#Women Directors
Pinar Toprak Will Score “Captain Marvel,” Marking a Major Milestone
Pinar Toprak is about to make history alongside Brie Larson and Anna Boden. “Captain Marvel” marks Marvel’s first female-centric release, with Oscar-winning “Room” star...
Turkish Culture Ministry Pulls Funding from Ankara Women’s Film Fest
The Flying Broom International Women’s Film Festival in Ankara, Turkey will no longer receive funding from the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry. The ministry has been supporting the fest for...
Sally Potter to Be Honored with FIPRESCI 93 Platinum Award
Sally Potter will receive the FIPRESCI 93 Platinum award at the Transatlantyk Festival, ScreenDaily confirms. The Polish fest will also screen five of the British writer-director’s films in its...
Quotes of the Day: Frances McDormand and Brie Larson on the Importance of Inclusion
“I’m here to take responsibility for my actions and restate a call to action,” said Frances McDormand as she took the stage at Women in Film’s Crystal + Lucy Awards. “I have this...
“The Girlfriend Experience” Co-Creator Amy Seimetz Signs Overall Deal with FX
Hot off directing two episodes of “Atlanta’s” sophomore season, Amy Seimetz has signed an overall deal with the company behind the acclaimed Donald Glover-starrer. According to...
Deborah S. Esquenazi Launches Production Company, Adapting LGBTQ Doc “Southwest of Salem” for TV
“Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four” director Deborah S. Esquenazi “is set to demystify stories and myths about women of color and LGBTQ individuals with her...
Quote of the Day: Ava DuVernay Sees Activism as “Inherently Creative”
In these turbulent times the desire to do something can be overwhelming. At the same, time many of us can feel powerless against the actions of Trump, Sessions, and the rest of their brigade of...
BFI Southbank Hosting Woman With a Movie Camera Summit This Saturday
The centerpiece of BFI Southbank’s all-June-long celebration of women in film sounds like it will be one hell of a shindig. The South Bank, London theater is hosting The Woman with a Movie...
Annecy Animation Film Festival Signs 5050×2020 Pledge
Last month Thierry Frémaux sparked international headlines when he signed a pledge for gender parity at Cannes Film Festival. The head of the fest, along with with his colleagues at the...
TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival Announces All-Female Jury and New Share Her Journey Prize
TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival has announced its 2018 jurors, and they’re all women. Now in its third year, the Toronto International Film Festival’s “tiniest film festival”...
The Quad to Celebrate “The New York Woman” in Upcoming Film Series
The Quad has announced an upcoming film series titled “The New York Woman,” a collection of 50-plus films that will be screened June 29-July 19 at the NYC venue. The selected pics,...
Summer 2018 TV Preview: Mark Your Calendars for These Shows By and About Women
Summer might be known as the season of blockbuster movies, but there are plenty of offerings on TV, too. The next couple months will see a deluge of new and returning series by and about women, so,...
Exclusive: Shirley Henderson Is Grieving but Hopeful in “Never Steady, Never Still” Trailer
“I’m full of memories. I’m full of regrets. I’m full of hope,” says Shirley Henderson in an exclusive new trailer for “Never Steady, Never Still.” The...
Barbra Streisand Strikes a Deal with Netflix
Barbra Streisand is taking her relationship with Netflix to the next level. The EGOT-holder premiered a new concert doc on the streamer last November, and now she’s signed a new content deal...
Weekly Update for June 8: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING THIS WEEK Ocean’s 8 – Co-Written by Olivia Milch “Ocean’s 8”: Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros. Five years, eight months, 12 days and counting —...
ReFrame Spotlights Gender-Balanced Films and TV with New Stamp
ReFrame, a project sponsored in part by the Sundance Institute and Women in Film, has announced a new tool in the quest to provide information on women’s representation, on-screen and behind...
1500 Students to Receive Free Admission to Women Directors Doc “Half the Picture”
Amy Adrion’s award-winning documentary about Hollywood’s gender problem is receiving a major endorsement from Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network, Discovery, and The Will and Jada Smith...
