#History
Ivy Meeropol on Looking Beyond Evil in “Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn”
Ivy Meeropol’s documentary feature debut was “Heir to an Execution,” which premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, and was shortlisted for an Academy Award. It was followed by two short...
Women Warrior Pic “Tomiris” Lands U.S. Distribution
“Tomiris” has secured U.S. distribution. Arclight Films and Well Go USA snagged rights to the action-adventure pic centering on women warriors. A press release confirmed the news. Based...
Trailer Watch: “Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn” Looks Beyond the Contradictions
“To call Roy Cohn evil, it’s true, but it doesn’t explain 100 other things about him,” says one of the characters featured in “Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy...
Hot Docs 2020 Women Directors: Meet Mia Donovan – “Dope is Death”
Mia Donovan is an award-winning filmmaker based in Montreal. She was the recipient of the prestigious Don Haig Award for outstanding achievement as an emerging filmmaker in 2012. Her films have been...
Hot Docs 2020 Women Directors: Meet Yoruba Richen – “The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show”
Yoruba Richen is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work has been featured on PBS, New York Times Op Doc, Frontline Digital, New York Magazine’s The Cut, The Atlantic, and Field of...
Pick of the Day: “The Great”
“The Great” tells the story of woman who won’t let sexism or her hilariously incompetent husband stand in the way of her destiny. Billed as “an occasionally true story,”...
Trailer Watch: “Suzi Q” Pays Tribute to a Groundbreaking Rock Star
“She was the first — and [she] broke the ice and kicked the door for us gals,” says The Runaways’ Cherie Currie in a new trailer for “Suzi Q.” “People...
Guest Post: A Recovering Angry Asian Girl Celebrates Trailblazers in PBS’ “Asian Americans”
Guest Post by Renee Tajima-Peña I am a recovering angry Asian girl and showrunner of “Asian Americans,” a docuseries about the epic and unexpected history of the country’s fastest...
Trailer Watch: “Stateless” Explores Racial Hatred and Oppression in the Dominican Republic
In 1937 the Dominican military exterminated tens of thousands of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent. “The Dictator Trujillo decided to ‘whiten’ the race and fix the...
Barbara Kopple’s “Desert One” Acquired by Greenwich International
The story behind Operation Eagle Claw, a top-secret military rescue attempt orchestrated by President Carter, is coming to the big screen. Greenwich Entertainment has acquired Barbara Kopple’s...
Trailer Watch: Elle Fanning Is Ready to Save Russia in “The Great”
“Russia must be saved — and I with it,” says Elle Fanning in a new trailer for “The Great.” The Hulu series tells the story of Catherine the Great (Fanning), the longest...
Teaser Watch: Elle Fanning Is Determined to Rule Russia in “The Great”
Elle Fanning won’t let sexism or a depraved husband stand in the way of her destiny in a new teaser for “The Great.” Slated to premiere on Hulu May 15, the satirical series, which...
Trailer Watch: A Summer Camp for Teens with Disabilities Sparks a Revolution in “Crip Camp”
“I wanted to be part of the world, but I didn’t see anyone like me in it,” one of the characters featured in “Crip Camp” says in a new trailer for the documentary....
Exclusive: “American Experience” Explores the History Behind Women and the Ballot Box in “The Vote”
“The fact that a woman will put her body on the line to be a citizen is considered shocking,” says one of the characters featured in “American Experience’s” “The...
Trailer Watch: Janelle Monáe Is Chosen to Save Us From Our Past in “Antebellum”
Janelle Monáe is looking onward and being pushed backwards in a new trailer for “Antebellum.” “We’re expected to be seen, not heard — but we are the future,”...
Trailer Watch: Joey King Investigates a Scandal in “Radium Girls”
Teen sisters team up to take down a corporation in a new trailer for “Radium Girls.” Bessie (Joey King) and Jo (Abby Quinn) have jobs painting glow-in-the-dark watch dials at the American...
Hanelle M. Culpepper to Direct “1000 Miles,” True Story of an Enslaved Couple’s Escape to Freedom
Hanelle M. Culpepper is bringing Ellen and William Craft’s story to the big screen. The history-making “Star Trek: Picard” director has been tapped to helm “1000 Miles,”...
