Women and Hollywood

Athena Film Festival Trailer Contest Winner

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:22:15 GMT

This year we held a trailer contest and the winner is Tony Szulc.

We all love this trailer and thank him for his work and a big thanks to Joan Jett for letting us use her song Bad Reputation.

Interview with Valérie Donzelli - Director of Declaration of War

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:15:05 GMT

Valérie Donzelli has made a heartbreaking film about the fight a couple goes through to save their son from a brain tumor. They declare war on the cancer and with the support of their family their become singlemindely focused on saving him. This story parallels the actual true life story of director, star and co-writer Donzelli. She and her former partner Jérémie Elkaïm (who co-stars in the film and wrote the script with her) went through a lot of what Romeo and Juliette (yes, that's their names in the movie) go through in order to save their son.

This is a story of fortitude, commitment with a whole lot of love thrown in. Make sure to bring your tissues. It opens today in NYC

Here's a short interview with Valérie Donzelli. It's half in English and half in French. The translator is Dominique Borel.

Cross-Post: Where Are the Women Directors

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:15:02 GMT

Here’s a thought exercise: In a nation where 33 percent of the Supreme Court justices are women, 17 percent of the seats in the Senate and House are held by women and 12 percent of the statehouses have female governors, what accounts for the fact that only 5 percent of movie directors in 2011 are female?

Five percent? According to Martha Lauzen, the San Diego State University professor who has been tracking behind-the-scenes female employment in Hollywood since 1998 and released her annual “Celluloid Ceiling” report on Tuesday, that’s approximately half of what the figure was when she released her first report 13 years ago.

That’s the bad news. The good news—or less bad news, as some observers see it—is that women comprise 18 percent of producers, writers, cinematographers and editors working on the top 250 highest-grossing domestic films, an uptick of 2 percent over last year.

The stats for women are better in television, where they made up 11 percent of directors in the 2010-11 TV season. Still, Lauzen notes, three years after Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Oscar for best director, there are fewer female helmers at work in Hollywood than there were 20 years ago.

Why is it easier for a woman to get elected to the U.S. Senate than get a place behind the viewfinder of a movie camera? In Hollywood, where two women are studio heads (Sony’s Amy Pascal and DreamWorks’ Stacey Snider), and Nancy Meyers and Nora Ephron are A-list directors, few are willing to talk on the record.

One high-ranking executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity—let’s call him Mogul A—cites “subconscious sexism” and the economic crunch: “Studios are making fewer movies, and the effect is last-hired, first laid-off,” he says.

Another successful executive who also asked not to be named, let’s call her Mogul B, admits, “There’s still this feeling that making movies for women is risky.”

This, despite the success of “The Help” and “Bridesmaids” in 2011, each of which made $169 million.

Implied in Mogul B’s admission is that movies by women are movies for women. Not necessarily. “Kung Fu Panda 2,” the top-grossing 2011 movie directed by a woman (Jennifer Yuh Nelson), is a family-friendly animated film.

What is true is that of the top 10 highest-grossing movies at the U.S. box office, only one, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part I,” boasts a female protagonist. This begs the chicken-or-egg question: Is this because few movies with female protagonists are being made, or because there is a Hollywood perception that men will resist films with a woman at the center?

“The idea that men won’t see a film with women in the lead—that’s punditry,” says Jeanine Basinger, chair of Wesleyan University’s film department. “Where’s the data?”

Excellent question. While most research, including that of the Gallup Organization, shows an equal number of female and male moviegoers, some movies skew male (“Transformers”) and female (“Sex and the City”).

There are two obstacles to getting verifiable across-the-board data about the composition of audiences. One: The studios and the companies that conduct the research for them say that the information is proprietary. Two: Social scientists are skeptical about the accuracy of such information, branding it as “anecdata” collected from opening-weekend screenings in major metropolitan cities.

One market-research firm that did not want to be identified reported that for “Haywire,” an action film starring mixed-martial artist Gina Carano, the audience skewed “slightly male,” around 53 percent. Whether it’s true that men will vote for a woman to represent them in Congress but not buy a ticket to a movie with a woman as a central character, it is a Hollywood perception. As is its corollary, says Mogul B: that from childhood women learn to identify with male characters (but that men do not grow up identifying with female characters).

“If women have been taught over time that they should identify with male characters, doesn’t that give them authorial capacities men conspicuously lack?”—and thus make them better candidates for the gig of movie director, asks Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

That argument doesn’t carry much weight with Mogul B.