Women Coming Together: Crowdfunding Picks
Women in charge. Women leading their communities. Women joining together to share power and resources with other women. Whether in real life or fiction, our current political and cultural moment has...
Alethea Jones to Direct Catherine Zeta Jones-Starrer “Queen America” for Facebook Watch
Alethea Jones is signed on to direct the live-action “Barbie,” but before she brings the iconic toy to the big screen she’ll tackle another influential force in the world of beauty...
Zendaya Takes the Lead in HBO Pilot “Euphoria”
Zendaya’s moving from the Disney Channel to HBO. The former “K.C. Undercover” star is set to topline drama pilot “Euphoria” for the premium cable network, Variety...
Chelsea Peretti to Topline Andrea Dorfman Comedy “Spinster”
Chelsea Peretti is teaming up with another woman director. The “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actress just wrapped shooting on Nicol Paone’s “Friendsgiving,” and now she’s...
“Eighth Grade” and “Half the Picture” Win Big at Sundance London
Female-led films swept the awards at this year’s edition of Sundance Film Festival: London. Coming-of-age comedy “Eighth Grade” scored the Audience Favourite Award and female...
Exclusive: Vivienne Westwood Defies Expectations in “Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist” Clip
Vivienne Westwood is credited with bringing punk and new wave clothes to the mainstream, but the British designer wasn’t always celebrated for her innovations. “When she started, people...
Weekly Update for June 1: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING THIS WEEK One Sings, the Other Doesn’t (Theatrical Re-Release) – Written and Directed by Agnès Varda (One Week Only in NY) Agnés Varda’s enchanting ode to female...
Trailer Watch: “Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin” Explores a Game-Changing Author’s Legacy
Celebrated science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin left behind an extraordinary legacy when she died earlier this year. As the trailer for the upcoming doc “Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin”...
Guest Post: Why I Made a Movie About A Woman Struggling with Mental Health
Guest Post by Sophie Max At the time of writing, my film “Callie” is nearing the end of post-production and preparing to enter the festival circuit. “Callie” is a tale of friendship,...
Sundance London 2018 Women Directors: Meet Lauren Greenfield — “Generation Wealth”
Lauren Greenfield is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and photographer. “The Queen of Versailles” won her the Best Documentary Director Award at Sundance Film Festival. She made her...
Trailer Watch: A Mother and Daughter Struggle to Make a New Life in “Pin Cushion”
“I was abandoned as a baby and this old hunchback lady found me in the forest and looked after me. She loved me and raised me and then one day she walked me to the edge of the forest and set me...
Fund for Women-Directed Films Being Launched in France
We’ll have to wait and see whether Cannes director Thierry Frémaux keeps good on the gender parity pledge he signed a couple of weeks ago committing to address the underrepresentation of...
“RBG” Is Flexing Her Muscles at the Box Office
Best known for kicking ass in the courtroom, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is proving to be a major force at the box office as well. Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s new documentary about the iconic Justice of...
Apply Now: NBC’s New Unscripted Directing Initiative for Women and POC
If you’re a woman or person of color trying to break into unscripted directing, take note: NBC has unveiled the new Alternative Directors Program, the entertainment industry’s first...
June 2018 Film Preview
By Beandrea July and Sophie Willard As highlighted in our Summer 2018 Film Preview, this summer is set to impress with its varied range of female-led and woman-helmed films, and that all kicks off...
Women-Directed Projects Account for 52 Percent of Slate at Frameline LGBTQ Fest
The 42nd edition of the San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival (also called Frameline) is kicking off in less than a month, and 52 percent of the the narratives, documentaries, episodics,...
Weekly Update for May 25: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
Films About Women Opening This Week Mary Shelley – Directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour; Written by Emma Jensen and Haifaa Al-Mansour (Available on VOD June 1) “Mary Shelley” She will...
Under the Radar: Memory Meets Brooklyn for AOBFF Women Filmmakers
Under the Radar is Women and Hollywood’s newest feature. Published monthly, the post offers a chance for us to highlight works by and/or about women that haven’t received big releases or...
