#Women Directors
Lynn Shelton’s “Sword of Trust” Gets a Release Date
Lynn Shelton’s eighth feature has received a release date. Improv-based comedy “Sword of Trust” will open in New York July 12 and LA July 19, a press release announced. Penned by...
IFC Hosts Sneak Peak of “Charlie Says” and Mary Harron Retrospective
Mary Harron’s latest tells the story of another American psycho. The Charles Manson-inspired pic hits theaters May 10, and IFC hosted a retrospective of the director to coincide with its...
Weekly Update for May 3: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Tell It to the Bees – Directed by Annabel Jankel; Written by Henrietta Ashworth and Jessica Ashworth (Also Available on VOD) “Tell It to the Bees” Dr. Jean...
Trailer Watch: An Iconic Filmmaker Fights for Māori Stories in ARRAY Doc “Merata”
As the first Māori woman to write and direct a feature film, Merata Mita focused on telling New Zealand’s indigenous peoples’ stories on the screen. But as her son Hepi Mita notes in the...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Heddy Honigmann – “Buddy”
Heddy Honigmann is a director and writer who is best known for “Forever,” “The Underground Orchestra,” and “Metal and Melancholy.” “Buddy” premiered at...
Tribeca 2019 Awards: “House of Hummingbird” and “Scheme Birds” Land Top Honors
The winners of the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival have been announced, and two of the fest’s three highest honors have gone to women-directed films. Bora Kim’s coming-of-age drama...
Jenna Ricker’s Doc About Motorsports Trailblazer Janet Guthrie to Air on ESPN’s “30 for 30”
Janet Guthrie made history in 1977 when, at the age of 39, the aerospace engineer became the first woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Jenna Ricker’s “Qualified” explores...
You Have to Laugh: VOD and Web Series Picks
“Humor is just another defense against the universe,” Mel Brooks told Rolling Stone in 1978. This insight is perhaps even truer for women — we’ve often had to wield our senses...
Trailer Watch: Gurinder Chadha Pays Homage to Bruce Springsteen in “Blinded by the Light”
“It’s like Bruce knows everything I’ve ever felt, everything I’ve ever wanted,” says Javed (Viveik Kalra) in a new trailer for “Blinded by the Light.” The...
Submit Now: The Athena Film Festival and The Athena List
The Athena Film Festival is gearing up for its 2020 edition. A four-day celebration of stories about fierce and fearless women leaders, the fest will be marking its 10th anniversary next year, and...
Newport Beach Film Festival Women Directors: Meet Stephanie Turner – “Justine”
Stephanie Turner is an actress, writer, and director. Her acting credits include “First Man,” “Monster-in-Law,” and “Surrogate.” She is developing a television...
Regina King Signs First-Look Deal with Netflix
Netflix is going into business with a recent Oscar winner and one of Time’s most influential people of 2019. “If Beale Street Could Talk” star Regina King has signed a multi-year...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Laurence Mathieu-Leger – “Willie”
Laurence Mathieu-Leger is an award-winning filmmaker, editor, and producer. She specializes in documentary projects and has done work for The Guardian, Reuters, La Presse, Cosmo, and the United...
Paloma Baeza to Direct Animated Frida Kahlo Biopic for Lupus Films and Universal
Paloma Baeza’s second feature film will celebrate the life and work of Frida Kahlo. Baeza is set to direct an as-yet untitled animated movie about the renowned Mexican artist for the...
Hulu News: Projects from Nicole Kidman and Lynn Shelton On the Way, “Pen15” Renewed
Hulu dropped some major news at its 2019 upfront, held today in New York. Among other announcements, the streamer revealed that it’s adding major star power with a new series from Nicole Kidman...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Rama Rau – “The Daughter Tree”
Rama Rau is a writer-director. Rau’s debut fiction feature, “Honey Bee,” won the EDA Best Film Award at the Whistler Film Festival. Her film “League of Exotique Dancers”...