“If writing is gender-neutral,” she asks, “why do I read so many screenplays by women that are character pieces and so many by men where there’s an explosion on the first page?

“What nobody in Hollywood is allowed to say out loud,” she adds, “is that the subject matter that interests many women isn’t going to sell tickets to a mainstream audience. How many women want to direct ‘Fast Five?’ How many women want to direct ‘Captain America?’ ”

Again, this begs the chicken-or-egg question. Are “Fast Five” and “Captain America” popular because they’re action movies that get big budgets and big marketing pushes, or because that’s what’s greenlighted by the studio heads?

Lauzen’s latest findings come on the heels of a 2011 study from the USC Annenberg School of Communication that reported that, in the top 100 box office films of 2009, men outnumbered women on screen by a ratio of 2:1.

That’s the broad-stroke data. The fine-grain data, USC professor Stacy Smith told the Los Angeles Times in November, is that in movies directed by women in 2009, there was near gender parity: 48 percent of the characters in female-directed films were women. In movies directed by men, fewer than 33 percent of the characters were female. The mirror that Hollywood holds up to the culture reflects back a distorted image.

“There’s a lot of myths in Hollywood. Which is why we need hard data,” says Madeline Di Nonno, executive director of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which supported the USC study.

Di Nonno thinks that not only is Hollywood missing the opportunity to sell more tickets to women, but that the gender disparity results in fewer professional opportunities for women both behind and in front of the camera.

“We’ve come a long way from the days when female audience members had to root against the weak, silly love interest who held the male hero back,” says Stephanie Coontz, historian and author of “Marriage: A History” and “The Way We Never Were.”

“Now we have real kick-ass females, but too often their behavior and attitudes reflect male fantasies,” she says. “The decline in the number of female directors is a particular problem. With two men to every woman on screen and 95 men to every woman directing their interactions, Hollywood’s portrayal of male-female relationships and women’s interior life is badly skewed.”

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Reprinted with pemission

Maiwenn's Poliss Scores 13 Cesar Nominations Including Best Director and Best Picture

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:25:10 GMT

The Maiwenn directed film Poliss scored the most Cesar nominations -- 13 -- including best picture, best screenplay and best director.

But you wouldn't know it from this breaking news alert I got from The Hollywood Reporter. You'd think that The Artist was the story, because that is the narrative the Hollywood wants to promote. But that's not the case.

So just to be clear: Poliss got 13 nominations, The Artist 10.

Valerie Donzelli's Declaration of War (which opens in the US today) also got multiple nominations also including best picture, best screenplay and best director.

So that means the Cesar's have two women nominated for best director.

That's way better than here in the US.

Full list of nominees.

Sundance 2012: Advice for Filmmakers

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:25:00 GMT

Chicken and Egg Pictures always has a great party at Sundance: delicious home-cooked food paired with a celebration of women filmmakers and the folks who support and nurture them. I pulled some of the women aside, from relative newcomers like Dee Rees, to veterans Lucy Walker and Judith Helfand, and asked them to share their best advice for other women filmmakers.

Chicken and Egg Pictures is a hybrid film fund and non-profit production company dedicated to supporting women filmmakers. At this year's party, they honored their grantees at Sundance 2012: filmmakers Alison Klayman ("Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry"), and Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush ("Finding North"). And, they gave special awards to Debra Zimmerman (Executive Director of Women Make Movies, celebrating its 40th anniversary) and Nekisa Cooper (Producer of "Pariah" and "Eventual Salvation").

Filmmaker Therese Shechter has been going to and writing about Sundance for most of the last 11 years. You can follow her on Twitter @trixiefilms and learn more about her current film work at http://www.virginitymovie.com.

Sundance Press Obsession with the "It" Girl

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:09:03 GMT

I never realized how annoying the whole "it" girl thing was until I saw three straight "it" girls articles in my RSS feed yesterday about three different women. I know that people have to come up with a lot of stories to write and this is an easy way to talk about women, but I just want to say the whole term and discussion is sexist because you never, ever, see and article on an "it" boy. Can you imagine a press article written about an "it" boy? No, you can't and that's why it's sexist. It is a convenient way of writing about a cute, usually younger, usually white woman who has surprised people with her performance in a film (or films) or who has been discovered, or rediscovered.

