#Women Directors
Kestrin Pantera’s SXSW Audience Award Winner “Pretty Problems” Lands at IFC Films
Kestrin Pantera’s sophomore feature has secured distribution. The winner of the Narrative Spotlight Audience Award at this year’s SXSW, “Pretty Problems” will hit theaters and...
Laura Herrero Garvín on “La Mami,” a Doc About Women Who Connect & Transform in a Mexican Night Club
Born in Toledo, Spain, Laura Herrero Garvín is the co-founder of Sandia Digital, a company through which she has made about 20 short documentaries. Her professional career is closely linked to...
Nicol Paone to Direct Dark Comedy Thriller “The Kill Room,” Uma Thurman Will Star
Last week’s Academy Awards saw Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Travolta reuniting onstage to celebrate the 28th anniversary of “Pulp Fiction.” Now, two of those stars are...
Joslyn Rose Lyons to Make Directorial Debut with Gentrification Fable “Shadowbox”
A producer on “Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power,” the winner of this year’s NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary, is set to make her directorial debut. Joslyn Rose Lyons...
Trailer Watch: Emma Cooper Investigates “The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe” in Netflix Doc
“The true things rarely get into circulation. It’s usually the false things,” says Marilyn Monroe in a trailer for a new Netflix documentary. From director Emma Cooper (“The...
April 2022 Television Preview
Though the most notable holiday of April is one that celebrates pranks, which are definitely not enjoyed by all, this month’s television premieres offer something for everyone. If you, like so...
Kathryn Bigelow to Direct “Aurora” for Netflix
Days after Jane Campion seized the Oscar for Best Director, the first woman to ever win the prize has lined up her next project: Kathryn Bigelow is set to helm “Aurora.” Like...
April 2022 Film Preview
As we slip into springtime in the Northern Hemisphere, we witness the world around us transforming. It’s a time of metamorphosis, and April’s film slate is full of titles engaging with...
Trailer Watch: Céline Sciamma Is Back with Mother-Daughter Story “Petite Maman”
Céline Sciamma is back with another film that’s sure to break your heart. She’s following up 2019’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” a tragic romance about an artist and...
Exclusive: “Living with Lions” Doc in the Works at Curiosity, Erica Rugabandana & Muneera Sallies Directing
Tanzanian filmmaker, cinematographer, and conservationist Erica Rugabandana and South African writer and director Muneera Sallies are teaming up to pay tribute to the kings and queens of the jungle....
Under the Radar: The Films of María Novaro
María Novaro is a Mexican filmmaker whose work focuses on the lives of women and children with humor, insight, and gorgeous visuals. Though well-known in Mexico, where Novaro began making films in...
San Francisco Film Fest 2022: 56% of Films Directed by Women or Non-Binary Filmmakers, 52% by BIPOC Filmmakers
The San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) has announced its 2022 lineup, and 56 percent of this year’s films “are helmed by female or non-binary filmmakers and 52 percent are...
Trailer Watch: Elisabeth Moss Investigates a Serial Killer in “Shining Girls”
After taking on “The Invisible Man,” Elisabeth Moss is squaring off against a serial killer in “Shining Girls.” An adaptation of Lauren Beukes’ best-selling novel, the Apple...
Trailer Watch: Lena Headey Risks It All in Gigi Gaston’s “9 Bullets”
“Be strong. Don’t quit,” Lena Headey is told in a new trailer for “9 Bullets.” Written and directed by Gigi Gaston (“Rip it Off”), the thriller sees the...
Oscars: Jane Campion Lands Best Director for “The Power of the Dog,” “CODA” Goes Three for Three
Jane Campion became the third woman to ever take home the honor Best Director at last night’s Academy Awards. Her “Power of the Dog” win follows on the heels of Chloé Zhao’s...
Trailer Watch: Sofia Alvarez’s “Along the Ride” Follows a Teen’s Quest to Find Herself the Summer Before College
“Life is long,” a teenage girl is told in a new trailer for “Along the Ride. “It’d be boring if we had to stay the same versions of ourselves the whole time.”...
Megan Thee Stallion Docuseries on the Way from Nneka Onuorah
Megan Thee Stallion is celebrating another milestone. The Grammy-winning rapper, who made history as the first woman with three No. 1 streaming songs in a single year back in 2020, will be the...