The Obamas’ Netflix Slate Includes Sundance Winner “American Factory” and a Callie Khouri TV Drama
Barack and Michelle Obama have finally announced the project slate for their Netflix-based Higher Ground Productions — and it does not disappoint. Currently, Higher Ground is producing seven...
Trailer Watch: Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson Break Barriers in “Late Night”
Mindy Kaling gives Emma Thompson’s comic persona a long overdue makeover in a new trailer for Nisha Ganatra’s “Late Night.” With over 40 Emmy Awards and a long-running...
Jennifer Garner to Star in Theater Camp Comedy From Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein
Jennifer Garner can’t seem to resist the call of the outdoors. She’s signed on to topline STX Films’ theater camp comedy “Fantasy Camp” just months after the final...
Zelda Williams to Make Feature Directorial Debut with “AMA (Ask Me Anything)”
Some questions are better left unasked. Zelda Williams’ feature directorial debut will offer a sinister take on a popular subreddit. Titled “AMA (Ask Me Anything),” the pic...
Robin Wright Directing Her First Feature Film
Robin Wright’s stepping away from the political machinations of Washington and heading into the wild. The “House of Cards” alumna is set to make her feature directorial debut with...
Trailer Watch: Daisy Ridley Redefines a Character We Think We Know in “Ophelia”
We all know the story: Something is rotten in Denmark. A prince wants to avenge his father’s murder, but can’t quite seem to summon the gumption. A widow marries her late husband’s...
Elle Fanning, Kelly Reichardt, & More to Serve on Cannes Competition Jury
Cannes Film Festival has revealed who will be deciding this year’s recipient of its most prestigious honor, the Palme d’Or. As previously announced, the Competition jury will be headed by...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Baljit Sangra – “Because We Are Girls”
Baljit Sangra uses documentary and factual entertainment to explore social and cross-cultural issues. A three-time Leo Award nominee, Sangra’s films have premiered at festivals around the world....
Imagine That: Crowdfunding Picks
Imagination, J.K. Rowling shared in her 2008 Harvard Commencement Speech, is “not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not” but also “the power that enables us...
“Captain Marvel” Becomes Highest-Grossing Woman-Directed Film at Domestic Box Office
Diana Prince isn’t the only female superhero to break major barriers. As of this past weekend, “Captain Marvel” has netted $413.6 million domestically — officially besting...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Pachi Bustos – “Haydee and the Flying Fish”
Pachi Bustos is a journalist and documentary filmmaker. She has worked as a director, writer, and researcher for prestigious Chilean television programs and nationally and internationally renowned...
Sally El Hosaini Will Direct Yusra Mardini Biopic “The Swimmers”
Sally El Hosaini is bringing Olympian swimmer and Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini’s story to the big screen. Screen Daily confirms El Hosaini is directing “The Swimmers,” a biopic...
Rachel Brosnahan Will Topline and Produce Julia Hart’s Next Feature
Midge is stepping away from the mic and hitting the road. “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” breakout Rachel Brosnahan has signed on to topline Julia Hart’s next feature, “I’m...