The term is also a lot of pressure to be and act a certain way and those pressures only fall on women. It's like you have this one little window in the snow of Utah and you need to make the most of it or it could all disappear. Talk about pressure. It can help you break out, but it can also be a burden, as 2007 "it" girl Jess Weixler told the LA Times.

Somebody christens you as the 'It' girl, but for some reason, I didn't strike while the iron was hot," said Weixler, 30, who since her Sundance premiere has stuck mostly to theater and appeared in only a few tiny indie films. "I was very wide-eyed then and maybe became a bit shy from all the pressure. I was, like, 'This was great, thank you so much,' and then I retreated back into my New York theater world."

I remember that Carey Mulligan was the "it" girl when she arrived a couple of years ago in 2009 for An Education. Then Jennifer Lawrence was the "it" girl in 2010 with Winter's Bone. Last year there was Elizabeth Olsen who came with multiple movies including (Martha, Marcy, May Marlene), Brit Marling (Another Earth and Sound of My Voice) and Felicity Jones (Like Crazy).

This year there seems to be three potential it girls and this seems to be some kind of bizarre press competition. Gina Rodriguez of Filly Brown, Lizzy Caplan of Save the Date and Bachelorette (who by the way has been doing great work for years) and Ari Graynor of For a Good Time Call and Celeste & Jesse Forever.

I think it's great that we are getting stories about women doing good work in films. And I guess I should be happy that there is a non-white potential "it" girl. I just wish there was a better term for "it."

Sundance: Gina Rodriguez of 'Filly Brown' is the newest 'It' girl (LA Times)

Ari Graynor: One hot girl in the Sundance chill (LA Times)

Sundance Breakout Lizzy Caplan on Save the Date and Her Raunchy Comedy Bachelorette (NY Mag)

New Poster for Athena Film Festival

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:26:03 GMT

Check out the new poster for The Athena Film Festival. Will you be there?

Video: Shit Liz Lemon Says

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:04:01 GMT

Don't tell me you've given up watching 30 Rock. It's back on the air with two episodes tonight. I love me some Tina Fey.

Sundance Video: Interview with Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush - Directors of Finding North

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:30:00 GMT

I caught up with 'Finding North' directors Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush at Sundance 2012. The two shared some great advice for being female in filmland, and reveal why an all-woman crew can sometimes get stuff that others can't. Their strong advocacy documentary "Finding North" is about hunger in America, and clearly connects the dots between underfunded school lunch and food stamp programs, corporate farms, the obesity epidemic, and American families who can't feed their kids.

You can get get involved in its outreach program here.

Finding North from Trixie Films on Vimeo.

Filmmaker Therese Shechter has been going to and writing about Sundance for most of the last 11 years. You can follow her on Twitter @trixiefilms and learn more about her current film work here.

Why Is Oscar Blue

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:30:03 GMT

From the indefatigable Jan Lisa Huttner who writes the Hot Pink Pen. Make sure to check out her Oscar Impact Chart.

Here's her thought process:

We all want to believe that Oscar is “gold” (that is, based on merit), so we begin with that assumption.

But close examination of the Oscar-nomination process reveals that Oscar is in fact “blue” (that is, heavily dependent on male filters).

Therefore most films by &/or about women are eliminated from contention early on, and they very rarely reach the finalist stage.

Films by women have a greater chance of success if they are about men (e.g., The Hurt Locker). Films about women have a greater chance of success if they are by men (e.g., Black Swan).

Films both by & about women are sometimes nominated, but rarely win anything (e.g., Winter’s Bone). The rare exceptions (e.g., Lost in Translation and The Piano both of which won Oscars for Best Original Screenplay) have very strong male characters, whereas films by male filmmakers can win Oscars even if they include no significant female characters (e.g., The Social Network).

Why does this happen, consistently, year-after-year? It happens because most film critics are men, therefore men are disproportionately represented on film festival juries, and in film critic circles (e.g., my own local group – the Chicago Film Critics Association).

With the exception of SAG (the Screen Actors Guild), men are also disproportionately represented in major guilds such as the DGA (the Directors Guild of America), the WGA (the Writers Guild of America) and the PGA (the Producers Guild of America).

Do I think this is conscious or deliberate on the part of male film critics and male guild members? No. I think it’s “second nature.” They like what they like, they consider their own views “the norm,” and they don’t really consider the idea that their own views might be biased.