Ruth Wilson Will Play an AIDS Activist in “The Book of Ruth”
Ruth Wilson is bringing Ruth Coker Burks’ story to the big screen. The “His Dark Materials” actress will topline “The Book of Ruth,” a drama inspired by the life of the...
Mary Wharton’s “Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President” Will Open Tribeca Film Festival
The 19th edition of Tribeca Film Festival will kick off with a tribute to a presidential hopeful who harnessed the power of music on his road to the White House. Deadline reports that Mary...
Oorlagh George Begins Filming IRA-Inspired Drama “Stranger With a Camera,” Ellie Bamber Stars
Oorlagh George has kicked off principal photography on “Stranger With a Camera,” the Oscar-winning producer’s directorial debut. Screen Daily broke the news. Developed via the...
“First Ladies” Ordered to Series at Showtime, Viola Davis Stars as Michelle Obama
Viola Davis is paying tribute to Michelle Obama’s legacy. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Showtime has given a series order to “First Ladies,” an anthology series that sees the...
Jodie Foster Is Directing a Drama Inspired by the 1911 Theft of the Mona Lisa
Jodie Foster is already attached to topline and direct a remake of “Woman at War,” Iceland’s submission for 2019’s Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award, and now word comes that...
Trailer Watch: Truth Is the Only Agenda in Agnieszka Holland’s “Mr. Jones”
A Welsh journalist travels to Soviet Russia to interview Stalin and cover “the story no one is talking about” in “Mr. Jones.” A trailer for Agnieszka Holland’s new film...
PBS to Honor Women’s Vote Centennial with Programming About Suffragists, Feminists, & More
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment — which granted women the right to vote in the U.S. — PBS is highlighting stories about groundbreaking women this...
Suranne Jones to Star in and Produce TV Series Inspired by World Boxing Champ Jane Couch
Suranne Jones is set to play another trailblazer. The star of HBO/BBC’s “Gentleman Jack” will star in and produce a series based on the life of five-time female world boxing...
Trailer Watch: Cate Blanchett Takes on the Women’s Liberation Movement in “Mrs. America”
“I am not against women,” says Cate Blanchett in a new trailer for “Mrs. America.” “I am not against women working outside the home. But what I am against is the...
“Advocate” Acquired by PBS’ “POV”
“Advocate” is headed to the small screen. A press release confirmed that PBS’ “POV” has acquired U.S. broadcast rights to Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe...
National Film Registry Adds Record Number of Women-Directed Films This Year
“Boys Don’t Cry” and “A New Leaf” are among the films being added to the National Film Registry this year. The Library of Congress announced its annual selection of 25...
Drama About Elizabeth I’s Early Life in the Works at Starz, Hails from All-Women Writing Team
Starz has explored the lives of royals Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth of York, and Catherine of Aragon in “The White Queen,” “The White Princess,” and “The Spanish...
Teaser Watch: Janelle Monáe Is Caught Between the Past and the Present in “Antebellum”
“911. What is your emergency?” A new teaser for “Antebellum” kicks off with a terrifying one-sided 911 call. The operator asks if anyone is with the caller and if they can get...
Trailer Watch: A Trauma Expert Confronts Her Demons in “Afterward”
“I wonder if any of us have learned from the past,” says Ofra Bloch in a new trailer for “Afterward.” The documentary sees the Jerusalem-born trauma expert embarking on a...
Trailer Watch: Kristen Stewart Is an Activist and Actress Under Siege in “Seberg”
Who is Jean Seberg? A new trailer for a biopic about the controversial French New Wave star asks that very question. Based on true events, the pic is set in the ’60s and sees Kristen Stewart...
TV Series in the Works About Producer Stevie Phillips, Judy Garland’s Manager
In theaters now, “Judy” revisits the final months of Judy Garland’s life. The iconic actress also serves as inspiration for a TV series that’s currently being developed by...
Dawn Porter Is Directing a Doc About Former White House Photographer Pete Souza
As former Chief Official White House Photographer, Pete Souza played an integral role in capturing — and preserving — history in the making. Now Dawn Porter is turning the camera on him....