Guest Post: Is Blockchain a Fad or Will It Turn the Entertainment Industry on Its Head?
Guest Post by Heidi Philipsen Picture it: The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Fall semester in 1991. I was an omnipotent-feeling Gen X undergraduate student more interested in my independent...
BFI Hosting Two-Month Retrospective of Agnès Varda’s Work
The British Film Institute (BFI) is set to celebrate Agnès Varda with a retrospective. Titled Agnès Varda: Vision of an Artist, the two-month season will take place from June 1 – July 31 at...
Selma Blair Will Star in Maria Gabriela Cardenas’ Feature Debut
After taking on sci-fi in the “Lost in Space” reboot and true crime in “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson,” Selma Blair has lined up another genre project....
Summer 2018 Film Preview
By Beandrea July and Sophie Willard This summer’s movie slate boasts an impressive array of female-led and woman-helmed films, from reboots to period pieces, and coming-of-age tales to...
R. Kelly Doc in the Works at BuzzFeed and Hulu, Lyric Cabral to Direct
Pleas to #MuteRKelly are being heard. It looks like we’re about to hear much less of the singer’s music and much more about his decades of alleged abuse. Lifetime already announced that...
“The Baby-Sitters Club” May Be Coming Back to TV
It’s time to reunite with Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, Stacey, and all your other faves in Stoneybrook. “The Baby-Sitters Club” could be heading back to TV. Deadline reports that a...
New Anthology Series to Spotlight Notable Women Who Didn’t Get NYT Obits
The New York Times is looking to redress some of its shady, sexist history. The newspaper is teaming up with Paramount Television, Anonymous Content, and 3dot Productions for...
Ashley Avis Will Write and Direct “Black Beauty” Remake
“Black Beauty” is getting another update. Ashley Avis has signed on to write and direct the latest adaptation of Anna Sewell’s classic novel about the titular horse, Deadline has...
Ann Dowd and Allison Tolman to Star in Liz Manashil’s Bowie-Inspired “Speed of Life”
Two small screen favorites have teamed up for Liz Manashil’s next feature. “The Handmaid’s Tale’s” Ann Dowd and “Fargo” alumna Allison Tolman are starring in...
Cannes LGBTQ Drama “Rafiki” and SXSW Winner “The New Romantic” Secure Distribution
Two women-helmed festival favorites have scored U.S. distribution. Film Movement acquired North American rights to “Rafiki,” Wanuri Kahiu’s LGBTQ Cannes offering, and The Orchard nabbed...
Michelle Williams Takes the Lead in Kimberly Peirce Abortion Drama “This Is Jane”
Michelle Williams is earning raves for her comedic turn as Amy Schumer’s boss in “I Feel Pretty,” but the four-time Oscar nominee just signed on to another drama. She’s...
Exclusive: Oprah and Ava DuVernay Reflect on Inclusion in “A Wrinkle in Time” Bonus Feature
Ava DuVernay brought “A Wrinkle in Time” to the big screen with a twist of her own. The director ensured that her adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s classic 1963 fantasy novel...
The 2018 National Directors Fellowship Recipients Are All Women
The National Directors Fellowship (NDF), an 18-month program that provides training and mentorship to stage directors, has announced its 2018 participants — and all five of them are women. Per...
“The Split” Star Nicola Walker on the Show’s Depiction of Women, Relationships, & Divorce
Two-time BAFTA nominee Nicola Walker has acted in many series, including “Last Tango in Halifax,” “Collateral,” and “River.” She’s also appeared in features...
Quote of the Day: Jane Campion Explains Why “We’re in a Really Special Moment”
“Right now, we’re in a really special moment,” says Jane Campion in a new interview with The Guardian. Thanks to movements including #MeToo and #TimesUp, the entertainment industry seems to...
Cannes: “Happy as Lazzaro” and “Girls of the Sun” Land U.S. Distribution
It’s official: all three women-directed features to screen in Competition at Cannes 2018 have secured U.S. distribution. Sony Pictures Classics snagged rights to Nadine Labaki’s...