#Women Writers
Weekly Update for August 16: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Where’d You Go, Bernadette – Written by Holly Gent, Richard Linklater, and Vince Palmo Based on the beloved novel by Maria Semple, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette”...
Bridget Carpenter’s Western Period Drama Gets Script Commitment at Fox
Esteemed television writer and exec producer Bridget Carpenter’s next project will take viewers to the Old West. Deadline reports that Fox Entertainment has offered her a script commitment plus...
Margaret Nagle Will Write Cathy Schulman and TriStar TV’s “Alpha Girls” Adaptation
In summer 2017 producer Cathy Schulman and her Welle Entertainment company acquired the rights to Julian Guthrie’s “Alpha Girls,” a nonfiction book about the overlooked female pioneers of...
“Blow the Man Down” Acquired by Amazon Studios Ahead of TIFF Premiere
The 2019 Toronto International Film Festival is still a few weeks away, but one of its titles has already found a home. According to a press release, Amazon Studios has snagged the worldwide rights...
SXSW Winner “Saint Frances” Goes to Oscilloscope
Oscilloscope Laboratories has landed U.S. rights to “Saint Frances,” which won the Audience Award for narrative feature and a special jury prize for breakthrough voice at SXSW this year....
Apply Now: TIFF’s Inaugural Media Mentorship Program
TIFF’s Media Inclusion Initiative (MII) is now accepting applications for its inaugural Media Mentorship Program. Launched in conjunction with last year’s Share Her Journey campaign and...
Phoebe Waller-Bridge Writing a Feature Film with Plans to Direct
Phoebe Waller-Bridge won’t be breaking the fourth wall on her next project — she’ll be stepping behind it. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the “Fleabag”...
Women and Hollywood’s Picks of the Week for August 15
Picks of the Week offers Women and Hollywood’s recommendations — women-driven and women-made movies, series, VOD releases, and more — and tells you why they are worth your time and...
Female Rage Against the Machine: Crowdfunding Picks
“It’s different for girls”: a ubiquitous phrase that holds a lot of truth. Things are different for girls. Harder, scarier, and so endlessly frustrating, it might just make someone scream. This...
Trailer Watch: The Holidays Are Rough on Emilia Clarke in “Last Christmas”
“Father bloody Christmas, get me out of here,” Emilia Clarke says in the trailer for “Last Christmas.” It’s unclear whether her character, Kate, wants to escape the...
Debra J. Fisher and Sarah Lampert Team Up for Netflix’s “Ginny & Georgia”
Netflix continues to dominate with its original content production. The streaming giant has added “Ginny & Georgia,” a mother-daughter drama showrun by Debra J. Fisher and written by...
Yael Hedaya and Daphna Levin’s Series About Turning “Fifty” Ordered by Israel’s Yes
Israeli writers Yael Hedaya and Daphna Levin have teamed up with Israeli broadcaster Yes for an eight-part series on turning 50. Hedaya will act as creator and writer while Levin is set to...
Trailer Watch: The March Sisters Chase Their Dreams in Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women”
“Women have minds and they have souls, as well as just hearts,” Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) declares in Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women.” “I’m so sick of people...
Trailer Watch: Art Transforms into Desire in Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”
“She wore out one painter before you. She refused to pose,” The Countess (Valeria Golino) warns an intrigued painter (Noémie Merlant). “You must paint without her knowing… Is...
Trailer Watch: Sasheer Zamata Spends “The Weekend” with Her Ex and His New Girlfriend
Zadie (Sasheer Zamata, “SNL”) is in for a trying weekend. She’s spending it at a bed and breakfast with her ex (Tone Bell, “Disjointed”) and his new girlfriend, Margo...
Margaret Trudeau and Diana Nyad Join Audible’s Minetta Lane Lineup
Last year’s deal between Audible Inc. and Minetta Lane has proven very advantageous for women-led projects. The partnership, which allows the spoken-word entertainment company to produce live...
Comedian Rose Matafeo Is Getting Her Own HBO Max/BBC Three Show
HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s forthcoming streaming service, has lined up yet another woman-driven project. According to a press release, it has commissioned “Starstruck,” from comedian Rose...