And so it goes…

Printed with Permission

Oscar Nomination Quotes

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:00:04 GMT

Here are some quotes that I picked up yesterday from some of the nominees

Annie Mumolo

Our main objective was to write a film that focused about relationships and friendships. We really tried to focus on that when writing this...Apatow is a creative producer and his influence really helped us when we were writing this film. I think that really shows in the final product. (Variety)

Glenn Close

It’s an incredibly strong year for women. It’s just so thrilling to be in the company of these other women — and cross generational, which is great. (EW)

I actually asked my lawyer the other day what year I took out the first option on the George Moore short story (for Albert Nobbs), and it was 1988. I am so proud for our whole team that our little movie got three nominations. It’s phenomenal. (Deadline)

Viola Davis

It’s an honor to be nominated a second time; it is a personal accomplishment and triumph for women and women of color. I’m so glad the film has been recognized; it was a labor of love from the moment it was conceived, and it is rewarding to see the impact it is having. (Deadline)

Meryl Streep

I am honored to be in company with such beautiful artists, and touched deeply by my fellow actors for their generosity in giving me this acknowledgment. (Deadline)

Michelle Williams

I am so grateful to be acknowledged by the Academy for my work, which was made possible by the support of our director Simon Curtis and the camaraderie of a terrific ensemble of actors — a special congratulations to Kenneth Branagh — and the fearless Harvey Weinstein. This role has been the challenge and privilege of a lifetime. I would like to think that the recognition our film has received by the Academy is a testament to Marilyn’s legacy. (Deadline)

Janet McTeer

The part was a real stretch and it was an easy decision to make in terms of committing to the project. I had heard a bit about the subject matter — women working as men in the 19th century — a situation that effected the middle and working classes, especially in London. … I’m older and wiser and far less scared [than her last Oscar nomination, in 2000 for Tumbleweeds]. It’s apt to be more fun this time around since I’m doing (Oscar season) with Glenn. (Deadline)

Berenice Bejo, The Artist

I’m overjoyed and filled with happiness. I can’t believe that a year ago I was learning how to tap dance and shooting in Hollywood studios and today I am nominated for an Academy Award. It was a thrill to work on a project as ambitious as The Artist and I am happy to share this moment with our visionary director, Michel Hazanavicius. (Deadline)

Other facts:

If Viola Davis wins lead actress for "The Help," she will be only the second African American woman to win the honor. Halle Berry was the first, for 2001's "Monster's Ball." The first black performer to earn a lead actress nomination was Dorothy Dandridge, for 1954's "Carmen Jones." (LA Times)

Adapted screenplay nominee Bridget O’Connor, who penned "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" with husband Peter Straughan, died in September at the age of 49 from cancer. The first posthumous Oscar winner was screenwriter Sidney Howard, who won the Academy Award for 1939's "Gone With the Wind." (LA Times)

Are You My Mother and Who’s Your Daddy?

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:30:01 GMT

Hollywood has not been quiet on the third-party reproduction front. Movies such as Baby Mamma, The Back-Up Plan, The Switch and The Kids are All Right, highlight the silly and light-hearted approach to modern day family building. And celebrity’s real life conception stories spatter the tabloid magazines. Sarah-Jessica Parker, Nicole Kidman, Elton John and countless others are building families through modern reproductive technologies, raising questions about who are the biological parents and does biology even matter.

But when Giuliana Rancic’s news broke about her struggles with infertility and failed attempts with in vitro fertilization (IVF) coupled with her recent diagnosis of breast cancer, the public got a glimpse at some of the realities surrounding technology which often seems to have been naturally accepted as good, safe and without problems. The fact is that most IVF cycles fail. IVF treatments are very expensive and the drugs and procedures are not without some serious short- and long-term risks, and IVF when using ‘third’ parties (e.g. egg, sperm from another and/or surrogates wombs) raises important questions like, are the kids really all right? And IVF is relatively new technology, so studies are only now coming out which are drawing correlations between fertility drugs and cancers (e.g. a recent study linked Clomiphene ((Clomid)) use to uterine cancer).

Two films, I wrote, directed and produced, seek to highlight some of the pitfalls of these modern reproductive technologies. First, the award-winning documentary (2011 Best Documentary, California Independent Film Festival), Eggsploitation, sheds light on the $6.5 billion dollar a year infertility industry in the United States and the demand for human eggs – the main commodity. Young women all over the world are solicited by ads on college campus message boards, social media outlets and online classifieds, offering up to $100,000 for their “donated” eggs, to “help make someone’s dream come true.” Eggsploitation focuses a bright light on three women who made the decision to “donate” their eggs and had tragic, nearly fatal health complications. Their stories are not unique as more women are coming forward to share their experiences.

