#Women Directors
France Launches Financial Incentives for Productions with Gender Parity
France is launching a state funding bonus for productions in which the director and key crew members are women, ScreenDaily reports. Earlier this year the country’s — and arguably...
Weekly Update for September 21: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD WANTS YOUR INPUT Women and Hollywood strives to provide resources that are helpful to our readers and our community. We would be grateful if you took a few moments to participate...
Julia Hart’s Sci-Fi “Fast Color” Acquired by Codeblack, Gugu Mbatha-Raw Stars
“Fast Color” is heading to theaters. Deadline reports that distribution rights to Julia Hart’s sci-fi have been obtained by Lionsgate’s label Codeblack Films. Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“The...
Kenya Temporarily Lifts Ban on “Rafiki,” Making the Lesbian Love Story Eligible for Oscars
Audiences in Kenya are finally allowed to watch “Rafiki” — for now, at least. A Kenyan judge has temporarily lifted the country’s ban on Wanuri Kahiu’s lesbian romance,...
“The Good Place’s” Tiya Sircar to Topline Netflix Mystery “Good Sam,” Kate Melville Directing
Tiya Sircar is visiting Netflix from “The Good Place.” The recurring star of the NBC afterlife comedy is set to topline a film for the streamer, Deadline reports. Inspired by Dete...
Guest Post: How I Founded an Art House Cinema and Made Supporting Women a Priority
Guest Post by Lawren Desai My son was still in diapers when I founded an art house cinema. I wrote my business plan during nap time and showed up to construction with a stroller. This was in 2010:...
Trailer Watch: Director Kim Snyder Returns to Newtown for “Lessons from a School Shooting”
Father Bob Weiss’ church hosted the funerals of eight of the children who died during the Sandy Hook Massacre in December 2012. Like the rest of the Newtown, Connecticut community, he has been...
Trailer Watch: Sandi Tan Investigates Her Missing Film and Collaborator in “Shirkers”
“When I was 18 the thing I wanted more than anything was to make a movie,” says director Sandi Tan in a new trailer for “Shirkers.” “I had the idea that you found...
Swipe Right: September’s VOD and Web Series Picks
This month’s VOD and web series picks offer a few different takes on dating in the modern age. With the adoption of social media, smart phones, and apps, navigating the dating world in a sea of...
Reed Morano Signs Overall Deal with Amazon Studios
Reed Morano is taking her considerable talents to Amazon. Variety reports the director-cinematographer-producer has inked an overall deal with Amazon Studios that will see her creating original...
Foreign-Language Oscar Picks: Indonesia Selects “Marlina the Murderer,” Lebanon “Capernaum”
Another two women-directed films have been selected for the foreign-language Oscar race. Indonesia has chosen Mouly Surya’s “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts” as its submission...
Trailer Watch: Rachel Brosnahan Reinvigorates the Neighborhood in “Change in the Air”
Think of “Change in the Air” as “The Marvelous Ms. Miller.” A trailer for Dianne Dreyer’s new drama sees Rachel Brosnahan’s character, Wren Miller, enchanting...
TIFF Horror Pic “The Wind” Lands at IFC Midnight
“The Wind,” a horror-Western from Emma Tammi, made its world premiere earlier this month at the Toronto Film Festival, and now it’s making its way to theaters. A press release has...
International Documentary Association Awards $850,000 to Journalistic Documentaries
Documentary filmmaking is all the more important in the era of “fake news.” So the fact that the International Documentary Association (IDA) has announced a cohort of 12 films that will...
San Sebastian Festival Expected to Sign Gender Parity Pledge
Yet another major festival is set to sign a gender parity pledge. Following the lead of Cannes, Venice, TIFF, and IDFA, among others, Spain’s San Sebastian Festival is expected to sign the...
Emmys 2018: Amy Sherman-Palladino Makes History and Hannah Gadsby Calls Out #NotAllMen
“Gilmore Girls” was repeatedly and egregiously snubbed by the Emmys, but show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino finally got the last laugh. Her latest series, “The Marvelous Mrs....
