#Representation
2022 ReFrame Stamp Recipients Include “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” “The Woman King,” & “Aftersun”
Twenty-nine of the 100 most popular films of 2022 meet ReFrame Stamp criteria for gender-balanced production. Awarded to features that “hire women or individuals of other underrepresented...
January 2023 Television Preview
Whether you’re looking for a new series to binge or awaiting the return of an existing series, January has plenty to offer. If one of your resolutions for 2023 is to practice a new language,...
Writer to Watch: Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence of “Twenties”
Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence uses writing as a means of world-building. Raised in both Washington, D.C. and Honolulu, Hawai’i in “a family of activists, critical race theorists, and freedom...
Queer Common Spaces: Podcast Picks
Find friends who don’t judge you. Find friends who understand you. Find friends who listen to you, help you grow, and commiserate with you when the future seems uncertain. All these qualities...
Self and Society: Crowdfunding Picks
There are countless ways identity can shape a person, with countless factors that shape that identity. This month’s crowdfunding projects, whether narrative fiction or documentary, explore the...
Under the Radar: The Lesbian Bar Project
When the COVID-19 shutdown stripped people away from friends and family, filmmakers Erica Rose and Elina Street began to contemplate the crucial role that community plays in our lives. Although their...
DOC NYC 2022 Women Directors: Meet Alexis Neophytides – “Dear Thirteen”
Alexis Neophytides is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and educator based in New York City. Her work centers around community and how we find meaning in people and place. She is the co-creator,...
DOC NYC 2022 Women Directors: Meet Christine Yoo – “26.2 to Life”
Christine Yoo is a director, producer, writer, a volunteer at San Quentin State Prison, and co-founder of the San Quentin Film Festival. As a producer she has worked on non-fiction series for...
DOC NYC 2022 Women Directors: Meet Sharon “Rocky” Roggio – “1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture”
Sharon “Rocky” Roggio has been honing her expertise in film and television producing for two decades and has worked on award-winning films and series, including “House of Cards,” “Parks and...
November 2022 Film Preview
Awards contenders are making their way to multiplexes this month. Jennifer Lawrence is eyeing a fifth Oscar nomination for “Causeway” (November 4), Lila Neugebauer’s drama about a...
Women Represent 25 Percent of Film Directors Working in Europe
A new study from the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) reveals that women “represent only a quarter of all film directors working in the European film industry,” per Deadline. Even...
Whose Lens is it Anyway?: Podcast Picks
While we’ve come a long way with on-screen representation, much of mainstream television and film fails to offer relatable, authentic representation for all. That’s the beauty of...
“The Joy Luck Club” Sequel On the Way
“The Joy Luck Club” is getting a sequel. The groundbreaking 1993 portrait of four aging Chinese women in San Francisco and their Chinese-American daughters will get a second chapter...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Luis De Filippis – “Something You Said Last Night”
Luis De Filippis is a Canadian-Italian filmmaker whose work has played at festivals such as TIFF, Rotterdam, and Sundance, where her most recent work, “For Nonna Anna,” received a Special...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Lindsay MacKay – “The Swearing Jar”
Lindsay MacKay is a writer and director. MacKay is a graduate of the York University Film program and went on to get her Masters in Directing from the AFI Conservatory. Her debut feature, “Wet...
TIFF 2022 Directors: Meet Joseph Amenta – “Soft”
Joseph Amenta was born in Toronto and has an honors degree in film studies from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). They have directed the short films “Cherry...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Angela Wanjiku Wamai – “Shimoni” (“The Pit”)
Angela Wanjiku Wamai works as a film editor in Nairobi, Kenya. She was recently awarded best film editor by the Women in Film Awards – Kenya. In 2018 she wrote “I Had to Bury...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Carmen Jaquier – “Thunder”
Swiss film director Carmen Jaquier graduated from the Cantonal School of Art in Lausanne (ECAL) in 2011. Her graduation film, “The Girls’ Gravere,” went on to receive the Pardino...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Marie Kreutzer – “Corsage”
Marie Kreutzer has had a hand in many Austrian film productions. Her first feature film, “The Fatherless”(“Die Vaterlosen”) (2011), has been shown and awarded at numerous...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Jub Clerc – “Sweet As”
Jub Clerc is a Nyul Nyul/Yawuru woman from the Kimberley in Western Austrlia. Clerc spent many years in theatre before moving into film and television, working on multiple award-winning productions....
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Liliane Mutti – “Miúcha, The Voice of Bossa Nova”
Born in Salvador, Brazil, Liliane Mutti is the founder of the Ciné Nova Bossa Association in Paris. She produces and directs films with strong political engagement, such as “Ecocide,”...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Sophie Kargman – “Susie Searches”
Sophie Kargman is a director, writer, producer, and actor based in Los Angeles. Her short film “Query,” which she also co-wrote and produced, had its world premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Tamana Ayazi – “In Her Hands”
Tamana Ayazi is a filmmaker and journalist from Afghanistan. She has a background in business, sports, and activism. She is a NatGeo explorer who uses storytelling as a tool to advocate for equality...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Amy Redford – “Roost”
Amy Redford’s career in the creative arts spans over three decades as a director, producer, and actor in film, television, music videos, and theater. “The Guitar” marked her directorial...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Aitch Alberto – “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”
Aitch Alberto is a writer and director born and raised in Miami, Florida. She is a Sundance Episodic Lab fellow, the recipient of a Skowhegan Artist Residency, a Yaddo fellowship, and a Latino...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Stephanie Johnes – “Maya and the Wave”
Stephanie Johnes is a director, producer, and documentary filmmaker who gravitates toward stories of underdogs and dreamers. Her directorial debut, “Doubletime,” premiered at SXSW and Tribeca and...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Maggie Levin and Vanessa Winter – “V/H/S/99”
Maggie Levin is a filmmaker with rock ‘n’ roll roots. She served as second unit director and credit designer for Universal’s “The Black Phone,” in theaters now....