Weekly Update for August 9: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING The Kitchen – Written and Directed by Andrea Berloff “The Kitchen” stars Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” “Bridesmaids”), Tiffany...
Liselott Forsman Is Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s New CEO
Liselott Forsman has been named the new CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fond (NFTVF), succeeding Petri Kemppinen, Variety reports. She formerly served as executive producer of international drama at...
Jackie Collins Documentary in the Works from Laura Fairrie
Best-selling English romance novelist Jackie Collins, known for penning “Hollywood Wives,” “Chances,” and the Lucky Santangelo series, is getting her own documentary. Laura...
Trailer Watch: Political Columnist Molly Ivins Speaks Out in Janice Engel’s “Raise Hell”
Magnolia Pictures has dropped a trailer for the upcoming doc “Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins.” Janice Engel’s film honors the political columnist’s legacy and...
Adaptation of Jenny Lee’s “Anna K” Receives Put Pilot Commitment at HBO Max
A month or so after British producer Expectation announced its TV adaptation of “Anna Karenina,” Deadline confirms another iteration of Leo Tolstoy’s classic is headed for the small...
Trailer Watch: Sam Taylor-Johnson Brings James Frey’s “A Million Little Pieces” to the Big Screen
Sam Taylor-Johnson’s latest feature, “A Million Little Pieces,” is set for a U.S. release on December 6. The feature is based on James Frey’s controversial bestselling memoir...
Women and Hollywood’s Picks of the Week for August 8
Picks of the Week offers Women and Hollywood’s recommendations — women-driven and women-made movies, series, VOD releases, and more — and tells you why they are worth your time and money. One...
Kay Oyegun Adapting Tomi Adeyemi’s “Children of Blood and Bone” for Lucasfilm
The big-screen adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling debut novel, “Children of Blood and Bone,” is likely to be Lucasfilm’s first non-“Star Wars,”...
Monica Lewinsky Producing “American Crime Story’s” Take on Clinton Impeachment
It’s official: after a couple years of fits and starts, “American Crime Story” will indeed tackle the Clinton impeachment trial. Monica Lewinsky is producing Season 3 of Ryan...
Under the Radar: Antonia Grace Glenn Explores American History Through “The Ito Sisters”
In the opening narration for the documentary “The Ito Sisters: An American Story,” director Antonia Grace Glenn states, “My family started recording interviews with my grandmother and her two...
Elizabeth Acevedo Adapting Her Bestseller “With the Fire on High” for the Big Screen
Elizabeth Acevedo is an author, slam poet, and the first woman of color to win the Carnegie Medal children’s book award — and now she’ll be adding “screenwriter” to her...
Anthology Series About Women of the Civil Rights Movement Being Developed at ABC
The women of the civil rights movement will take center stage in a new ABC anthology series. Written by Marissa Jo Cerar (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), the project, tentatively titled...
Release Dates Set for “Sister Aimee” and Patricia Marcoccia’s Jordan Peterson Doc
Samantha Buck and Marie Schlingmann’s Sundance pic “Sister Aimee” and Patricia Marcoccia’s portrait of conservative academic/YouTuber Jordan Peterson have nabbed distribution and...
“She’s Gotta Have It’s” Radha Blank Making Her Feature Directorial Debut, Lena Waithe Producing
Playwright and “She’s Gotta Have It” writer-producer Radha Blank is making her first film. According to Variety, she is writing, directing, and toplining “The 40-Year-Old...
Trailer Watch: Best Friends Travel to Latin America for Medical Help in Netflix Doc “Léa & I”
In her Netflix documentary “Léa & I,” director Camille Shooshani introduces the audience to her best friend, Léa Moret. “She speaks five languages, cannot stop eating Haribo...
Weekly Update for August 2: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING The Nightingale – Written and Directed by Jennifer Kent “The Nightingale” is Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to her 2014 horror hit “The Babadook.”...
Guest Post: Why I Cut All of the Sex Scenes from My Film
Guest Post by Zoe Eisenberg Most filmmakers know the pain of finding their favorite scenes on the cutting room floor, but how about the satisfaction of snipping your least favorite scenes? During...