Trailer Watch: Brie Larson Is a Renegade Soldier in “Captain Marvel”
“War is a universal language, and I know a renegade solider when I see one,” says Marvel universe fixture Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in the first trailer for “Captain...
You’re Invited: Join Women and Hollywood at the Women Sports Film Fest in San Francisco
If you’ll be in the Bay Area next week, you should swing by the 3rd Annual Women Sports Film Festival (WSFF). Women and Hollywood is co-presenting the fest, whose mission is to advance gender...
Elaine May Film Series to Screen in London
Elaine May’s filmography is being revisited. London’s Badlands Collective is hosting “Painfully Funny: The Complete Directorial Works of Elaine May,” a series celebrating...
“Fig Tree’s” Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian Wins Audentia Award for Best Female Director at TIFF
Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian is taking home a major honor from the Toronto International Film Festival. She has been named as the winner of the third edition of the Audentia Award for Best Female...
Weekly Update for September 14: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Where Hands Touch – Written and Directed by Amma Asante “Where Hands Touch” is a coming of age story set in the most brutal of times: Germany, 1944. Leyna (Amandla...
Production Set on Cynthia Erivo-Led Harriet Tubman Biopic, Kasi Lemmons Directing
Production will soon be underway for Cynthia Erivo-starrer “Harriet.” Over a year and a half after news of the Harriet Tubman biopic originally broke, Focus Features has announced...
Kyra Sedgwick to Direct Supernatural Jennifer Lee Script “The Way Between”
“Frozen” and “A Wrinkle in Time” scribe Jennifer Lee is set to bring another otherworldly story to the big screen, and Kyra Sedgwick is steering the ship. “The...
IDFA Signs the 5050×2020 Pledge for Gender Parity and Inclusion
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) has taken the 5050×2020 Pledge for Gender Parity and Inclusion in Film Festivals two months ahead of its 31st edition. By signing...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Paprika Steen – “That Time of Year”
Paprika Steen is an award-winning Scandinavian actress and director. She made her directorial debut in 2004 with the tragedy-drama “Aftermath” and followed it up with 2007’s...
Sales: Claire Denis’ “High Life,” Anne Fletcher’s Jennifer Aniston-Starrer “Dumplin,” & More
A number of women-helmed projects have found homes in recent days. A24 acquired North American distribution rights to Claire Denis’ English-language debut, “High Life”; Netflix...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Pella Kågerman – “Aniara”
Pella Kågerman was educated at the Royal Institute of Art. She co-wrote Hugo Lilja’s film “The Unliving,” which won prizes at Berlinale, Stockholm Festival, and Clermont-Ferrand....
Trailer Watch: Kathryn Hahn Wants to Have a Baby in Tamara Jenkins’ “Private Life”
“Having a baby is an immoral act,” says Kathryn Hahn in a new trailer for “Private Life.” She cites “overpopulation, climate change, [and] rise of neo-fascism” as...
Learning to Heal: Crowdfunding Picks
Loss is a form of trauma that is universally felt yet difficult to describe. Because of this, countless creators and artists have attempted to depict it onscreen. Perhaps by doing so, we as viewers...
Katherine Langford to Play the Lady of the Lake in New Netflix Series “Cursed”
Katherine Langford is headed back to Netflix. The “13 Reasons Why” breakout has signed on to topline another coming-of-age series for the streamer, Variety confirms. “Cursed”...
Pics from Aislinn Clarke & Tinna Hrafnsdóttir Among Boudica Films’ New Female-Led Projects
Boudica Films, the Rebecca Long and Ian Davies-led UK film fund that supports women-centric and -made pics, has announced its latest slate of projects. Per Screen Daily, two movies about...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Eva Husson — “Girls of the Sun”
Eva Husson is a writer and a director. Her short “Hope to Die” gained international recognition, including nominations at the Student Academy Awards, the American Society of...
Laura Moss to Make Feature Debut with “Frankenstein”-Inspired “After Birth”
A retooling of the “Frankenstein” tale is in development, and this version of Mary Shelley’s classic story centers on women. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Fangoria has...
