Currently Browsing: Features
The National Board of Review announced its picks for best movies of 2019 Dec. 3, the first of many organizations who will roll out their awards season winners throughout the month of December. Very few awards went to female filmmakers, the most notable being Melina Matsoukas winning Best Directorial Debut for Queen & Slim, her […]
It’s a beautiful day at the box office for women in film. Three of the five movies dominating late-November ticket sales are directed by women. Frozen 2 won Thanksgiving weekend, earning more than $85 million domestically. The film directed by Jennifer Lee has already broken box office records, opening at #1 in all markets November […]
March, 2015. I’m home for spring break from NYU, feeling more alone and confused than even a Millennial usually does. My first two or so years of college have felt like a wash, specifically an acidic wash of vodka and vomit, and I’ve reached the point of looking ahead into my post-college years and have […]
Maybe this is something writers think about more than other people, but I spend a lot of time considering what impact I’m making on the world, and how I will be remembered when I’m gone. If I didn’t think my actions impacted others, I’d be living my life much differently than I do now–I’d probably […]
Known to the public as an actress, Annabelle Attansio has been making short films for years before becoming one to watch feature debut, Mickey and the Bear. Debuting at South by Southwest, the film stars Camila Morrone and James Badge Dale as Mickey and Hank, a daughter-father team in Montana. But for some time Mickey […]
“Mr. Toilet: The World’s #2 Man”—the title itself is enough to catch your attention, but there’s so much more than meets the eye in this loaded documentary about one man’s endeavor to educate and find ways of providing safe, clean environments in which to do your daily duties. Documentary filmmaker Lily Zepeda, over the course […]
The 17th Annual Female Eye Festival (FeFF) began Nov. 7, featuring more than 75 films directed by women. Running through Nov. 10 at the ScotiaBank Theatre in Toronto, the festival is a proud showcase for “so many talented women, most of whom are writers, directors and producers,” according to FeFF Founder and Executive Director Leslie […]
Alma Har’el recently spoke to FF2 Media over the phone about Honey Boy. Amazon Studios will release the film for limited theatrical release starting on November 8. Honey Boy is a very personal and cathartic film for Shia LaBeouf. What drew you to take on the project? Alma Har’el: What drew me really is that […]
The wonderful world of Disney isn’t so wonderful for female directors. Streaming service Disney+ will launch Nov. 12. Users can stream hundreds of Disney titles dating back to 1940, including new original content, for $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. Of the more than 500 films that will be featured on Disney+, only 36 […]
The coming-of-age story, “Hala,” written and directed by Chicago-born Minhal Baig, looks at teenage life through a “hyphenate’s” lens; a Pakistani-American. Starring Geraldine Viswanathan (“Blockers”), a teen navigates life in two worlds; home and school, attempting to balance both as she sees her parents for who they are and attempts to grow and find her […]
For 57 years, New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center has been U.S. flagship of “auteur” cinema. Writer/directors who dominate their films were presumed male – with the exception of Belgian-born Agnès Varda. Every decade, the Festival selected a film by her. She died March 29 at age 90. In tribute, the September 27 – […]
Apple TV+ launches Nov. 1, featuring a diverse lineup of content from female directors. The first all-original video subscription service will be available on the Apple TV app in more than 100 countries at the price of $4.99 per month. “With Apple TV+, we are presenting all-original stories from the best, brightest and most creative […]
Director and screenwriter Greta Gerwig is already generating Oscar buzz for her new take on Louisa May Alcott’s timeless novel, Little Women, starring Saoirse Ronan as feisty writer Jo March along with a stellar supporting cast: Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Emma Watson and Eliza Scanlen. Although the film opens on Christmas […]
The 55th annual Chicago International Film Festival runs through October 27 at the AMC River East theater. Of the 132 features, 43 are directed by women. In an article I wrote on last year’s CIFF, there were 38 female directors. The previous article showed that there were 36 films directed by women. Out of 17 […]
The 55th Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) kicks off this weekend, featuring more than 40 films directed by women during its 11-day lineup. The festival has a history of striving toward gender equality, featuring more than 30 films directed by women in 2017 and 2018. Favorite films in previous years have included Greta Gerwig’s Lady […]