May 2019 Film Preview
May 2019 promises to be an exciting month for new releases by and about women. From star-studded comedies to intimate documentaries, women’s stories are flooding theaters this month. Olivia...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Tülin Özdemir – “Red Moon”
Tülin Özdemir’s work asks the question, “Who is today’s modern woman?” The filmmaker made her first short documentary, “Our Wedding,” in 2008 and expanded on its...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Phyllis Ellis – “Toxic Beauty”
Phyllis Ellis is a creator, writer, director, producer, and performer in factual and scripted television and film. She was honored at the 2013 Canadian Screen Awards with the prestigious Donald...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Jola Dylewska – “Marek Edelman… and There Was Love in the Ghetto”
Jola Dylewska is a Polish writer, director, and cinematographer. She has worked as a cinematographer on over 25 projects. She won Best Cinematography at the 2012 Polish Film Awards for her work on...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Claudia Sparrow – “Maxima”
Claudia Sparrow was born and raised in Lima, Peru. Her first feature, “I Remember You,” won best dramatic feature film at the Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles and was released...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Emily Gan – “Cavebirds”
Emily Gan is a Chinese-Canadian photographer, filmmaker, and video artist born and based in Montréal. Gan has travelled across Canada, the US, India, and Malaysia working on various independent...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Aude Leroux-Lévesque – “A Place of Tide and Time”
Aude Leroux-Lévesque is a Montreal-based documentary filmmaker. Her first documentary, “Call me Salma,” aired on Arte, EBS Korea, Direct 8, and played in numerous international film...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Danielle Sturk – “El Toro”
Danielle Sturk is a bilingual multi-disciplinary artist. Sturk’s films have screened at over 30 film festivals, and have been broadcast on most major Canadian English and French networks, such...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Nance Ackerman, Ariella Pahlke, and Teresa MacInnes – “Conviction”
Nance Ackerman is a documentary photographer, filmmaker, and multimedia artist. Her films have won awards for direction and cinematography. Her credits include “Cottonland,” “Four...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Marcela Arteaga – “The Guardian of Memory”
Marcela Arteaga is a Mexican writer and director. Her 2003 documentary “Remembrance” was screened at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Festival des Films du Monde, and Hot Docs,...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Shannon Walsh – “Illusions of Control”
Shannon Walsh has written and directed four award-winning feature documentaries, as well as multiple shorts and 360 VR projects. Her work has been released theatrically in Canada, the UK, and South...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Megan Wennberg – “Drag Kids”
Megan Wennberg is a writer and director based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She works in both documentary and fiction, and her work has screened at festivals around the world and been broadcast on CBC,...
Weekly Update for April 26: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Body at Brighton Rock – Written and Directed by Roxanne Benjamin (Also Available on VOD) “Body at Brighton Rock” Wendy (Karina Fontes), a part-time summer...
Rachel Mason’s “Circus of Books” Acquired by Netflix Ahead of Tribeca Premiere
“Circus of Books” will make its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival this evening, but that’s not all writer-director Rachel Mason is celebrating. The doc has already found a...
Trailer Watch: A Woman Fights to Find Her Stolen Baby Girl in Cannes Pic “Canción sin nombre”
A relatively stress-free pregnancy and birth precede a tragedy in Melina León’s “Canción sin nombre” (“Song Without a Name”). A newly released trailer for the Cannes’...
Tribeca 2019 Women Directors: Meet Cindy Meehl – “The Dog Doc”
Cindy Meehl is a director and executive producer of documentary feature films. Her documentary feature “Buck” premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award...
Tribeca 2019 Women Directors: Meet Tal Granit – “Flawless”
Tal Granit’s credits include “The Farewell Party,” which won the audience award at the Venice Film Festival and was distributed worldwide, “Summer Vacation,” which...
Alfre Woodard-Starrer “Clemency” Gets an Awards-Friendly Release Date
The winner of Sundance 2019’s U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize Award has a release date. Currently boasting a 100 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “Clemency” has been...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Nicole Schafer – “Buddha in Africa”
Nicole Schafer is a South African director. She produced award-winning stories for the Reuters pan-African magazine show “Africa Journal.” Her thesis film from the University of Cape...
Trailer Watch: Erin Lee Carr Investigates the USA Gymnastics Scandal & What’s “At the Heart of Gold”
“How much is a little girl worth?” asks Rachael Denhollander in a new trailer for “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal.” Denhollander was the first woman...
Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Pailin Wedel – “Hope Frozen”
Pailin Wedel is a Thai-American journalist and filmmaker who grew up in Asia. She has regularly produced documentary programs for Al Jazeera English, namely for its current events program “101...
Tribeca 2019 Women Directors: Meet Bora Kim – “House of Hummingbird”
Bora Kim is a Korean filmmaker with an MFA in film directing from Columbia. Her debut feature, “House of Hummingbird,” won the Grand Prix for Best Feature Film at the 69th Berlin International...