Watch: Exclusive “Surviving Sex Trafficking” Clip Sees a Survivor Sharing Her Story & Reclaiming Her Power
Sadhvi Siddhali Shree’s “Surviving Sex Trafficking” examines a global epidemic and highlights the stories of some of the human stories behind the headlines. In an exclusive clip of...
Trailer Watch: “Lioness: The Nicola Adams Story” Celebrates a History-Making Boxer
“When I was a kid, I wasn’t aware that women didn’t box,” says Nicola Adams in the trailer for “Lioness: The Nicola Adams Story.” She wasn’t shielded from...
Pick of the Day: “Finding Kukan”
Here are a few factoids about “Kukan,” the 1941 documentary about China during Japan’s WWII invasion and occupation: Its title is a term that refers to perseverance in the face of...
A “CODA” Musical Is Being Developed
“CODA” is heading to the stage following its history-making awards run. A musical adaptation of Sian Heder’s second feature is in the works from the film’s co-producers,...
Exclusive: Sophie Marceau Gets a Fresh Start in LA in Lisa Azuelos’ “I Love America” Trailer
“Some dream of a new life, and others, like me, make it come true,” says Sophie Marceau in “I Love America.” We’re premiering the English language subtitled trailer for...
Zoe Lister-Jones’ “Slip” Comedy Series in the Works at Roku
Zoe Lister-Jones is embarking on another epic journey. Her last film, “How It Ends,” told the story of a woman making her way through LA by foot on the eve of the end of the world, and...
“And Just Like That…” Renewed for a Second Season
Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte are sticking around. HBO Max has renewed “And Just Like That…” for a second season. The “Sex and the City” revival “delivered the...
Trailer Watch: Daisy Edgar-Jones & Olivia Newman Bring “Where the Crawdads Sing” to the Screen
Reese Witherspoon is bringing another project based on a bestselling book to a screen near you. The “Gone Girl” and “Wild” producer, who also counts small screen titles such...
Pick of the Day: “The Principles of Pleasure”
“So many people are left out of the pleasure conversation,” we’re told early on in “The Principles of Pleasure.” A three-part docuseries exploring how “sex, joy,...
Women and Nonbinary Filmmakers Directed Over Half of Full Frame 2022’s Official Selections
The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival has unveiled the Official Selections for its 25th edition, to be held online April 7-10. Of the 37 films featured in the NEW DOCS and Invited Program...
Trailer Watch: Malin Akerman and Lorenza Izzo Escape a Cult in “The Aviary”
“I just feel like he’s here with us. That was Seth’s power — he got us lost in our own minds,” says Malin Akerman in a new trailer for “The Aviary.” The...
Lena Headey Making Her Feature Directorial Debut with “Violet”
Lena Headey is off the throne and stepping behind the camera. The four-time Emmy-nominated actress, best known for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister in “Game of Thrones,” is set to make...
Alice Diop’s “We” Acquired by MUBI Following Award-Winning Debut at the Berlinale
“We” (“Nous”) is coming stateside. Alice Diop’s award-winning documentary has been acquired by MUBI, which landed all rights to the film in the U.S. and SVOD rights for...
“CODA” Wins the Top Prize at the PGA Awards
“CODA’s” odds of securing the Oscar for Best Picture are looking brighter by the day. Sian Heder’s sophomore feature took home the top honor at Saturday night’s PGA...
Jacqueline Olive & Stanley Nelson Team Up for Doc About Pepsi’s Historic All-Black Sales Team
Two award-winning filmmakers are teaming up to tell the story of the first all-Black sales team at a major U.S. corporation. Jacqueline Olive (“Always in Season”) and Stanley Nelson...
Kathlyn Horan’s “The Return of Tanya Tucker – Featuring Brandi Carlile” Lands at Sony Pictures Classics
“The Return of Tanya Tucker – Featuring Brandi Carlile” has secured worldwide distribution following its world premiere at SXSW last week. A press release announced that Sony...
Trailer Watch: “Topside” Follows a Mother and Daughter Living Under the Streets of NYC
The winner of a Special Jury award for directing at SXSW 2020, Celine Held and Logan George’s “Topside” tells the story of a five-year-old girl (Zhaila Farmer) and her mother (Held)...