Out of a record-breaking 93 countries that have submitted entries to be considered for best international film nominations at the Academy Awards, 27 films are directed by women (or 29 percent total). Previously known as the “Best Foreign Language Film” that the Academy dubbed outdated, the “Best International Film” submissions were announced Monday, including first-time […]
The Second Annual Chaz and Roger Ebert Symposium took place on Friday, Sept. 27, where panelists discussed important issues and solutions for diversity in film, including Keynote Speaker Dr. Stacy Smith who gave a presentation on extensive film analysis research. Founder & Director of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative (AII), Dr. Smith’s research showed that, […]
The winners of the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) have been announced and as the dust is now settled, we can sift through the hype and clearly see the outcome at this year’s fest. Yes, the stars were shining bright along the red carpet and there’s certainly a bit of Oscar buzz already, but […]
Columbia College Chicago’s Film Row Cinema and the Chicago Women’s History Center showcased the premiere of Ask For Jane on Saturday, September 28, in honor of International Safe Abortion Day. Writer/director Rachel Carey’s 2018 film, based on a true story, takes place in Chicago in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when abortion is illegal […]
The Second Annual Chaz & Roger Ebert Symposium will take place this Friday, Sept. 27 at the iHotel and Conference Center in Champaign. The event is free and open to the public and everyone is encouraged to attend. This year’s symposium is titled “Creating an Inclusive Media and Cinema Ecosystem” and will feature speakers from […]
The Architecture & Design Film Festival will run Oct. 16-20 at Cinépolis Chelsea in New York City. The 11th year of the nation’s largest film festival devoted to architecture and design will feature eight films directed by women. With 19 films screening, about 42 percent of the lineup is from female filmmakers. Alysa Nahmias’ The […]
The 2019 Toronto International Film Festival may have come to an end but women in film had many achievements to celebrate. The Gala and Special Presentation programs were certainly the big headliners with the likes of Marielle Heller’s A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood. If you’re anything like me, you’re going to get emotional as […]
The 55th Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) announced its full lineup Sept. 18, featuring 40 films directed by women. About 30 percent of the 136 films being screened at the AMC River East from Oct. 16-27 are from female filmmakers (on par with last year’s numbers). From gala presentations like Kasi Lemmons’ Harriet to festival-circuit […]
Women filmmakers were celebrated at IndieWire Female Filmmakers Dinner at Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 8 at The Purman (presented by Canada Goose). This year, TIFF (which runs through September 15) is presenting more than 330 films: 36 percent are directed, co-directed, and/or created by women; a slight increase from last year’s representation […]
Dr. Michele Meek is the author of the new book Independent Female Filmmakers: A Chronicle Through Interviews, Profiles and Manifestos. The writer, professor and director features the work of multiple directors from Martha Coolidge to Jennifer Fox in the hope of raising awareness for film-going audiences about the impact of women in film. FF2 Media […]
Hannah Pearl Utt and Jen Tullock have been professional actresses for years. But with their new film Before You Know It, they step into the spotlight as two very different sisters stunned to learn their long-dead mother…isn’t. This project isn’t their first time acting opposite one another, having co-starred in the series Disengaged which Utt […]
Almost a century ago, Virginia Woolf skyrocketed to fame with her iconic novel Orlando, and has remained one of the key figures in English literature ever since. Her contributions as one of the premiere modernist authors of her time has made her novels vital classics still studied and enjoyed today. But her name was relatively […]
The 2019 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will take place September 5-15, presenting more than 330 films: 36 percent are directed, co-directed, and/or created by women; a slight increase from last year’s representation of 35 percent. TIFF will showcase world premieres and festival favorites alike at this year’s event comprising 84 feature films directed by […]
CNN aired a six-part series on the history of American cinema throughout July and August. Produced by Tom Hanks and Werner Herzog as an extension of their successful “Decades” series, the 12-hour docu-style series The Movies is an informative tribute to the cultural impact of cinema – and culture’s influence on the everchanging film landscape. […]
Three years ago, Nanfu Wang emerged as a documentarian to watch with her highly praised Hooligan Sparrow, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival and ultimately winning the top documentary prize from the Independent Spirit Award. Hooligan Sparrow told the story of how the Chinese government targeted activists, and telling that story made Wang a target […]