Anonymous Father’s Day, will premiere at the SoHo Gallery for Digital Art in New York City on January 29, 2012. Anonymous Father’s Day, explores the stories of women and men who are the children of anonymous sperm donors. It is estimated that between 30,000 – 60,000 children are born each year in the United States via sperm donation. Thousands of donor-conceived people have a deep longing to know who they belong to, where they come from, and who they look like. What is it like to grow up not knowing who your father is or if you have any siblings? What is it like to find out that the man you thought was your dad is not your biological father, and that your true biological father donated (or sold) his sperm and is known only by a number? How does it impact your self-perception, the choices you make, and your view of life and the world? Donor-conceived people are demanding answers to these basic questions about their origins, their lives and their identities.

So, in order to tell a more accurate, fully-orbed story about these modern day family building technologies, these two films give voice to real people whose lives have been forever changed. To deny or ignore their voices will only perpetuate the myths of some films which seek to entertain but lead us to believe all is well with reproductive technologies and the children we make.

Both Eggsploitation and Anonymous Father’s Day will show at the SoHo Gallery for Digital Art in New York City beginning January 29, 2012 through February 2, 2012. Complete schedule and ticket information can be found here.

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Throughout the week, at each of the showings Jennifer will be on hand to discuss the film. She will be joined by people in the films as well as experts in third-party reproduction.

First Look at Ashley Judd in Missing

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:20:03 GMT

I know this is not the best quality, but this looks like it's going to be a good and fun show.

Feed is Fixed

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:47:00 GMT

Thanks to a heads up we learned that the RSS feed for Women and Hollywood was broken. It took a bit of detective work but the good folks at Indiewire have now fixed it so you probably got all the feeds at once last night. We also migrated some old feeds to the new feeds so you might get two. Sorry about that. You can deactivate one of them.

Thanks for your patience.

A Little Something to Brighten Your Day: The Athena Film Festival Trailer

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:38:48 GMT

Suck it to all of you who don't think women are strong leaders in every aspect of life.

Athena Film Festival

The Oscar Noms: It Sucks to Be a Female Filmmaker Part 2

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:07:03 GMT

This is an up and down day as you will see from the posts on the site. The Academy Award nominations have been released and while there are many great women nominated in a variety of categories, at the top level- best picture and best director - women are missing.

Last year when there were ten guaranteed nominees for best picture, we had two female directed films nominated -- Winter's Bone and The Kids Are All Right. This year when they threw that out the general consensus was there would not be 10 nominees and that no women directed pics would make it to the list. Many people predicted 7 to 8 nominees. But it turns out there were 9 best picture nominees and there are still no female directed films included.

And best director. Do I need to say more? Women have not made it into the conversation at all this year. Depressing. And we still have yet to see a woman nominated for best cinematography. EVER.

On the glass half full side of the nominations:

There are a couple of women nominated as best director. Jennifer Yuh Nelson for Kung Fu Panda 2. Agnieszka Holland for best foreign film for In Darkness; Audrey Marrs for best doc feature and four of the five nominees for best doc short include women.

Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig have scored a best screenplay nomination for Bridesmaids which will hopefully continue to convince Hollywood that women are funny, women are commercially viable, and women are fucking talented writers. Too bad they left out Diablo Cody for her bold script from Young Adult. I'm also a bit confused how a silent movie like The Artist can be nominated for script. There are no words people. Please. That movie is so overrated.

Rooney Mara seems to have gotten Tilda Swinton's slot for best actress and while I am disappointed for Tilda (and We Need to Talk About Kevin), it's great news to see a character like Lisbeth Salander nominated. But that category is still between Viola and Meryl and I think the tide has turned in Meryl's favor.

Props to Glenn Close for scoring a best actress nod after 23 years. And how cool is it that Melissa McCarthy got nominated? Just goes to show you that a woman shitting in the sink makes Academy folks take note.

Also - Two African American actresses got nominations - Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer for The Help.

And congrats to Rachael Horovitz, Kathleen Kennedy and Letty Aronson for producing the best picture nominees.

