Davis leads “Widows,” a heist thriller about a group of women who share little in common besides the...
DOC NYC 2018 Women Directors: Meet Benedetta Argentieri – “I Am the Revolution”
Benedetta Argentieri is an independent journalist and director who has been covering the Iraqi and Syrian war since 2014. She produced “Capulcu-Voices from Gezi,” a documentary about the revolt...