Biopic About Olympic Boxer Nicola Adams Set at Lionsgate, Helena Coan to Direct
Today in It’s About Time news: the first woman to secure the Commonwealth, European, World, and Olympic boxing titles is getting a biopic. “Hear Me Roar,” a coming-of-age story...
Nikyatu Jusu’s Sundance Winner “Nanny” Acquired by Amazon, Blumhouse
Described as “compassionate and horrifying,” “visually stunning, masterfully acted, [and] impeccably designed from sound to visual effects” by Sundance jurors who crowned it...
Judy Blume Doc on the Way from Amazon and Imagine Docs
Judy Blume has shaped generations of readers with classics like “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” “Forever,” and “Tiger Eyes.” With a slew of adaptations...
Exclusive: Sadie Hernandez Talks Access to Health Care & Wendy Davis’ Influence in “Shouting Down Midnight” Clip
Described by director Gretchen Stoeltje as “both a cautionary tale and a rallying cry,” “Shouting Down Midnight” highlights some of the brave women in Texas who have fought...
Teaser Watch: Maika Monroe Can’t Escape Prying Eyes in Chloe Okuno’s “Watcher”
Maika Monroe is being haunted by another unseen threat. The “It Follows” breakout stars in “Watcher,” a psychological thriller about a woman who is being stalked. A newly...
Trailer Watch: Ava DuVernay Celebrates Cinema with HBO Max’s “One Perfect Shot”
“Twenty-four frames per second — that’s the standard frame rate for cinematic storytelling. Over 100,000 frames come together to create magic. What if we could step into a single...
SXSW 2022 Women Directors: Meet Jessica Edwards – “Skate Dreams”
Jessica Edwards launched Film First in 2010 to produce documentary shorts and feature-length work. Her award-winning debut short, “Seltzer Works,” premiered at SXSW and was broadcast on...
Marlee Matlin Will Make Directorial Debut with an Episode of Fox’s “Accused”
Weeks after landing the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture alongside her “CODA” co-stars, Marlee Matlin is stepping behind the camera. She’s set to...
Leya Hale on Tackling the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Epidemic in “Bring Her Home”
Leya Hale comes from the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota and Diné Nations. She is a producer for Twin Cities PBS and is best known for her first feature documentary, “The People’s...
Trailer Watch: Iman Vellani’s Dreams Come True in “Ms. Marvel”
“I always thought I wanted this kind of life, but I never imagined any of this,” says Iman Vellani in a new trailer for “Ms. Marvel.” The Canadian actress is making her...
Pick of the Day: “Phoenix Rising”
During the rise of #MeToo in 2017, “Westworld” actress Evan Rachel Wood spoke out about being raped and abused. She reiterated those claims the following year in testimony before Congress...
SXSW 2022 Women Directors: Meet Vasilisa Kuzmina – “Nika”
Born in Moscow, Vasilisa Kuzmina is a young Russian filmmaker and scriptwriter. After getting a B.F.A. in acting at the Moscow Drama School, Kuzmina debuted as a film director with the web series...
Gillian Robespierre & Mathilde Dratwa Team Up with Julianne Nicholson for “Separation Anxiety” Series
“Obvious Child” writer-director Gillian Robespierre and playwright Mathilde Dratwa have signed on to executive produce and write “Separation Anxiety,” a limited series based...
SXSW 2022 Women Directors: Meet Zara Katz and Lisa Riordan Seville – “A Woman on the Outside”
Zara Katz is currently Photography Director at NBC News Digital and has worked for editorial outlets including The New York Times, Time magazine, and The New Yorker. She was senior photo producer on...
“The Power of the Dog” and “CODA” Land Major Honors at the BAFTA Awards
“The Power of the Dog” continues to dominate awards season. Jane Campion’s Western about Montana ranchers was named best film at last night’s BAFTA Awards. Campion also landed...
Jane Campion and Maggie Gyllenhaal Make History at DGA Awards
Jane Campion made history at Saturday night’s DGA Awards, becoming the third woman ever to take home the night’s top honor, the Theatrical Feature Film award. Recognized for her first...
SXSW 2022 Women Directors: Meet Gracie Otto – “Seriously Red”
Gracie Otto is currently set-up director on the Netflix Original series “Heartbreak High” and is set to direct the feminist-noir comedy drama “Deadloch” for Amazon Studios....