List of female nominees

Best Picture
"Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
"Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
"The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
"War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis in "The Help"
Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Animated Feature Film
"Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Art Direction
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
"Hugo" Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"Midnight in Paris" Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil

Costume Design
"Anonymous" Lisy Christl
"Hugo" Sandy Powell
"W.E." Arianne Phillips

Documentary (Feature)
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

Documentary (Short Subject)
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement" Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
"God Is the Bigger Elvis" Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
"Saving Face" Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom" Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing
"The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker

Foreign Language Film
"In Darkness" Poland

Makeup
"Albert Nobbs" Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin

Music (Original Song)
"Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)
"A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
"Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)
"Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey

Sound Mixing
"Moneyball" Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick

Visual Effects
"Hugo" Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)
"Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig

Full list of nominees

The Sundance Institute and Women in Film Team Up to Get More Women Filmmakers Working in Hollywood

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:00:04 GMT

Finally some organizations have stepped up and stood up and committed resources to work towards improving the amount of female filmmakers working in the business. Women in Film and the Sundance Institute are going to track female filmmakers who show their films at Sundance to get a sense of the trajectory that these directors go on after they leave the festival.

We know that women directors do better at festivals. The key is to figure out what happens to them back in the real world. Why don't they get the agents? Why don't they get work for hire. How do we keep them on the track if and when they decide to have kids. I think the whole mommy track business is just an excuse. An excuse to keep women out of power positions.

Women in Film President Cathy Shulman said they took up this effort to "initiate a real hard look at why this constant lack of parity seems to exist in terms of the amount of women working in film and media and the amount of men." She also said that they want to figure out: "What does it really mean and why is it happening, and instead of talking about it every year as a fact, start to see if we could be part of a solution."

Fuck yeah. It's about time.

I think that it would be smart to track the male class too. See what kinds of agents they get. See what kind of meetings they get. See what kind of deals they get. I also am interested in getting the real data on the types of films that get made. Are there more movies about men? Would it be better for women to pitch a movie about guys after making a debut at Sundance? Would that help get the movie be made? Also one thing that seems to plague women is the sophmore film problem. They can get the first film done and then it takes many years to get the second film done.

I'll be watching this very carefully.

Sundance, Women In Film promote female filmmakers (Yahoo)

What Bigelow Effect? Number of Women Directors in Hollywood Falls to 5 Percent

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:12:00 GMT

The Oscar nominations this morning give us another year where there are no women directors included in the list. This year we won't see Kathryn Bigelow up on the stage giving out the best director award to the next winner. When she won two years ago there was much hope that the numbers of women directing in Hollywood would get better.

You can't really judge anything in year one because it takes so long to make films. But here we are in year two and the numbers have gone down. They didn't even stay the same. They went down. Women make up 5 percent of directors in Hollywood in 2011. I find that a devestating number. Five percent. That's down from 7 percent in 2010 and down from 7 percent in 2009. That's down from 9 percent in 1998. Women made more movies as directors in 1998 than they did in 2011.

This is gut check time people.

People like to think that things are getting better and on the surface it may look like that. Women make up 18% of all behind the scenes roles in Hollywood. That's up from 16% last year. But that is virtually the same amount as when these statistics started being tabulated in 1998. No progress overall in over a decade.

Sure, some of the numbers have improved. Cinematographers have gone up two points to 4 percent. Women writers to 14%. Women producers are at 25%. But none of these numbers have shown any significant improvement in over a decade.

Women's progress in Hollywood is stalled and has been for a long time. Don't believe the bullshit that things are better. it's all smoke and mirrors. Something serious must be done.

As always, a big thanks for Dr. Martha Lauzen at SDSU for showing the reality on women's progress or lack thereof in Hollywood.

The Full Executive Summary:

In 2011, women comprised 18% of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films. This represents an increase of 2 percentage points from 2010 and an increase of 1 percentage point from 1998.

Women accounted for 5% of directors, a decrease of 2 percentage points from 2010 and approximately half the percentage of women directors working in 1998.

The following summary provides employment figures for 2011 and compares the most recent statistics with those from previous years.

Findings

This study analyzed behind-the-scenes employment of 2,636 individuals working on the top 250 domestic grossing films (foreign films omitted) of 2011.

