#Women Directors
Exclusive: Girls and Women Celebrate Their Passion for Aviation in “Fly Like a Girl” Trailer
“Girls make better pilots than boys because we’re way smarter. No offense,” says one of the young characters featured in “Fly Like a Girl.” Our exclusive trailer for...
TIFF 2020 Women Directors: Meet Jennifer Abbott – “The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel”
Jennifer Abbott is a Sundance and Genie award-winning filmmaker who has been making films about social, political, and environmental issues for 25 years. She is best known as one of the directors and...
Trailer Watch: CJ Crim Celebrates Women, Activism, and Social Justice in “Resisterhood”
People of color, immigrants, LGTBQ folks, women — life in America has become very frightening for all of these groups and more since Trump’s election nearly four years ago. But, in spite...
Quote of the Day: Halle Berry on Stepping Behind the Camera and Her Post-Oscar Career
Halle Berry’s directorial debut is one of our most anticipated titles screening at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. In our write-up of “Bruised,” a drama about...
Trailer Watch: Eva Noblezada Sings Her Truth in “Yellow Rose”
“I never fit in, never could win,” an aspiring country music performer sings in a new trailer for “Yellow Rose.” The drama tells the story of Rose (Eva Noblezada,...
Juliet Landau Secures Distribution for Her Directorial Debut, “A Place Among the Dead”
Juliet Landau is still hanging out with the undead. The actress and director, best known for playing Drusilla, a vampire with psychic powers, on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” has secured...
Trailer Watch: Jennifer Siebel Newsom Exposes “The Great American Lie” in Her New Doc
For too many people, the American Dream — the idea that, in the U.S., you can start with nothing but achieve anything — isn’t just a fantasy, but a complete hoax. Jennifer Siebel...
TIFF 2020 Women Directors: Meet Emma Seligman – “Shiva Baby”
Emma Seligman is a Canadian filmmaker based in New York. She graduated from NYU’s Undergraduate Film & TV program in May 2017, where she made her first two short films, including her thesis,...
Maria Schrader Wraps Production on “I Am Your Man”
Maria Schrader is following up “Unorthodox” with a German-language feature. Deadline reports that the Emmy-nominated director recently wrapped production on “I Am Your Man”...
Trailer Watch: Hannah Fidell and Kate Mara Bring “A Teacher” to TV
“I’ve never given myself permission to feel this way,” says Kate Mara in a new trailer for “A Teacher.” When we’re first introduced to Claire (Mara) and Eric (Nick...
TIFF 2020 Women Directors: Meet Madeleine Sims-Fewer – “Violation”
Madeleine Sims-Fewer studied film production at York University and completed an MFA in acting at Drama Centre London. She met Dusty Mancinelli at the 2015 TIFF Talent Lab and the pair joined forces...
TIFF 2020 Women Directors: Meet Cathy Brady – “Wildfire”
Cathy Brady is a two-time Irish Film & Television Award-winning director. She was recognized for her short films “Small Change” and “Morning.” In 2011 she directed the...
Trailer Watch: Malin Akerman Hosts Kat Dennings and Aisha Tyler for “Friendsgiving”
Malin Akerman and Kat Dennings’ plans for a quiet Thanksgiving take a major turn in “Friendsgiving,” Nicol Paone’s feature directorial debut. A new trailer for the comedy sees...
TIFF 2020 Preview: Frances McDormand Hits the Road, Female DJs Get Their Due, & More
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) hasn’t gone entirely digital this year, but the fest has adapted to life in a COVID-19 world. Set to take place September 10-19, the 45th edition...
Trailer Watch: Sabrina Van Tassel Unearths a Miscarriage of Justice in “The State of Texas vs. Melissa”
For 11 years, Melissa Lucio has been on death row: she was convicted for the murder of her two-year-old daughter, who died of blunt head trauma. But, according to Sabrina Van Tassel’s new...
Join the Girls Club for a Conversation with Miranda July About “Kajillionaire”
Miranda July will be discussing “Kajillionaire” at the Girls Club’s next live event. The conversation will be held Thursday, September 10, at 5:30 p.m. EST. Written and directed by...
Exclusive Featurette: Nicole Riegel on “Holler,” Her TIFF Pic About a Woman Struggling to Pay for College
“When I was a high school senior, I had a meeting with my guidance counselor. She told me that I would probably never go to college, and it was one of the most discouraging things that I think...
