#Women Writers
Cannes 2019 Women Directors: Meet Alice Furtado – “Sick, Sick, Sick”
Alice Furtado is a Brazilian filmmaker and editor. She worked as an editor on Eduardo Williams’“El auge del humano,” and Tiago Mata Machado’s “Os sonâmbulos.” She directed the short film...
Weekly Update for May 17: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING The Sun Is Also a Star – Directed by Ry Russo-Young; Written by Tracy Oliver College-bound romantic Daniel Bae (Charles Melton) and Jamaica-born pragmatist Natasha...
SyFy Orders “Vagrant Queen,” A Space Opera with All-Women Writers and Directors
Syfy’s next series will follow in the footsteps of “Harlots” and “Queen Sugar,” shows that boast all-women creative teams and directing rosters, respectively. Comic...
Jen and Sylvia Soska Sign First-Look Deal with Prospero Pictures
Cult movie filmmakers and twins Jen and Sylvia Soska have entered into a first-look deal with Prospero Pictures (“A Dangerous Method”). The Hollywood Reporter confirms the Soskas’...
Swedish Film Institute Unveils Initiative for Women Screenwriters at Cannes
The Swedish Film Institute has launched a new initiative in the hopes of addressing the gender gap among Sweden’s screenwriters — especially the one that persists on bigger budget films....
Beth Behrs Joins Ma Li in Eva Jin’s “Twin Blades”
“Twin Blades” has added a broke girl to its cast. Beth Behrs will join Ma Li (“Heaven for Heart”) in the Eva Jin-directed buddy comedy. Deadline confirmed the news. A story...
Cannes 2019 Women Directors: Meet Shahrbanoo Sadat – “The Orphanage”
Shahrbanoo Sadat is an Afghan writer and director based in Kabul. Her first feature film, “Wolf and Sheep,” was developed with the Cannes Cinéfondation Residence in 2010. Twenty years old at the...
Watch: A Woman Gets a Text from Her Missing Lover in Clips of Mati Diop’s Cannes Pic “Atlantics”
Mati Diop’s “Atlantics” is making history as the first film directed by a black woman to screen in Cannes’ main Competition. The drama centers on Ada (Mame Bineta Sane), a young woman...
Vicky Jewson and Noomi Rapace to Re-Team for Mossad Agent Thriller “Sylvia”
Noomi Rapace and Vicky Jewson are reuniting for another female-led action pic based on a true story. Variety confirmed the news. Directed by Jewson, “Sylvia” will see Rapace starring as...
Trailer Watch: Ali Wong Reconnects with Her Childhood Sweetheart in “Always Be My Maybe”
Sasha Tran’s life seems perfect. She’s a happily engaged celebrity chef who’s about open another high-end restaurant. But things go sideways when she returns to her hometown, San...
Cannes: Nadine Labacki’s “Capernaum” Makes Box Office History
“Capernaum” is still making waves a year after its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival. The Lebanon-set drama took home the fest’s Jury Prize, and went on to receive an Oscar nod...
Cannes: Isabel Coixet Is in Pre-Production on Her Next Pic
Isabel Coixet has yet another project in the pipeline. According to Variety, the Spanish filmmaker is in pre-production on “It Snows in Benidorm” (“Nieva en Benidorm”). Details were...
Cate Blanchett Will Star in “Stateless,” Immigration Limited Series She Co-Created
Cate Blanchett has another TV project in the works. On the heels of directing and casting news for “Mrs. America,” the FX show in which she’ll portray Phyllis Schlafly,...
“Full Frontal’s” Amy Hoggart Is Getting Her Own TBS Show
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” correspondent Amy Hoggart will soon have her own TBS project. She’ll deconstruct the problems facing Americans by playing a severely underqualified...
Cannes 2019: Lana Condor & Brianna Hildebrand to Star in Marianna Palka Comedy “Girls Night”
The latest news from Cannes involves a new movie from Marianna Palka. The “Good Dick” writer-director will helm women-driven buddy comedy “Girls Night,” starring “To All the...
Teaser Watch: “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” Is No Fairy Tale
Maleficent is back and as acerbic as ever. A teaser trailer has dropped for “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” a sequel to 2014’s “Sleeping Beauty” reimagining,...
Mirrah Foulkes’ Mia Wasikowska-Starrer “Judy & Punch” Acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films
Mirrah Foulkes’ self-proclaimed “bat-shit crazy origin story about the Punch and Judy puppet show” has found a home. Samuel Goldwyn Films snagged North American rights to...
Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and Audible Announce Original Slate
It came as no surprise when noted bookworm Reese Witherspoon went into business with Audible last year. The pact kicked off with a book club led by the Oscar winner and her female-focused media...
Weekly Update for May 10: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Poms – Directed by Zara Hayes It is always nice to see women over 40 on-screen, as central characters. “Poms” takes us into a retirement community where...