38% of films employed 0 or 1 woman in the roles considered, 23% employed 2 women, 30% employed 3 to 5 women, and 7% employed 6 to 9 women.
A historical comparison of women’s employment on the top 250 films in 2011 and 1998 reveals that the percentage of women directors has declined. The percentages of women writers and producers have increased slightly. The percentages of women executive producers, editors, and cinematographers have remained the same.
Women comprised 5% of all directors working on the top 250 films of 2011. Ninety four percent (94%) of the films had no female directors.
Women accounted for 14% of writers working on the top 250 films of 2011. Seventy seven percent (77%) of the films had no female writers.
Women comprised 18% of all executive producers working on the top 250 films of 2011. Fifty nine percent (59%) of the films had no female executive producers.
Women accounted for 25% of all producers working on the top 250 films of 2011. Thirty six percent (36%) of the films had no female producers.
Women accounted for 20% of all editors working on the top 250 films of 2011. Seventy six percent (76%) of the films had no female editors.
Women comprised 4% of all cinematographers working on the top 250 films of 2011. Ninety six percent (96%) of the films had no female cinematographers.
Women were most likely to work in the documentary, drama, and comedy genres. They were least likely to work in the horror, action, and animated genres.

Report compiled by Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, Executive Director, Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, School of Theatre, Television and Film, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, 619.594.6301.

New Trailer for The Lady

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:09:01 GMT

Film will open in the US on April 11 and will roll out to other major cities on April 13.

Two Women Directed Films Get Deals

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:15:02 GMT

Magnolia PIctures has picked up the documentary Queen of Versailles by Lauren Greenfield. Here's the description: the film "tells the story of David and Jackie Siegel, a couple who began building the largest home in America before the housing crash put the couple's fortune in jeopardy."

Unlike most Magnolia titles, this film will get a theatrical release before going on demand.

LD Entertainment purchased Black Rock starring and directed by Katie Aselton. Here's the description: "Black Rock also stars Lake Bell and Kate Bosworth as childhood friends who visit an island for a camping trip with Aselton's character but run into trouble when they meet a trio of Iraq war veterans."

The deal for this film also includes a theatrical release.

Sundance 2012: Magnolia Buys 'Queen Of Versailles' Documentary (Hollywood Reporter)

Sundance 2012: Thriller 'Black Rock' Acquired by LD Distribution for North of $1 Mil (Hollywood Reporter)

A Good Roundtable and a Bad Roundtable

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:27:03 GMT

You can't tell me that Stephen Daldry is going to get an Oscar nomination for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. He's great and I love The Hours, but please, why is he in this roundtable conversation and not any women? And George Clooney for The Ideas of March? Not going to happen. But I guess they are both sexier than Lynne Ramsay for We Need to Talk About Kevin which won the Best British film from the London Film Critics last week.

Good for Newseek for having a diverse panel for an actors roundtable. I know that it is easier to get female actresses and to have some diversity, but we need to keep pushing for ALL the roundtable discussion to be diverse.

George Clooney’s Worst Job? 10 Best Newsweek Oscar Roundtable Bits (Newsweek)

Newsweek's Oscar Roundtable Reveals Actors' Private Parts (Daily Beast)

Martin Scorsese, George Clooney and more in Envelope Directors' Roundtable (LA Times)

Pariah Scores Both NAACP Image Awards and GLAAD Media Awards Noms

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:04:01 GMT

It's awards time and the NAACP and GLAAD are getting into the mix with the release of the nominees for their annual awards. Pariah, directed by Dee Rees is nominated by both organizations.

GLAAD Media Award - Outstanding Film- Limited Release

Circumstance - written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz
Pariah - written and directed by Dee Rees
Tomboy - written and directed by Celine Sciamma

Full list

NAACP Awards

Motion Picture
“Pariah” (Focus Features)

Actress in a Motion Picture
Adepero Oduye — “Pariah” (Focus Features)
Emma Stone — “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
Paula Patton — “Jumping the Broom” (TriStar Pictures)
Viola Davis — “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
Zoe Saldana — “Colombiana” (TriStar Pictures)

Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Bryce Dallas Howard — “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
Cicely Tyson — “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
Kim Wayans — “Pariah” (Focus Features)
Maya Rudolph — “Bridesmaids” (Universal Pictures)
Octavia Spencer — “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)

Independent Motion Picture
“I Will Follow” (AFFRM)
“Pariah” (Focus Features)

Foreign Motion Picture
“In the Land of Blood and Honey” (FilmDistrict)

Documentary (Theatrical or Television)
“Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey” (Submarine Deluxe)
“Sing Your Song” (HBO Documentary Films)

Full List

Final Hunger Games Poster

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:19:01 GMT

I love this poster because it says this is a film about a young woman who is active and in charge. Great image. And yes, the world will be watching. Cannot. Wait.