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Mary Nighy – “Alice, Darling”
Mary Nighy is a UK-based director who has directed episodes of “Industry,” a new series for HBO and Bad Wolf, and “Traces,” a new series for Red Productions. Nighy was the...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Lauren DeFilippo – “Free Money”
Lauren DeFilippo is a documentary filmmaker based in New York City. She most recently produced “Ailey” (Sundance 2021), an acclaimed feature documentary that was released in theaters...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Vera Drew – “The People’s Joker”
Vera Drew (she/her) is an accomplished LGBTQ+ director and editor who has worked in TV and film for nearly a decade. She recently directed Season 12 of Tim Heidecker’s “On Cinema at...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Selcen Ergun – “Snow and the Bear” (“Kar ve Ayı”)
Selcen Ergun is a director and screenwriter from Turkey. She began her career as an assistant director, working on many national and international productions. Her short films...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Malou Reymann – “Unruly”
Malou Reymann is a director and screenwriter who graduated from the National Film and Television School in England. Her debut feature, “A Perfectly Normal Family,” which premiered at...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: V.T. Nayani – “This Place”
V.T. Nayani is a director, producer, and writer. She is a recipient of the UN Women Yvonne M. Hebert Award for filmmakers and photographers. Most recently, she completed her residency in the...
Quote of the Day: Viola Davis & “The Woman King” Cast on Being Black Women in the Biz & Building Sisterhood
The stars of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s highly anticipated “The Woman King” — Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Thuso Mbedu, and Adrienne Warren — speak frankly...
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Nisha Pahuja – “To Kill a Tiger”
Nisha Pahuja is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker based in Toronto and Bombay. Her credits include the critically-acclaimed “Diamond Road,” “Bollywood Bound,” and “The World...
Muslim Characters Are Erased & Stereotyped in Popular TV, According to Inclusion Initiative Study
Last year, Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released a study outlining the inadequate representation the Muslim community has received in popular film in recent years....
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Gail Maurice – “Rosie”
Gail Maurice is a fluent Cree/Michif-speaking actor and an award-winning independent filmmaker and Arts Laureate. She is a recipient of the Hnatyshyn Foundation Indigenous Award for Excellence in the...
Choreographer to Watch: Victoria Caro of “The Kissing Booth” and “Riverdale”
At just 21 years old, Victoria Caro is already a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. She began dancing competitively at the age of seven and learned more about the world of acting through...
TV Academy Members from Marginalized Groups Report Underrep, Exclusion, & Ineffective DEI Practices
A new report from the Television Academy lays bare how much work the industry has to do if it ever truly wants to be diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Based on the findings from a survey of 4,128 TV...
Finally, Some Real Talk: Podcast Picks
With bad news hurtling toward us on the daily, we need an escape, and we need to be seen. When media, positive or negative, revolves around a singular demographic, it can make anyone on the margins...
“O Womaniya!” Study: Women Hold Just 10 Percent of Senior Roles in Indian Film and TV
A new study into the state of female representation in the Indian film and TV sectors has found that women make up a very low number of behind-the-camera roles, such as heads of department (HODs) and...
Black Women on Broadway Will Present Inaugural Awards to Lynn Nottage, Qween Jean, & Kara Young
Since 2019, Broadway mainstays Danielle Brooks, Jocelyn Bioh, and Amber Iman have been working to create a support network for Black women working in theater. The trio launched the “Black Women...
Nina Menkes Doc “Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power” Acquired by Kino Lorber
Nina Menkes’ investigation of the male gaze is headed to Kino Lorber. A press release announced the company has snagged North American rights to “Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power.” As...
Quote of the Day: “Doctor Strange” Cast & Crew Discuss Importance of On-Screen Visibility & Representation
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” marks the introduction of the MCU’s first LGBTQ+ Latina superhero, America Chavez, played by “The Baby-Sitters...
Queer Women Creators Represent: Crowdfunding Picks
As anti-LGTBQIA+ attacks ramp up all over the country, it is more important than ever to pay attention to what LGBTQ people are saying in our own words. As the freedom to discuss the very existence...
Book Excerpt: “Mothers of Invention: Film, Media, and Caregiving Labor”
The following is adapted from “Mothers of Invention: Film, Media, and Caregiving Labor,” edited by So Mayer and Corinn Columpar and set to be published April 5. Copyright (c) 2022 Wayne...
Study: Women Made Up 34% of Speaking Roles in 2021’s Top Films, Majority of Those Characters Were White
Earlier this week, we reported on a study from Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative that delved into the number of women and people of color serving as leads and co-leads in...
Number of Women & POC Leads/Co-Leads Held Steady in Top Films of 2021, According to New Research
The good news: judging from last year’s box office reports, the number of female and people of color leads/co-leads in popular films hasn’t really decreased during the pandemic. The bad...
“CODA,” “Power of the Dog,” “Eternals,” & “Zola” Among Latest ReFrame Stamp Recipients
ReFrame is recognizing “Black Widow,” “CODA,” “The Power of the Dog,” “Nomadland,” and 24 other films for their gender-balanced casts and crews....
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez to Receive GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award
GLAAD is honoring “Pose” star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez for her “promotion of LGBTQ acceptance.” According to Deadline, Rodriguez is set to receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award...
Quote of the Day: Emma Thompson on Baring It All in “Leo Grande” & Struggling with Body Image
In “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” — which recently premiered at Sundance and is screening at the Berlinale — there’s a powerful scene in which a 50-something woman...