#Women Directors
Cannes 2021 Women Directors: Meet Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic – “Murina”
Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic is a writer-director born in Dubrovnik and currently based in New York. Her short “Into the Blue” was nominated for a Student Academy Award, and won awards at...
Mounia Meddour to Reteam with “Papicha” Star Lyna Khoudri for “Houria”
Mounia Meddour is set to reunite with her “Papicha” leading lady. Lyna Khoudri will star in the writer-director’s next feature, “Houria,” a drama set in Algeria....
Trailer Watch: Kristen Bell & Kirby Howell-Baptiste Are “Queenpins” of a Counterfeit Coupon Ring
“The system has set us up to fail. You know who gets rewarded? People who don’t follow the rules. It’s time we start bending them,” says Kristen Bell in a new trailer for...
Cannes 2021 Women Directors: Meet Nathalie Álvarez Mesén – “Clara Sola”
Nathalie Álvarez Mesén is a Costa Rican-Swedish writer and director. She is an alumna of Columbia University’s Graduate Film Program, the Berlinale Talents, and the TIFF Filmmaker Lab. Alvarez...
Prano Bailey-Bond to Co-Write and Direct “Things We Lost in the Fire”
Prano Bailey-Bond has lined up her follow-up to “Censor.” According to Deadline, she’ll co-write and direct “Things We Lost in the Fire,” an adaptation of a short story...
“Vida” Creator Tanya Saracho Bringing “Mala Hierba” to the Big Screen in Feature Directorial Debut
“Vida’s” creator is back and taking inspiration from her theater days. Deadline reports that Tanya Saracho is bringing “Mala Hierba,” her 2014 Off-Broadway play, to the...
Trailer Watch: “Naomi Osaka” Sees Garrett Bradley Following a Tennis Star Off the Court
Garrett Bradley is following up “Time,” her Oscar-nominated portrait of a woman fighting to free her incarcerated husband, with an intimate look behind the scenes of a tennis...
Cannes 2021 Women Directors: Meet Sandrine Kiberlain – “A Radiant Girl”
Sandrine Kiberlain is a French actress and singer. She received the César for Best Actress for her role in “9-Month Stretch.” The short film “Smile” was her first film as a director....
Shannon Murphy Will Receive Women in Motion’s Young Talent Award at Cannes
BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Shannon Murphy is set to be recognized by Women in Motion this year at Cannes. Dedicated to celebrating women and advancing gender equality throughout the industry,...
Cannes 2021 Women Directors: Meet Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova – “Women Do Cry”
After two decades in the British animation industry, Mina Mileva created Activist38 with actress Vesela Kazakova, whose leading roles earned her the Silver George at the Moscow International Film...
Trailer Watch: Charlotte Gainsbourg Revisits Family History with Mother Jane Birkin in “Jane By Charlotte”
“Why do we learn to live without our mothers? It seems to be a purpose in life: to free ourselves at any cost. I don’t want to free myself,” says Charlotte Gainsbourg in a new...
Cannes 2021 Women Directors: Meet Anaïs Volpé – “The Braves”
Anaïs Volpé is a self-taught screenwriter, filmmaker, and editor. In 2016, she self-produced “Heis,” a cross-media project which has been screened at international festivals and won the Jury...
Jane Campion to Be Honored with Lyon Fest’s Lumiere Award
Jane Campion is set to receive a prestigious honor at the Lumiere Festival. The Oscar-winning filmmaker will accept the Prix Lumiere at the Lyon fest in October, Variety confirms. “Jane Campion had...
Justine Bateman’s Directorial Debut “Violet” Acquired by Relativity Media
Justine Bateman’s feature directorial debut has found a home. Relativity Media scored rights to Olivia Munn-starrer “Violet,” Deadline reports. The drama recently premiered at...
Cannes 2021 Women Directors: Meet Teodora Ana Mihai – “La Civil”
Teodora Ana Mihai was born in Bucharest, Romania, during the Ceausescu Regime and moved to Belgium in 1989 with her parents. She went to film school in New York. She started working in Belgium as a...
Lucy Walker Wildfire Doc “Bring Your Own Brigade” Gets a Release Date
Lucy Walker’s latest has found a home. A press release announced that CBSN snagged rights to “Bring Your Own Brigade,” the two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker’s look inside the...