Exclusive: Taissa Farmiga Keeps the Wickedness at Bay in “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” Clip
“I know wickedness is coming. I feel it,” says Taissa Farmiga in our exclusive clip from “We Have Always Lived in the Castle.” Stacie Passon’s adaptation of Shirley...
Trailer Watch: Cate Blanchett Launches Her Second Act in “Where’d You Go, Bernadette”
Considered “the most exciting thing in the world of architecture” 20 years ago, Bernadette Fox (Cate Blanchett) has long since lost her mojo — or buried it. A trailer for...
Nantucket Film Festival Announces All-Female Lineup for 2019 Screenwriters Tribute
The Nantucket Film Festival (NFF) is celebrating women scribes. The fest announced an all-female slate of honorees and focus for the 2019 Screenwriters Tribute, one of NFF’s tentpole...
Trailer Watch: Nola Darling Commits to Opal and Her Art in “She’s Gotta Have It” Season 2
“This love shit is a motherfucker,” Nola Darling laments in the trailer for Season 2 of Netflix’s “She’s Gotta Have It.” After a season of juggling three male...
Phoebe Robinson Signs Multi-Year Overall Deal with ABC Studios
Maybe everything’s not trash, after all. According to Deadline, comedian, writer, and podcaster Phoebe Robinson has inked a multi-year overall deal with ABC Studios. Under the agreement, the...
Hilary Swank Is Heading to Mars in Jessica Goldberg Netflix Drama “Away”
Another Oscar-winning actress is embarking on a mission to space. A trailer for Natalie Portman-led astronaut drama “Lucy in the Sky” launched in March, and now word comes that Hilary...
Embracing the Surreal: Crowdfunding Picks
Surrealism allows the mundane and the exotic to coexist, woven together in a way that creates a new reality unbound by the limitations of our world. It represents a potent force for creativity and...
Rachel Ward’s “Palm Beach” Will Open 2019 Sydney Film Festival
Rachel Ward’s latest will kick things off at this year’s Sydney Film Festival. The Sydney Morning Herald confirms “Palm Beach,” an ensemble comedy about a group of friends...
Cathy Yan Is Bringing Jenny Zhang’s “Sour Hearts” to the Big Screen
Cathy Yan is currently on post-production on “Suicide Squad” spinoff “Birds of Prey,” but the writer-director has already signed on to her next project. She’ll follow up...
“Batwoman,” “Katy Keene,” and “Nancy Drew” Score Series Orders at The CW
The CW has ordered three women-driven series for its 2019-2020 season. Variety confirms the network picked up the Ruby Rose-led “Batwoman,” “Riverdale” spinoff “Katy Keene,” and...
Writer to Watch: Katie Silberman of “Booksmart” and “Set It Up”
Katie Silberman has an affinity for romantic comedies. She penned 2018’s Netflix hit “Set It Up,” a story about two assistants falling in love while plotting to get their terrible...
Claudia Myers’ Supernatural Pic “Above the Shadows” Acquired by Gravitas Ventures
“Above the Shadows” won’t be disappearing anytime soon. Gravitas Ventures scooped up North American rights to Claudia Myers’ latest, a supernatural story about an invisible...
Trailer Watch: Awkwafina Faces a Moral Dilemma in “The Farewell”
“Crazy Rich Asians” breakout Awkwafina takes center stage in Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell.” A trailer just dropped for the critically acclaimed Sundance pic. Based on an...
Jane Campion Lines Up Her Next Feature, Elisabeth Moss to Co-Star
“Top of the Lake” collaborators Elisabeth Moss and Jane Campion are teaming up on another project. The former will star in the latter’s next film, “The Power of the...
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...
Trailer Watch: A Teen Finds a Job and a New Way of Looking at the World in “Ladies in Black”
A holiday gig makes a lasting impact in “Ladies in Black.” A trailer for adaptation of Madeleine St John’s bestselling novel of the same name has dropped, and it sees a 16-year-old...
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: 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...
Liz Meriwether Signs Big Overall Deal with 20th Century Fox TV
Liz Meriwether is sticking with 20th Century Fox TV. Deadline confirms the prolific TV writer, creator, EP, and showrunner has inked a “rich four-year overall deal” with the studio,...
Trailer Watch: Toni Morrison Reflects on the Power of Words in “The Pieces I Am”
“My grandfather bragged all the time that he had read the Bible, and it was illegal in his life to read. Ultimately, I knew that words had power,” says Toni Morrison in a new trailer for...
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...
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...
Sarah Silverman Musical Will Open Within the Year
In addition to being a two-time Emmy winner, Sarah Silverman is one of the world’s most famous bedwetters. The comedian is poised to revisit her bedwetting days in an upcoming musical, which...
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...
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...
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...