Weekly Update for September 4: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Opening
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING AND COMING TO STREAMING/VOD Mulan – Directed by Niki Caro; Written by Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin, Amanda Silver, and Rick Jaffa Acclaimed filmmaker Niki Caro...
Kristin Scott Thomas, Daisy Ridley, & Nina Hoss to Star in Jane Anderson’s WWII Drama “Women in the Castle”
Kristin Scott Thomas, Daisy Ridley, and Nina Hoss will confront the horrors of war and its aftermath in “Women in the Castle,” an adaptation of Jessica Shattuck’s 2017 New York...
Trailer Watch: Maya Newell’s “In My Blood It Runs” Chronicles an Aboriginal Boy’s School and Home Lives
In the trailer for “In My Blood It Runs,” an Aboriginal woman discusses her concerns about her children. “Dujuan is the one I worry about the most,” she says....
Shatara Michelle Ford’s “Test Pattern” Acquired by Kino Lorber
Shatara Michelle Ford’s award-winning feature debut has found a home. A press release announced that Kino Lorber acquired North American rights to “Test Pattern,” described as...
Jasmila Žbanić Announces New Projects Ahead of Venice Premiere of Her Latest, “Quo Vadis, Aida?”
“Quo Vadis, Aida?,” Jasmila Žbanić’s portrait of a U.N. translator trying to seek shelter during the Bosnian War’s Srebrenica massacre, is making its world premiere at Venice...
Venice 2020 Women Directors: Meet Celine Held – “Topside”
Celine Held is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker. She works as a co-writer and director with her partner Logan George. Their work as a team has premiered in competition at SXSW, Sundance Film Festival, and...
Teaser Watch: Julie Taymor, Julianne Moore, & Alicia Vikander Celebrate Gloria Steinem in “The Glorias”
“I want to write about the women’s movement,” says Gloria Steinem in a new teaser for “The Glorias.” The feminist icon’s journalism and activism played — and...
Venice 2020 Women Directors: Meet Mona Fastvold – “The World to Come”
Mona Fastvold is a New York and Oslo-based writer-director. In early 2012 Mona received a prestigious development grant from the Norwegian Film Fund followed by production support for her directorial...
Zeina Durra’s Andrea Riseborough-Starrer “Luxor” Acquired by Samuel Goldwyn
At a time when most of us are stuck at home, Zeina Durra’s latest offers a powerful reminder of what it’s like to explore a country other than your own. “Luxor,” her sophomore...
Venice 2020 Women Directors: Meet Nicole Garcia – “Lovers”
Nicole Garcia is a French director, screenwriter, and actress. Her credits include “From the Land of the Moon,” “A View of Love,” and “Charlie...
Trailer Watch: A Young Activist Becomes Radicalized in Venice’s “And Tomorrow the Entire World”
Is violence ever really justified? How far could — or should — one go to stop fascism or Nazism? Is peaceful protest actually effective? These are some of the questions Julia von Heinz...
Maïwenn to Receive Honorary Award at Zurich Film Festival
Maïwenn will be joining Juliette Binoche at this year’s Zurich Film Festival (ZFF). Last week it was announced that Binoche would be given the Swiss fest’s most prestigious prize, the...
Sabaah Folayan, Débora Souza Silva, Rachel Lears, & More Receive Gucci Tribeca Doc Fund Grants
Eleven feature-length non-fiction projects have been awarded Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund grants — and eight of them are helmed by women. A press released announced that the fund, from...
Trailer Watch: “Underplayed” Celebrates Female DJs, Past and Present
“I never had seen a female DJ at the clubs. Ever,” says DJ Duffey in a trailer for “Underplayed.” As electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani explains, women have been involved...
Mamie Till Mobley Limited Series Ordered at ABC, Gina Prince-Bythewood Will Direct First Ep
Another project about Mamie Till Mobley is in the works. On the heels of the announcement that Chinonye Chukwu is directing a feature about Emmett Till, his death, and Mobley’s galvanization of...
Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s “The Great American Lie” Acquired by Vertical Entertainment
Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s third feature documentary has secured distribution. Deadline reports Vertical Entertainment acquired North American rights to “The Great American Lie.” The...
Weekly Update for August 28: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Opening
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING AND COMING TO STREAMING/VOD Driven to Abstraction (Documentary) – Directed by Daria Price “Driven to Abstraction” unravels a mutating tale of self-delusion,...