Cannes 2021 Women Directors: Meet Anita Rocha da Silveira – “Medusa”
Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Anita Rocha da Silveira has written, directed, and edited three short films: “The Noon Vampire,” “Handball,” and “The Living...
July 2021 Television Preview
With summer in full swing, and the Summer Games coming up, the TV landscape feels a little quieter in anticipation of the jam-packed fall season — but there’s still something for...
Reclaim Your Story: Crowdfunding Picks
Few things are as frustrating as having your voice drowned out by someone who has not lived your experience. Oppression relies on suppressing minority voices. If you cannot share your stories, your...
Trailer Watch: Jena Malone Reunites with Her Ex in Sabrina Doyle’s “Lorelei”
A high school couple reunites over a decade after parting ways in “Lorelei.” After 15 years in prison, Wayland (Pablo Schreiber) reconnects with Dolores (Jena Malone), who is now a single...
Trailer Watch: Trailblazer Valerie Taylor Welcomes Us into the Underwater World in “Playing with Sharks”
“Every dive has the potential to be a great adventure. I would slide into the water into another world,” says Valerie Taylor in a new trailer for “Playing with Sharks.” From...
Dawn Porter Has a Doc About Cirque du Soleil in the Works
Dawn Porter is nothing if not prolific. The documentary filmmaker has added yet another project to her slate. Just weeks ago it was announced that the Emmy-nominated director will helm a multi-part...
Trailer Watch: Kate Beckinsale Harnesses Her Murderous Rage in Tanya Wexler’s “Jolt”
“What is it about gross old men always underestimating women?” asks Kate Beckinsale in a new trailer for “Jolt.” The “Underworld” star plays another kickass lead...
Pick of the Day: “Zola”
Like the viral Twitter thread it’s inspired by, “Zola” begins with an invitation: “Y’all wanna hear a story about why me and this bitch here fell out? It’s kind of...
July 2021 Film Preview
By Kara Headley and Vicki A. Lee Women kick ass. This is something that we know and we witness on the news, in our friends and relatives, and even in ourselves — but it’s always nice to be...
Trailer Watch: “Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters” Revisits a Trailblazing Ballet
“We were hurting, but our work was a way that we kept going,” says Bill T. Jones in a new trailer for “Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters.” Rosalynde...
Pick of the Day: “The Legend of the Underground”
Arriving on HBO as Pride Month comes to a close, Giselle Bailey and Nneka Onuorah’s documentary “The Legend of the Underground” follows a group of non-conformist Nigerian men in the...
ARRAY Releasing Acquires New Zealand Indigenous Drama “Cousins”
“Cousins” has found a home. A press release announced that Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Releasing acquired North American and UKIE rights to the award-winning drama directed by Māori...
Taraji P. Henson to Direct Jennifer Hudson in Segment of “Tell it Like a Woman” Anthology
“Think Like a Man” and “What Men Want” star Taraji P. Henson is ready to “Tell it Like a Woman.” The Oscar-nominated actress has been tapped to direct a segment of...
Exclusive: Chicken & Egg Pictures Announces Newest Grantees of Project: Hatched Program
Chicken & Egg Pictures has announced the newest grantees of their Project: Hatched program for feature-length documentary impact. The filmmaking teams behind five projects will receive mentorship...
SXSW Winner “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America” Acquired by Sony Pictures Classics
Ahead of its world premiere at SXSW 2021, Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler described “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America” as a film “about confronting this country’s...
Trailer Watch: A Mother Moves Worlds For Her Daughter in Ann Hu’s “Confetti”
How far will a mother go to give her child the best opportunities in life? That question seems to be answered in the trailer for “Confetti” from writer-director Ann Hu, who has based the...
Pam Fryman Tapped to Direct “How I Met Your Father” Pilot, Hilary Duff Stars in the Spinoff
Pam Fryman is being recruited back into the “How I Met Your Mother” universe. After helming all but 12 episodes of the nine-season sitcom, she’s been tapped to direct and produce...
Trailer Watch: A Young Girl Escapes the Clutches of the Sea Maiden in Feminist Fable “Scales”
A strong-willed young girl faces the wrath of her community in “Scales.” Filmed in Oman, Shahad Ameen’s black-and-white feminist parable tells the story of Hayat (Basima Hajjar),...