Great Interview With Glenn Close

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:45:02 GMT

A really great homage to her whole career on the eve of the Oscar nominations. She willed Albert Nobbs into existence. She is the star, the producer, the co-writer and she also write the lyrics to the song. Pretty impressive.

Interview with Dori Berinstein - Director of Carol Channing: Larger Than Life

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:10:02 GMT

Women and Hollywood: You've been a producer of Broadway shows for a number of years. How did you segue into becoming a documentary filmmaker?

Dori Berinstein: I've actually been in the film business (as a Studio Exec and as a Producer) longer than I've been producing Broadway Shows. (I supervised production on “Dirty Dancing”…). I've been a huge fan of doc films as long as I can remember. They have changed the way I see the world. My first doc experience was as the Executive Producer on Isaac Mizrahi's "Unzipped". I was completely hooked...but I wanted to direct. I had dreamed about bringing William Goldman's book “The Season”, chronicling Broadway behind-the-curtain for a year, to life. But I needed experience behind-the-camera. After many years directing TV, I felt ready. I dove in and captured an entire Broadway season inside out. I got very lucky. The season was spectacular. “ShowBusiness: The Road To Broadway” follows "Wicked", "Avenue Q", "Taboo" and "Caroline, or Change" from very early development thru to Opening Night and all the way to the most thrilling, hotly contested Tony Awards I can remember. Capturing Broadway backstage was an exhilarating experience.

WaH: Your films have a very theatrical bent. How did you become interested in theatre and why do you think that theatre makes such a great topic for a documentary.

DB: Growing up in Los Angeles, I was incredibly fortunate to be taken to theatre by my parents to see everything at the Music Center, at UCLA and beyond. I just adored it. While I had no talent – alas – for an onstage career, I was determined to make my way to New York to produce Broadway Shows. I’ve been doing just that for almost 20 years now while sustaining a parallel life as a Studio Exec, Producer and Director in the movie business. When I’m able to bring together the two worlds that I love so much – film and TV – is a documentary feature, it's nirvana! Theatre is filled w/ passion, risk and drama (as much behind-the-curtain as on stage), perfect ingredients for documentary storytelling.

WaH: How did you get the idea to do your latest film on Carol Channing?

DB: I was most fortunate to meet and become friends with Carol and her husband Harry Kullijian. Over dinner, I would hear INCREDIBLE theatrical stories, so beautifully told. When Carol and Harry shared their own magical love story, reconnecting after a 70-year separation, I knew this was a film I had to make.

WaH: What did you learn about her in this process that was unexpected?

DB:Carol has stage fright…still does…Given her magically captivating stage presence and her high-voltage charisma, its hard to believe she’s nervous before she ‘goes on’…but its true. That ‘fright’ fuels her performance. When she first arrived on Broadway, Noel Coward gave her invaluable advice on how to tackle the problem: He told her to imagine “someone who loves you and who you love” in the audience. Carol has done that ever since. She says it works beautifully.

WaH: As you've become a more seasoned director what is the thing about your filmmaking that has changed or improved over time?

DB: I have an incredible team of collaborators that work with me on all my films. I adore them and respect them tremendously. I can’t wait to begin production on my next film so we can be reunited.

WaH: What was the biggest challenge in making this film?

DB: Editing this film was tremendously challenging - such an incredible life to chronicle…such a beautiful love story to share. Thank goodness I had a phenomenal editor – Adam Zucker. We worked and worked to weave together the two storylines, trying so very hard to do doing justice to both. Of course, it was torture to leave so many important professional moments, great backstage stories and insight from many of Carol’s collaborators and friends on the cutting room floor. I’m thrilled that many of these moments will make their way onto the DVD!!

WaH: What advice do you have for other filmmakers?

DB: Like theatre, crafting a documentary film takes tremendous commitment, patience and passion. Our business isn’t easy…to be sure. When you decide to make a film, it’s imperative that it’s a story you just have to tell…no matter what. If so, then dive in. It won’t be ‘work’…it will be a thrilling, deeply satisfying experience. If that’s not the case, don’t take the plunge. The commitment of time, energy, money, etc…is way too great. You need to care deeply.

WaH: Tell us what you are working on next?

DB: I’m ecstatic to be working on several new Broadway Shows that mean the world to me. I’m also working on a thrilling live ‘event arena show involving flying, fire-breathing Dragons with DreamWorks Theatricals. And, of course, a new film is brewing….

The film opens today in NY. More details here.