“The Woman Who Loves Giraffes” Lands Distribution
“The Woman Who Loves Giraffes” is heading to theaters. Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber snagged U.S. rights to Alison Reid’s documentary about Canadian zoologist,...
Jill Soloway Is Heading to Space with Sally Ride Biopic
“Transparent’s” musical series finale dropped less than a month ago, but its Emmy-winning creator, writer, director, and exec producer Jill Soloway is showing no signs of slowing...
Rory Kennedy’s Next Doc Will Tackle a Little-Known 1939 Refugee Crisis
Rory Kennedy is revisiting the past to provide timely commentary on the present in a new documentary. The Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning director of “Last Days in Vietnam” will helm an...
Queen Latifah to Receive W.E.B. Du Bois Medal from Harvard
Already an Oscar nominee and Emmy winner, Queen Latifah is poised to add another prestigious honor to her resume. The actress and musical artist is being recognized by Harvard University for her...
Gal Gadot Forms Production Company, Will Star in & Produce Holocaust Drama “Irena Sendler”
Best known for her gravity-defying role as caped crusader with superpowers in”Wonder Woman,” Gal Gadot is switching gears and taking a fact-based historical thriller to the screen. The...
Women Making History: Crowdfunding Picks
When it comes to history, women’s contributions have often been left out of the textbooks, or an event has been told exclusively from the male perspective. Each of this month’s crowdfunding picks...
Under the Radar: Francine Zuckerman Spotlights the Women of the Olympic Massacre in “After Munich”
The 1972 Munich Olympics were the first Games held in Germany since the Nazi regime oversaw the 1936 Olympics. Dubbed “The Happy Games,” initially it seemed like a successful fresh start, with...
Trailer Watch: A Former First Lady Plots a Comeback in Lauren Greenfield’s “The Kingmaker”
“Perception is real and the truth is not,” says Imelda Marcos in a new trailer for “The Kingmaker.” According to her son, the former first lady of the Philippines is...
Trailer Watch: Naomi Watts Tries to Survive the Summer of Sam in “The Wolf Hour”
A trailer has dropped for “The Wolf Hour,” a psychological thriller that sees Naomi Watts playing a former counterculture hero who is now a shut-in. Set in July 1977 New York, the pic...
Exclusive: Sailors Battle Sexism and Make History in “Maiden” Featurette
“Maiden” tells the story of the first-ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race. The year was 1989, and sailing was very male-dominated — a fact that...
NYFF 2019 Women Directors: Meet Ivy Meeropol – “Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn”
Ivy Meeropol’s documentary feature debut was “Heir to an Execution,” which premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, and was shortlisted for an Academy Award. It was followed by two short...
Lupita Nyong’o to Uncover the History of Warrior Women in Channel 4 Doc
Lupita Nyong’o is shining a light on a forgotten history. British broadcaster Channel 4 has commissioned “Warrior Women with Lupita Nyong’o,” a one-off documentary that will...
Trailer Watch: Teresa Palmer Plays a Trailblazing Jockey in Rachel Griffiths’ “Ride Like a Girl”
Rachel Griffiths’ feature directorial debut hits theaters in Australia September 26. “Ride Like a Girl” is based on real events and sees the Oscar-nominated actress telling the...
Trailer Watch: “The Warrior Queen of Jhansi” Leads a Battle Against the British Empire
Set in 1857 India, “The Warrior Queen of Jhansi” tells the true story of a 24-year-old Indian general who led a battle against the British Empire. A new trailer has dropped for the pic...
Guest Post: Why I Work in Film Exhibition, and How the Industry Is Changing
Guest Post by Alison Kozberg As Managing Director of Art House Convergence, an association dedicated to advancing excellence in art house cinemas, I have the great privilege to collaborate with...
Andra Day to Star in Billie Holiday Biopic
Andra Day is bringing Billie Holiday’s story to the big screen. The Grammy-nominated singer is set to topline “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” A press release announced that...
Trailer Watch: A Mother Demands Justice in Lynching Doc “Always in Season”
“If you knew in your heart and in your mind that someone took your child’s life, how far would you go to get to the truth?” asks Claudia Lacy in a new trailer for “Always in...