Trailer Watch: The Hearing Child of Deaf Parents Follows Her Music Dreams in Sundance Smash “CODA”
“There are plenty of pretty voices with nothing to say. Do you have something to say?” Emilia Jones is asked in a new trailer for “CODA.” Sian Heder’s history-making...
Teona Strugar Mitevska on Telling a Story About Having the Audacity to Define Yourself in “God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya”
Teona Strugar Mitevska was born in Macedonia. She started as a child actor, and trained as a painter and a graphic designer before studying in the MFA program in film at New York University’s...
Trailer Watch: Tatiana Huezo Brings “Prayers for the Stolen” to Cannes
An adaptation of Jennifer Clement’s novel of the same name, “Prayers for the Stolen” is set in a solitary town in the Mexican mountains where being a girl or having a daughter is...
BFI Announces Program for Woman with a Movie Camera Summit
The BFI Woman with a Movie Camera Summit has announced its 2021 program. Set to take place July 17-18, the online event will feature more than 20 panels, discussions, and Q&As exploring...
Trailer Watch: Sonia Kennebeck Searches for Truth in the Age of Misinformation in “Enemies of the State”
An investigation into secrets, lies, and cover-ups, “Enemies of the State” explores the strange case of Wikileaks courier and hacker Matt DeHart. Sonia Kennebeck’s doc finds DeHart...
Trailer Watch: Three Sisters Fight to Win in Martial Arts Doc From Iran “Platform”
“Becoming a champion is easy; staying one is hard,” we are told in the new trailer for “Platform,” a documentary about women martial artists in Iran. Described as a...
Kyra Sedgwick to Direct “Space Oddity,” Alexandra Shipp & Madeline Brewer Will Star
Kyra Sedgwick has lined up her next directing gig. She will follow up her DGA Award-nominated directorial debut, “Story of a Girl,” with “Space Oddity,” Rebecca Banner’s...
Mattie Do’s “The Long Walk” Acquired by Yellow Veil Pictures
Mattie Do’s latest has secured North American distribution. Yellow Veil Pictures snagged rights to “The Long Walk” and is planning an early 2022 release, a press release announced....
Tanya Wexler’s Bouncer Action-Comedy “Jolt” Acquired by Amazon, Kate Beckinsale Stars
Kate Beckinsale is switching gears from waging war with werewolves to keeping drunk partiers in check. The “Underworld” actress leads Tanya Wexler’s latest, “Jolt,” a...
Julia Stiles to Make Feature Directorial Debut with “Wish You Were Here”
While we await word about the fate of “Riviera,” series star Julia Stiles is branching out. She’s set to make her feature directorial debut with “Wish You Were Here,”...
Susanna Fogel, Michelle Ashford, & Emilia Jones Are Bringing “Cat Person” to the Big Screen
Hot off the buzziest title of Sundance 2021, Emilia Jones has signed on to “Cat Person.” The “CODA” breakout will topline Susanna Fogel’s adaptation of Kristen...
Trailer Watch: Julia Ducournau Returns to Cannes with “Titane”
Julia Ducournau’s first feature, cannibal coming-of-age story “Raw,” caused audience members on the festival circuit to pass out. Her follow-up looks like it could be similarly...
Lynne Ramsay and Rooney Mara Team Up For “Polaris”
Lynne Ramsay has another project in the works. Last year she signed on to direct an adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon,” and now word comes that the BAFTA Award...
Trailer Watch: Zoe Lister-Jones Faces Her Fears In Apocalyptic Comedy “How It Ends”
Zoe Lister-Jones embarks on an existential scavenger hunt for her soul in “How It Ends.” A trailer for the apocalyptic Sundance comedy sees the “Life in Pieces” alumna...
Still I Rise Announces Inaugural Fellowship Recipients
Still I Rise Films has announced the recipients of their inaugural Still I Rise Films Fellowship. The documentary film series and platform has chosen eleven women — from more than 90...
Happy Juneteenth! (And a Recommendation of What to Watch)
Happy Juneteenth! We are committed to recognizing ongoing systemic, anti-Black racism and to fighting for a more equitable future. If you’re in the market for a film to honor the day, we...
Lizzie Borden Revisits “Working Girls” and Reflects on its Origins
After receiving a BFA in art history at Wellesley College, Lizzie Borden moved to New York, painted, wrote for Artforum Magazine, and made an experimental documentary, “Regrouping,”...