Jenny Lumet Will Co-Showrun CBS All Access’ “The Man Who Fell to Earth” Adaptation
“Rachel Getting Married” writer Jenny Lumet is re-teaming with her “Star Trek: Discovery” collaborator Alex Kurtzman for a new CBS All Access sci-fi show. According to The...
Musical Hit About Wives of Henry VIII Coming to Broadway
London musical hit “Six” will be making its way to the Broadway stage. It will begin previews February 13 and officially open March 12, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. Written by Lucy...
Trailer Watch: Hannah Pearl Utt Uncovers Family Secrets in Her Comedy “Before You Know It”
In “Before You Know It,” Hannah Pearl Utt stars as stage manager Rachel Gurner, who still lives with her quirky family of artists — aspiring actress sister, playwright father, and...
“Pretty” Comedy from Kaley Cuoco, Lindsey Kraft, and Santina Muha in Dev at CBS
An inclusive new comedy series from Kaley Cuoco’s Yes, Norman Productions is in the works at CBS. Starring Santina Muha (“Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot”) and...
Film as Grassroots Activism: Crowdfunding Picks
Films can have many impacts on their viewers: they can entertain, first and foremost, they can make you feel like you aren’t alone, and they can introduce you to new people or places. But they...
Writers Lab for Women Screenwriters Over 40 Announces 2019 Participants
The Writers Lab for Women Screenwriters Over 40, founded by Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon and produced with New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), has selected the participants for its...
Natasha Lyonne Lines Up Directing Work on Awkwafina-Led Series, “Shrill,” & “High Fidelity” Reboot
“Russian Doll” co-creator, star, writer, director, and exec producer Natasha Lyonne is keeping busy before she heads into production on the second season of her “Groundhog...
Olivia Wilde to Helm Psychological Thriller “Don’t Worry, Darling”
Olivia Wilde is branching out. After making her feature directorial debut with teen comedy “Booksmart” and signing on to helm an untitled holiday comedy for Universal, she’s set to...
August 2019 Film Preview
By Jenna Dorsi and Camryn Garrett While the season may be winding down, there are still plenty of films about or made by women to check out this summer. This August offers a wide selection of...
Women and Hollywood’s Picks of the Week for August 1
Picks of the Week offers Women and Hollywood’s recommendations — women-driven and women-made movies, series, VOD releases, and more — and tells you why they are worth your time and money. The...
TV Adaptation of Madeline Miller’s “Circe” Ordered to Series at HBO Max
Circe will soon be casting a spell on television audiences. “Circe,” Madeline Miller’s bestseller about the famed Greek goddess and witch, is being adapted as an eight-episode drama...
Luisa Leschin Will Be Honored with Norman Lear Writer’s Award at Imagen Awards
Writer, playwright, producer, and actress Luisa Leschin has been named as this year’s recipient of the Imagen Awards’ annual Norman Lear Writer’s Award, Variety confirms. The honor...
Trailer Watch: An Act of Self-Defense Turns a Couple into Folk Heroes in “Queen & Slim”
One Tinder date ends up changing two people — and the world — forever in the latest trailer for “Queen & Slim.” After going out to dinner, Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith,...
Trailer Watch: A Family Is Divided in Locarno Opener “Magari”
A newly released trailer for Ginevra Elkann’s “Magari” (“If Only”) kicks off with a young girl pleading with the saints on her knees. “I’ll make a sacrifice...
Viola Davis and Julia Hart Developing a “Fast Color” Series Adaptation at Amazon
“Fast Color” could be making its way to the small screen. Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions is developing a series based on the Gugu Mbatha-Raw-starrer alongside the...
Trailer Watch: Children Are Haunted by the Drug Wars in Issa López’s “Tigers Are Not Afraid”
“We forget who we are when things from outside come to get us,” says Estrella (Paola Lara) in a trailer for “Tigers Are Not Afraid.” Set against the backdrop of Mexico’s...
Trailer Watch: Melanie Martinez Goes to Boarding School in “K-12”
A trailer has dropped for “Dollhouse” singer Melanie Martinez’s directorial debut. Titled “K-12,” the musical feature is set in a fairy tale-like boarding school. At the...