Rosamund Pike, Lesli Linka Glatter, & Meredith Stiehm Team Up for “Banker’s Wife” Series
Following recent turns in “A Private War” and “Beirut,” Rosamund Pike has signed on to another dramatic, action-packed thriller. Deadline has revealed the “Gone...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Maryam Keshavarz – “Viper Club”
Maryam Keshavarz is an Iranian-American writer and director. While pursuing her MFA at NYU, Keshavarz’s short film “The Day I Died” won the Gold Teddy and Jury Special Mention Prize at the...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Caroline Poggi – “Jessica Forever”
Caroline Poggi’s credits include “Toys on Fire” and “Chiens.” With Jonathan Vinel, her credits include “After School Knife Fight” and “As Long As...
Halle Berry to Direct and Star in MMA Drama “Bruised”
Halle Berry is set to channel Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey in her next pic. Deadline reports that the Oscar-winning actress will make her directorial debut with “Bruised,” a mixed...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Veena Sud – “The Lie”
Veena Sud created “The Killing,” which was nominated for six Emmys. She also created “Seven Seconds,” an ensemble drama centered around the hit and run of a young black teenager by a...
Pic About Aviation Pioneer Pancho Barnes in the Works
Florence “Pancho” Barnes soared her way into history books, and now the trailblazer will have her story told on the screen. Genius Produced, a developer and producer of online learning...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Dominga Sotomayor – “Too Late to Die Young”
Dominga Sotomayor’s first feature, “Thursday Till Sunday,” was screened at over a hundred festivals, and won the Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2012. In 2013 she...
Trailer Watch: Susan Sarandon Risks It All to Save Her Son in “Viper Club”
“Do you think I’m afraid of a jail sentence?” asks Susan Sarandon in the first trailer for Maryam Keshavarz’s “Viper Club.” The drama sees the Oscar winner playing...
TIFF Deals: “The Elephant Queen,” “Maiden,” and “Aniara”
Dozens of films are screening daily at the Toronto International Film Festival, but the fest is also a business hub. Just as many deals are being made behind the scenes, and these are just a few that...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Nicole Holofcener – “The Land of Steady Habits”
Nicole Holofcener has written and directed six feature films including “Enough Said”and “Friends with Money.” She also co-wrote Marielle Heller’s “Can You Ever Forgive...
Jennifer Kent’s “The Nightingale” Wins Two Awards at Venice
“The Nightingale” has taken home two awards from Venice Film Festival, where the revenge thriller recently made its world premiere. Set in 1825 Tasmania, Jennifer Kent’s second...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Chanya Button – “Vita & Virginia”
Chanya Button is a director, writer, and producer whose diverse work spans film and theater. Her debut feature, “Burn Burn Burn,” was nominated for the BIFA Discovery award. Her shorts...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Amma Asante — “Where Hands Touch”
Amma Asante made her feature debut with 2004’s “A Way of Life.” The film earned her the Most Promising Newcomer prize at the 2005 BAFTA Awards. She was also honored with the BFI London Film...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Michal Aviad – “Working Woman”
Born in Jerusalem, Michal Aviad is an award-winning feminist filmmaker. Her films include “Acting Our Age,” “Jenny and Jenny,” “Invisible,” and “Dimona...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Astra Taylor – “What Is Democracy?”
Astra Taylor is a filmmaker, writer, and political organizer. Her book “The People’s Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age” won the American Book Award in 2015. Taylor is a...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Soudade Kaadan – “The Day I Lost My Shadow”
Soudade Kaadan is a Syrian director who was born in France. Her films have screened at several venues nationally and internationally and have received international awards. Her latest documentary,...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Tuva Novotny – “Blind Spot”
Tuva Novotny has an extensive acting background, and has appeared in films like “Eat Pray Love,” “A War,” “Borg vs McEnroe,” and “Annihilation.” “Blind Spot” is...
TIFF 2018 Women Directors: Meet Karyn Kusama — “Destroyer”
Karyn Kusama broke out in 1999 with her written-and-directed debut feature film “Girlfight,” which won the Grand Jury Prize and Director’s Prize at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, as well as...