#History
TIFF 2019 Women Directors: Meet Barbara Kopple – “Desert One”
Barbara Kopple’s “Harlan County, USA” and “American Dream” both went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. In addition to documentaries, she has also...
Trailer Watch: Tilda Swinton Rewrites Cinematic History in “Women Make Film”
Women’s contributions to cinema have gone unacknowledged for far too long. “Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema” aims to educate and enlighten audiences, illustrating...
Viola Davis to Portray Michelle Obama in Showtime’s “First Ladies”
Viola Davis is going to the White House. The Oscar winner has signed on to play lawyer, best-selling author, and former First Lady Michelle Obama in “First Ladies,” a series in...
Under the Radar: Antonia Grace Glenn Explores American History Through “The Ito Sisters”
In the opening narration for the documentary “The Ito Sisters: An American Story,” director Antonia Grace Glenn states, “My family started recording interviews with my grandmother and her two...
Musical Hit About Wives of Henry VIII Coming to Broadway
London musical hit “Six” will be making its way to the Broadway stage. It will begin previews February 13 and officially open March 12, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. Written by Lucy...
Trailer Watch: Linda Ronstadt Sings Her Way Into History in “The Sound of My Voice”
Linda Ronstadt has earned the admiration of millions of fans since she launched her career in the 1960s — Dolly Parton among them. “Linda could literally sing anything,” says Parton...
Jane Goodall Doc in the Works at National Geographic
National Geographic has another Jane Goodall documentary on the way. The project comes on the heels of 2017’s “Jane,” National Geographic Documentary Films’ Emmy-winning and...
Melina Léon’s “A Song Without a Name” Lands Distribution
Melina Léon’s feature debut continues to gain momentum. The Peruvian writer-director’s “Song Without a Name” made its world premiere at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and...
Trailer Watch: Helen Mirren Rules in “Catherine the Great”
“When I was young, I dreamed of freedom,” says Helen Mirren in a new trailer for “Catherine the Great.” “I dreamed of breaking chains. But as you get older, your choices...
You Must Remember This: Crowdfunding Picks
History is important. Those that don’t remember this aren’t just doomed to repeat their mistakes, but could potentially destroy or lose something irreplaceable. The point of this round of...
Heidi Schreck’s “What the Constitution Means to Me” Recoups Investment
“What the Constitution Means to Me” isn’t just a critical darling — the Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony-nominated play is also hugely popular among audiences. Its producers...
Gugu Mbatha-Raw to Play a Trailblazing Nurse in “Seacole”
Gugu Mbatha-Raw just played a woman with superpowers in Julia Hart’s “Fast Color” and now she’ll portray a real-life hero. The “Wrinkle in Time” actress is set to...
Guest Post: What I Learned From Revisiting My 1984 Documentary “Before Stonewall”
Guest Post by Greta Schiller “Before Stonewall” traces the making of America’s lesbian and gay community from the turn of the century to the Stonewall Riots. I never imagined the...
Trailer Watch: Keira Knightley Plays an Iraq War Whistleblower in “Official Secrets”
Keira Knightley risks it all to stand up to the British government — and stand up for the British people — in a new trailer for “Official Secrets.” Set in 2003, the political...
Swati Bhise’s “The Warrior Queen of Jhansi” Lands at Roadside Attractions
Swati Bhise’s directorial debut has secured distribution stateside. Roadside Attractions acquired U.S. rights to historical epic “The Warrior Queen of Jhansi,” Deadline reports....
Ofra Bloch’s “Afterward” Lands at Abramorama
Abramorama has claimed North American theatrical rights to Ofra Bloch’s feature debut, “Afterward.” The doc examining the emotional and psychological wounds of victims and...
Trailer Watch: Nanfu Wang & Jialing Zhang Revisit China’s One Child Policy in “One Child Nation”
Born during the height of China’s controversial, headline-making attempt to address its population crisis, Nanfu Wang never gave much thought to the One Child Policy. That all changed when the...