Women and Diverse Directors Set to Helm 63 Percent of FX’s 2021 Productions
Next year, for the first time in the network’s history, white male directors will not be helming the majority of FX productions. John Landgraf, Chairman of FX Networks and FX Productions,...
“My Little Sister” Is Switzerland’s Pick for the International Feature Film Oscar
“My Little Sister” has entered the Oscar race. Variety reports that Switzerland selected the Nina Hoss-starrer as its entry in the International Feature Film category of the 2021 Academy...
Trailer Watch: “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President” Brings Americans Together Through Music
“I think music is the best proof that people have one thing in common no matter where they live, no matter what language they speak,” says Jimmy Carter in a new trailer for “Jimmy...
“Miss Juneteenth” Wins Best Narrative Feature at BlackStar Film Festival
Philadelphia’s BlackStar Film Festival, a showcase for Black, Brown, and Indigenous filmmakers from around the world, has named “Miss Juneteenth” as its best narrative feature. The...
Sofia Coppola’s “On the Rocks” to Make World Premiere at New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival (NYFF) will host the world premiere of “On the Rocks.” Sofia Coppola’s father-daughter comedy will screen as part of the fest’s new Spotlight section,...
Chinonye Chukwu to Direct Pic About Emmett Till’s Death, How His Mother Helped Spark Civil Rights Movement
Chinonye Chukwu’s next project will revisit a tragic, and galvanizing, moment in American history. According to Deadline, the “Clemency” filmmaker has signed on to direct a feature...
American Black Film Fest 2020 Women Directors: Meet Funmi Holder – “Efunsetan Aniwura”
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Funmi Holder has acted in over 25 movies since she made her debut in the Nigerian film industry. Her big break came in 2010, when she took the role of Amaka Okoh in the...
Soleil Moon Frye’s “Kid 90” Doc Lands at Hulu
Soleil Moon Frye is set to deliver a blast from the past. The author, filmmaker, and actress best known for playing the the titular lead of NBC’s “Punky Brewster” has secured U.S....
American Black Film Fest 2020 Women Directors: Meet Alana Barrett-Adkins – “Asunder, One Flesh Divided”
Alana Barrett-Adkins is a director, actor, and producer. She is the CEO/Artistic Director of Rock Alari Studios, which has produced projects including the play “Women of Adonai,” the web...
Trailer Watch: Radha Blank Takes the Mic in “The Forty-Year-Old Version”
A struggling playwright decides to reinvent herself as a rapper in “The Forty-Year-Old Version,” this year’s winner of Sundance’s Directing Prize. Written and directed by...
Trailer Watch: “Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles” Brings History to Life at the Met
After making his mark on the culinary world with restaurants and best-selling cookbooks, Yotam Ottolenghi was looking for his next challenge. He found it when the Metropolitan Museum of Art called....
TIFF: Tracey Deer to Receive Emerging Talent Award, Talks Lined Up with Halle Berry, Ava DuVernay, & More
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will present yet another award to a female filmmaker at its 2020 edition. Screen Daily has confirmed Tracey Deer, whose coming-of-age pic...
Join the Girls Club for a Conversation with “Desert One” Director Barbara Kopple
The Girls Club will welcome Barbara Kopple for its next live conversation. The discussion will take place Wednesday, August 26, at 4 p.m. EST. The two-time Academy Award-winning and nine-time...
Ekwa Msangi’s Intergenerational Immigrant Story “Farewell Amor” Acquired by IFC Films
Ekwa Msangi’s feature debut has secured distribution. A press release announced that IFC films snagged North American rights to “Farewell Amor,” an intergenerational immigrant...
Keira Knightley and Clio Barnard Team Up for Apple TV+ Adaptation of “The Essex Serpent”
Keira Knightley has signed on to topline another period drama. Deadline reports that she’ll lead and exec produce “The Essex Serpent,” an adaptation of Sarah Perry’s 2016...
Amy Poehler Will Tell Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s Story in Her Doc Feature Directorial Debut
Amy Poehler will focus on fellow female comedy legend in her first documentary feature. According to Deadline, the “Parks and Rec” and “SNL” alumna will direct a documentary...
Trailer Watch: Brea Grant’s “12 Hour Shift” Sees Nurses Dabbling in Black Market Organ-Trading
An ER nurse makes extra cash from freshly expired bodies in Brea Grant’s “12 Hour Shift.” A new trailer for the pic, which is set in 1999, introduces us to Mandy (Angela Bettis,...