Women and Hollywood

Silver Docs 2012: The Women

Melissa Silverstein — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:56:00 GMT

The 10th edition of AFI Silver Docs Festival will take place in Washington DC from June 18-24. It will open with Ramona Diaz' crowd pleaser DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’:...

Trailer Watch: Les Miserables

Melissa Silverstein — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:28:00 GMT

Not woman centric but the trailer features Anne Hathaway singing I Dreamed a Dream. This looks really great. Opens December 7. <A...

Guest Post: One Woman's View of Composing In/Out of Hollywood

Miriam Cutler — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:02:00 GMT

Writing a blog for a website called Women & Hollywood presents an interesting opportunity for this film composer who dwells primarily in the world of independent documentaries. While not...

Cannes Wrap-Up: Festival President Admits They Need to Work Harder to Include Women Directors

Melissa Silverstein — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:25:12 GMT

Cannes wrapped up this weekend with Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke winning the Palme d'Or for Amour. He also won the Palme d'Or in 2009 for the last film he had in the festival,...

Trailer Watch: Fast Girls

Melissa Silverstein — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:49:00 GMT

Just in time for the Olympics here come Fast Girls. Could this be a new Bend it Like Beckham? Opens in the UK on June 15.

Women's Films Opening - May 25

Melissa Silverstein — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:30:00 GMT

Films About Women Now Playing Girl in Progress - directed by Patricia Riggen Where Do We Go Now? - written and directed by Nadine Labaki The Perfect Family - directed by Anne Renton,...

Viola Davis Gets Honorary Degree from Providence College

Melissa Silverstein — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:28:10 GMT

Viola Davis received an honorary doctorate degree from Providence College. She also gave the commencement address. Great lines: Your authentic self is constantly trapped under the...

Stockholm International Film Festival Special Focus on Women Directors

Melissa Silverstein — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:38:00 GMT

Last year we reported on the creation of the Stockholm Film Fund Feature Film Award which gives a female director over $700,000 towards her film. Using the lack of women directors in...

Nicole Kidman Hits Cannes With Two Films

Melissa Silverstein — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:18:00 GMT

I continue to be impressed with Nicole Kidman because the woman does not take the easy road in terms of her parts. She arrived in Cannes with two very different films -- Lee Daniels' The...

Gender Watch: The Firing of Community's Dan Harmon

Melissa Silverstein — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:52:42 GMT

I have been watching with interest all week the press regarding the firing of Dan Harmon the creator and showrunner of Community after three seasons. The whole incident would have passed...

A Look at Prometheus

Melissa Silverstein — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:25:11 GMT

I am as intrigued as the next person about Prometheus. Ridley Scott of Alien and Thelma and Louise back directing sci-fi written by one of the dudes that created Lost. And Noomi Rapace -...

Cross Post: Women Writing Pilots – Nice Work if You Can Get It

Neely Swanson — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:22:00 GMT

Last week the networks announced the pilots they are picking up to series from among the ninety or so that were produced this year for ABC, CBS, CW, FOX and NBC. Certainly the relative success that...

Natalie Portman to Team Up with Lynne Ramsay for Western

Melissa Silverstein — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:57:00 GMT

Natalie Portman was one of the people who was most excited about Patty Jenkins getting the gig to direct Thor 2. When that fell through one could imagine that she might still be interested in...

See Jennifer Garner in Serena

Melissa Silverstein — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:21:00 GMT

This is the first short from WIGS a new You Tube channel created by Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes) and Rodrigo Garcia (Albert Nobbs). Here's the description: WIGS is an innovative new...

Sexism Watch: Comment from Critic in Cannes

Melissa Silverstein — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:40:00 GMT

Here's how Financial Times critic Nigel Andrews ended a recent piece on Cannes Film Festival On screen, at least, there is great work by women in this festival. So pay no regard to the...

Cannes 2012: News Update

Melissa Silverstein — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:30:00 GMT

Here's some movie news picked up from the trades coming out of Cannes Saoirse Ronan will star in Testament of Youth, which Calendar Girls co-writer Juliette Towhidi adapted from the 1933...

Quote of the Day

Melissa Silverstein — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:45:00 GMT

From Katie Couric during her University of Virginia Commencement address: Some said I lacked gravitas, which I’ve since decided is Latin for testicles... Awesome. Couric helps to...

Lightning in a Bottle? Teaming Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy

Melissa Silverstein — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:30:01 GMT

Could this be the successor to Bridesmaids? Sandra Bullock is returning to comedy (remember how good Miss Congeniality was?) this time teaming up with Bridesmaids breakout star Melissa...

Jane Lynch Gives The Commencement Address at Smith: Yes, And

Melissa Silverstein — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:37:01 GMT

One moment from the speech: You will have many opportunities to embrace what the world has for you. I can’t wait to see the ways in which you say “AND.” Remember that Smith...

Cannes 2012: Sexism Watch Continues

Melissa Silverstein — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:30:00 GMT

One of the things I am proud of regarding the work many people have done to raise awareness about the lack of opportunities for female directors is how we were able to interrupt the narrative which...

Julie Taymor Speaks Out

Melissa Silverstein — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:30:00 GMT

Julie Taymor has not been able to speak out since she was removed as director of Spiderman over a year ago. The legal documents have been speaking for her. But it looks like she is...

Cross-Post - Cannes: Festival Opens in a Boys Own Adventure

Lisa French — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:30:01 GMT

There are rumbles around the world about the lack of women directors in the official competition. Dr. Lisa French adds an Australian perspective. The `Festival de Cannes` opened with the usual...

Cannes Watch: Woman With a Camera

Melissa Silverstein — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:37:00 GMT

Here's a video that interviews women about the lack of women directors in Cannes. It is created by Donna Don. Here's why she made it: To draw attention to the appalling low...

Cannes Trailer Watch: The Sapphires

Melissa Silverstein — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:02:32 GMT

The film premiered to wild applause in Cannes. The Weinstein Company has already snapped this Australian film up. It opens in Australia in August. The rest of the world TBD. ...

Cross-Post: Cannes 2012: The Stories Aren’t By Women but They’re About Women

Sasha Stone — Sun, 20 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

It’s hard not to notice sexism when it is everywhere. After dealing with a person named Chris for three years trying to find lodging in Cannes I was stunned to find out that Chris was a woman....