Jokha Alharthi Makes History as the First Arabic Winner of the Man Booker International Prize
Jokha Alharthi is the recipient of this year’s Man Booker International Prize, making her the first Arab writer to collect the honor. BBC confirmed the news. The author already made history as...
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck to Direct First Two Eps of Cate Blanchett-Starrer “Mrs. America”
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck made box office history with Marvel’s first female-led superhero pic, and now the “Captain Marvel” directors are set to tell a very different story with a...
Lucille Ball Archives to Be Digitally Preserved
It’s been over 60 years since “I Love Lucy” concluded its six-season run, but the iconic sitcom’s star and co-creator still has millions of fans. Lucille Ball’s many...
Teaser Watch: Jennifer Siebel Newsom Tackles Income Inequality in “The Great American Lie”
“When the family you’re born into [and] the zip code where you’re born determines your destiny, that tears at the fabric of The American Dream,” says one of the characters...
Allison Pataki’s Empress Elisabeth of Austria Novels Being Developed as Series
Heads up, fans of “Victoria,” “The Crown,” and Starz’s Philippa Gregory series: another show about a trailblazing female monarch is on the way. Deadline confirms...
Sydney Film Festival to Highlight Women Directors
The 2019 Sydney Film Festival will pay homage to the women directors who helped launch, sustain, and further Australian cinema. Now in its 66th year, the fest has announced that it’ll screen 10...
Lucy Liu Is Developing an Anthology Series About Women Heroes
Women are all too often written out of history, but Lucy Liu is looking to bring their remarkable achievements to the limelight. The “Elementary” star is developing a scripted anthology...
Trailer Watch: Alice Guy-Blaché Doc “Be Natural” Tells the Story of the First Female Filmmaker
#TimesUp on Alice Guy-Blaché’s contributions to cinema being overlooked, underestimated, and forgotten. “Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché” tells the story of the first...
Four Gender Equality Docs to Air on WORLD Channel in Honor of Women’s History Month
If you want to celebrate Women’s History Month by supporting stories about women bucking tradition and demanding equality and justice all over the globe, then WORLD Channel is here for you. The...
Berlinale 2019 Women Directors: Meet Agnieszka Holland – “Mr. Jones”
Agnieszka Holland has made over 30 films, winning awards including the Golden Globe and Silver Bear, and has been nominated for a BAFTA and an Emmy. Her films “In Darkness,” “Europa...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Petra Costa – “The Edge of Democracy”
Petra Costa is a Brazilian filmmaker whose work encompasses both fiction and nonfiction. Her first film, “Elena,” premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Her...
Ava DuVernay’s Array Acquires Sundance Title “Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen”
Ava DuVernay made history at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival when she became the first Black woman to take home the Directing Award for U.S. Dramatic Film. She won the honor for “Middle of...
Chinonye Chukwu to Direct Female-Led Black Panther Drama “A Taste of Power”
Chinonye Chukwu is having a dynamite week. She just premiered her latest film, “Clemency,” at Sundance over the weekend — where it received a standing ovation — and now word...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Jacqueline Olive – “Always in Season”
Jacqueline Olive is an independent filmmaker and immersive media producer with more than a decade of experience in journalism and film. She co-directed and produced the award-winning short...
Heidi Schreck’s “What the Constitution Means to Me” Heading to Broadway
Is the longest government shutdown in U.S. history getting you down? Well, here’s some encouraging (no, really!) civics-related news for you: Heidi Schreck’s play “What the...
Guest Post: Why the History of Women’s Filmmaking Is Important Now
Guest Post by Shelley Stamp “Why haven’t I heard about this history?!” That’s what people ask when I tell them about the “Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers” collection I curated for...
Pamela B. Green’s Alice Guy-Blaché Doc “Be Natural” Secures Distribution
Audiences will soon be able to learn more about Alice Guy-Blaché, the first woman filmmaker. According to Deadline, Pamela B. Green’s documentary “Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice...
