#Women Directors
Athena Film Fest’s 2019 Awardees: Nina Shaw, Desiree Akhavan, & Cameron Bailey
The Athena Film Festival has announced its 2019 awardees. The ninth edition of the fest will honor Time’s Up founding member Nina Shaw, “The Miseducation of Cameron Post”...
From Dialogue to Action: Crowdfunding Picks
The question of turning dialogue into action is not a new one, particularly in an age where the internet allows millions of people around the world to participate in conversations about issues such...
Rachel Morrison to Direct “Hightown” for Starz
History-making cinematographer Rachel Morrison is adding another major credit to her resume. Deadline reports that she’s been tapped by Starz to direct “Hightown,” an upcoming crime...
Trailer Watch: Yara Shahidi Only Has One Day for Love in “The Sun Is Also a Star”
“This is my home. New York is my home,” Jamaica-born Natasha Kingsley (Yara Shahidi) pleads in the trailer for “The Sun Is Also a Star.” But it doesn’t matter:...
Women in Politics Doc “Knock Down the House” Nabs Record Sundance Deal, Wins Fest Fave Award
We already knew “Knock Down the House” was one of Sundance 2019’s biggest winners. Rachel Lears’ documentary about four working-class, progressive women running for Congress...
Maggie Kiley to Direct Pilot for “Riverdale” Spin-Off “Katy Keene”
Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray) is leaving Riverdale and her gig singing at Le Bonne Nuit behind to pursue her dreams in New York City, and Maggie Kiley will be behind the camera capturing all the...
Berlinale 2019 Women Directors: Meet Lone Scherfig – “The Kindness of Strangers”
Lone Scherfig is an award-winning writer and director. Her first feature, “The Birthday Trip,” screened at the 1991 Berlinale and won several awards at festivals worldwide. Her more recent...
Social Media Campaign Examines Gender Rep in Hollywood and U.S. Senate “Then and Now”
The U.S. Senate is far from achieving gender equality: just 25 percent of senators are women. Yet it’s a progressive haven for women compared to Hollywood, as a new social media campaign...
Kelly Marcel to Make Directorial Debut with “Ferryman” Adaptation
Best known for writing the screenplays for “Venom,” “Fifty Shades of Grey,” and “Saving Mr. Banks,” Kelly Marcel is set to make her directorial debut. The BAFTA...
Trailer Watch: Nine Pacific Female Filmmakers Team Up for Berlinale Pic “Vai”
Written and directed by nine Pacific female filmmakers and filmed on seven Pacific islands, “Vai” depicts one woman’s life story in eight separate moments. When a young Vai asks a...
Paramount Accepts #4PercentChallenge from Time’s Up and Annenberg Inclusion Initiative
Paramount has accepted Time’s Up and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s #4PercentChallenge. Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, and Paramount Players are committing to announcing...
Sundance Deals: “One Child Nation,” “Honey Boy,” and “American Factory”
This year’s edition of Sundance Film Festival wrapped up yesterday, but many of the titles in the program have plenty of screenings to come: three more women-directed and co-directed titles...
Women Dominate Sundance 2019 Awards: Chinonye Chukwu, Nanfu Wang, & More
Exactly zero women are up for Best Director at the upcoming Oscars, and none of the films nominated for Best Picture are helmed by women. Fortunately, the Sundance Awards are here to remind everyone...
Figuring It Out: VOD and Web Series Picks
Young womanhood comes with many inevitable challenges. Making friends, pleasing family, dating, career-planning: there’s a lot to figure out. Luckily, women creators are taking to the internet...
Weekly Update for February 1: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Miss Bala – Directed by Catherine Hardwicke “Miss Bala”: Columbia Pictures Gloria (Gina Rodriguez) finds a power she never knew she had when she is drawn...
Trailer Watch: A Police Shooting Leaves Families Reeling in “The Red Line”
Three families’ fates intertwine in a newly released trailer for “The Red Line.” Exec produced by “A Wrinkle in Time” helmer Ava DuVernay and set in Chicago, CBS’...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet May el-Toukhy – “Queen of Hearts”
Writer-director May el-Toukhy worked in theater before moving to film. In addition to her feature directorial debut “Long Story Short,” she has directed radio dramas, stage plays, and...
New Ad Campaign Celebrates Women Directors, Brings Attention to Awards Season’s Gender Gap
2018 saw the release of many acclaimed films from women directors, including Chloé Zhao’s “The Rider,” Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace,” and Marielle...
February 2019 Film Preview
From rom-coms to slashers to dramas, moviegoers have plenty of options when it comes to films made by and about women this February. The month kicks off with the February 1 release of Catherine...
Carey Mulligan Teams Up with Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman”
2019 is shaping up to be a banner year for Emerald Fennell. Best known for her role as Patsy on beloved BBC drama “Call the Midwife,” the multi-hyphenate plays Camilla Parker Bowles in...
Trailer Watch: Olivia Wilde Takes Down Abusers in Sarah Daggar-Nickson’s “A Vigilante”
We can only imagine what Olivia Wilde’s character in “A Vigilante” would do to get her hands on Perry from “Big Little Lies.” A trailer has dropped for Sarah...
Brie Larson Sets “Unicorn Store” and “Lady Business” at Netflix
Brie Larson’s feature directorial debut premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and went on to screen at the 2018 Edinburgh International Film Festival, but after that the...
Sundance: “Knock Down the House,” “Them That Follow,” and More Land Distribution
Sundance doesn’t just present filmmakers with the opportunity to have their films seen — the fest is also a great place to have your work seen by someone who wants to buy it. Gurinder...
Gabriela Cowperthwaite Teaming Up with Dakota Johnson for “The Friend”
Gabriela Cowperthwaite is following up Kate Mara-starrer “Megan Leavey” with another feature inspired by a true story. She’s teaming up with “Suspiria” actress Dakota...
Women Directing 40 Percent of Upcoming Disney Films, CEO Announces
Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Robert Iger made an exciting announcement via Twitter while addressing the 4% Challenge, the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and Time’s Up campaign...
Berlinale Will Sign the Gender Parity Pledge
The 2019 Berlin International Film Festival won’t kick off until next Thursday, February 7, but it’s already made history. Screen Daily confirms fest artistic director Dieter Kosslick...
Elizabeth Banks Set to Direct and Produce “The Grace Year” for Universal
In news that suggests Elizabeth Banks may be the owner of a time-turner, the prolific multi-hyphenate has added yet another project to her slate. She’s signed on to direct and produce...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Cristina Ibarra – “The Infiltrators”
Cristina Ibarra has been making award-winning films that explore the U.S.-Mexico border for the past 16 years. Her PBS-broadcast documentary “Las Marthas” premiered on “Independent...
Chloë Grace Moretz to Topline Roseanne Liang Horror Pic “Shadow in the Cloud”
Roseanne Liang has lined up yet another project. Already attached to direct a feature version of her short “Do No Harm” as well as thriller “Fuse,” the Chinese-New Zealand...
Universal Is First Major Studio to Accept 4% Challenge
Universal Filmed Entertainment Group is following in the steps of Tessa Thompson, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Lopez, Lena Waithe, and many others. The Donna Langley-led company is the first major...
Heartland Film Fest Signs Gender Parity Pledge
More fests are showing support — and agreeing to do their part — in making the film industry more inclusive. Heartland Film Inc., the nonprofit organizer of the Heartland International...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Petra Costa – “The Edge of Democracy”
Petra Costa is a Brazilian filmmaker whose work encompasses both fiction and nonfiction. Her first film, “Elena,” premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Her...
Ava DuVernay’s Array Acquires Sundance Title “Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen”
Ava DuVernay made history at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival when she became the first Black woman to take home the Directing Award for U.S. Dramatic Film. She won the honor for “Middle of...
Lauren Greenfield Launches Girl Culture Films to Address Lack of Diversity Behind the Scenes in Advertising
Remember Always’ #LikeaGirl ad? Besides inducing tears around the world, the viral sensation won an Emmy, 14 Cannes Lions, and became part of the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection....