Cate Blanchett to Play Conservative Activist Opposed to Equal Rights in FX’s “Mrs. America”
In real life, Cate Blanchett is an outspoken feminist who famously called out Hollywood’s lack of female-led stories while accepting an Oscar. Her next role will be a major departure. The...
Film Forum to Host Ida Lupino Retrospective
Known for taking roles Bette Davis turned down, Ida Lupino went on to pave a path entirely her own. With on-screen credits including “They Drive by Night” and “High Sierra,”...
Production Set on Cynthia Erivo-Led Harriet Tubman Biopic, Kasi Lemmons Directing
Production will soon be underway for Cynthia Erivo-starrer “Harriet.” Over a year and a half after news of the Harriet Tubman biopic originally broke, Focus Features has announced...
Pic About Aviation Pioneer Pancho Barnes in the Works
Florence “Pancho” Barnes soared her way into history books, and now the trailblazer will have her story told on the screen. Genius Produced, a developer and producer of online learning...
Ava DuVernay to Premiere Short Film on OWN, Signs Open Letter About Hollywood’s Pay Gap
Ava DuVernay is set to premiere a new short film on OWN. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker will debut “August 28th: A Day in the Life of a People” on the network behind her TV series,...
Faye Ward’s Fable Pictures to Bring “Chocolate Wars” to TV, Smita Bhide Penning the Script
Get your candy bars ready: the story of the most delicious-sounding battle ever could be heading to the small screen. Faye Ward’s Fable Pictures has optioned Deborah Cadbury’s “The...
Gal Gadot to Portray Hedy Lamarr in Showtime Series from Sarah Treem
Gal Gadot may play a real-life Wonder Woman. The box office heroine is reportedly near a deal to topline and executive produce a Showtime series about Hedy Lamarr. Best known for acting in titles...
Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Quincy Jones Working on Doc About the History of Black Hollywood
Former Academy prez Cheryl Boone Isaacs and music legend Quincy Jones are teaming up to share an important part of Hollywood history. The two are working on “American Film: The Black...
Margaret Nagle to Pen Clementine Churchill Biopic
Wish “Darkest Hour” had more of Clementine Churchill? Winston Churchill’s wife is stepping into the limelight in a new biopic from Maven Pictures. Two-time Emmy nominee Margaret...
Janet Mock Makes History, Becomes First Trans WOC to Write and Direct TV Episode
Janet Mock has stepped into the director’s chair and history books. The trailblazer co-wrote and directed a recent episode of “Pose,” making her the first trans woman of color to...
Jane Fonda Donates Collection of Films, Letters, & More to Smith College
Smith College’s Sophia Smith Collection — an archive “of the history of women changing the world” — has received its latest donation from a Hollywood and feminist icon....
Exclusive: Vivienne Westwood Defies Expectations in “Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist” Clip
Vivienne Westwood is credited with bringing punk and new wave clothes to the mainstream, but the British designer wasn’t always celebrated for her innovations. “When she started, people...
Elizabeth Taylor Docuseries in the Works
Elizabeth Taylor’s life story is coming to the small screen. J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot has a docuseries about the silver screen titan in development, Deadline confirms. The series is...
Renée Zellweger-Starrer “Judy” Nabbed by LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions
LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions are following the yellow brick road. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that the companies have teamed up to acquire U.S. rights to “Judy,” Renée...
Natalie Dormer to Play Vivien Leigh in New Series
“Picnic at Hanging Rock” dropped on Amazon today, and the miniseries’ star already has another TV project in the works. Natalie Dormer will topline and produce a series about...
Cannes 2018 Women Directors: Meet Pamela B. Green — “Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché”
Nominated for an Emmy for the documentary ”Bhutto,” Pamela B. Green has produced main titles and created and advised on internal story sequences and marketing campaigns for films such...
Guest Post: Why I Was Determined to Make a Film About the First Female Psychoanalyst
Guest Post by Cordula Kablitz-Post Eight years ago, one year before her 150th birthday, I had the idea of doing a film about legendary German-Russian writer, philosopher, and first female...