“Jagged Little Pill” Musical Going to Broadway
“Jagged Little Pill” is going to have a whole new life on Broadway. The American Repertory Theater musical, based on Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album of the same name, will be opening...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Nanfu Wang – “One Child Nation”
Nanfu Wang is an Emmy-nominated and Peabody-winning filmmaker based in New York City. Wang’s feature debut, “Hooligan Sparrow,” premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. It was...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Cristina Gallego – “Birds of Passage”
Cristina Gallego is a producer, editor, and director. Through her production company Ciudad Lunar she produced “La Sombra del Caminante,” “The Wind Journeys,” and “Embrace of the...
Chinonye Chukwu to Direct Female-Led Black Panther Drama “A Taste of Power”
Chinonye Chukwu is having a dynamite week. She just premiered her latest film, “Clemency,” at Sundance over the weekend — where it received a standing ovation — and now word...
Apple Snags Global Rights to Minhal Baig’s Feature Debut “Hala”
“Hala” has found a home. Written and directed by Minhal Baig and based on her short of the same name, the coming-of-age story just premiered at Sundance. Apple scooped up worldwide rights...
Caroline Friend and Zenzele Niambi Ojore Named Horizon Award Winners at Sundance
Caroline Friend and Zenzele Niambi Ojore are the winners of the fifth annual Horizon Award, a press release announced. Their self-directed short films were chosen from over 400 submissions. Given in...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Samantha Buck and Marie Schlingmann – “Sister Aimee”
Samantha Buck and Marie Schlingmann are a married writing and directing duo. Their short films “The Mink Catcher” and “Canary” were screened at Telluride, SXSW, Palm Springs Shortsfest, and...
Gurinder Chadha’s “Blinded by the Light” Lands Biggest Deal of Sundance 2019
Gurinder Chadha and The Boss made magic. The British filmmaker’s tribute to Bruce Springsteen, fandom, and following your dreams is poised to secure the biggest deal out of Sundance 2019 so...
Julie Dash to Direct Angela Davis Biopic
One trailblazer is set to bring another’s life story to the big screen. Julie Dash, who made history as the first black female director to helm a feature with a theatrical release with...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Jacqueline Olive – “Always in Season”
Jacqueline Olive is an independent filmmaker and immersive media producer with more than a decade of experience in journalism and film. She co-directed and produced the award-winning short...
4% Challenge: Inclusion Initiative & Time’s Up Aim to Boost Number of Women Directing Top Films
Tessa Thompson, Kerry Washington, Brie Larson, Constance Wu, and many more have publicly vowed to announce a project with a woman director in the next 18 months. They’ve signed on to the 4%...
Mindy Kaling and Nisha Ganatra Score Record Deal for “Late Night” at Sundance
Mindy Kaling is making a major mark at Sundance 2019. The screenwriter, producer, and star of “Late Night” just landed a record deal for the comedy. Amazon Studios came out of an...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Bert & Bertie – “Troop Zero”
Bert & Bertie are a female writing-directing duo from London. Their combined backgrounds in photography and performance led them to filmmaking. Their credits include “Worm,”...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Anne Sewitsky – “Sonja – The White Swan”
Anne Sewitsky is a Norwegian-American filmmaker. Her debut film, “Happy Happy,” won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2011 and was Norway’s Academy Award entry the same year. Her next...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Sophie Hyde – “Animals”
Sophie Hyde’s debut fiction film “52 Tuesdays” won the directing award in the World Cinema Dramatic section at Sundance and the Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Janice Engel – “Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins”
Janice Engel is an award-winning filmmaker and showrunner. Engel has made numerous documentaries, non-fiction television specials, and series including “Jackson Browne: Going Home,”...
Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Britt Poulton – “Them That Follow”
Britt Poulton is a writer and director. After studying International Relations at UC Berkeley, she left politics to pursue film and completed her MFA at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. She wrote...