female directors – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

SOPHIE HYDE on Moviemaking, Sex and Representation

April 3, 2023April 6, 2023 Nadine Whitney 52 tuesdays, animals, Australia film industry, closer productions, female directors, Good Luck to You Leo Grande, Maya Newell, Sophie Hyde

Australian director Sophie Hyde has utilised the notion of sex as a means to gain self-knowledge in her three feature films, 52 Tuesdays, Animals, and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande. Hyde works not only as director in film and television but also as a producer with her company Closer Productions bringing a variety of stories to life. Nadine Whitney had the opportunity to speak to Sophie about equity and representation on screen in Australia and the international film and television industry..

Festivals

Berlin Film Festival 2023: Female Filmmaker Wrap – Serena Seghedoni reports

February 22, 2023February 22, 2023 Serena Seghedoni Berlin International Film Festival, berlinale 2023, female directors, Korean films, past lives

The Berlinale has been publishing a gender evaluation since 2004, and though the festival hasn’t reached gender parity yet, their inclusivity has significantly improved since 2019. If from 2002 to 2018 their percentage of female-directed films in competition amounted to 5-22%, in 2019 they almost reached gender parity with 41%, and the percentage has exceeded 30% every year since then. Their internal organization also reflects their desire to be inclusive, as they have achieved gender parity in almost all of their committees, juries, and even festival directors.

Festivals

Sundance Film Festival: Feminist Overview – Leslie Combemale reports

January 14, 2023January 26, 2023 Leslie Combemale female directors, sundance film festival 2023

This year over 50% of films in nearly all categories of the festival are directed by folks who identify as women: 61% in the US Dramatic Competition, 63% in the US Documentary, 58% in the World Dramatic Competition, and 46% in the World Documentary, to be precise. Of all the feature films announced, 53% are directed or co-directed by female-identifying creatives. That’s a lot to sift through, but we at the Alliance of Women Film Journalists are here to help.

News

WEEK IN WOMEN: Woman-directed films win big at Sundance 2021 – Brandy McDonnell reports

February 10, 2021February 10, 2021 Brandy McDonnell female directors, Sundance Film Festival 2021, the week in women, twiw. CODA

Director and screenwriter Siân Heder’s family drama Coda won four awards in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category: the grand jury prize, the directing prize, the audience award and a special jury prize for best ensemble. Coda is the first film in the history of the Sundance Film Festival to earn all three U.S. Dramatic top prizes.

Festivals

Sundance FF 2021: Supporting Women Above and Below the Line – Leslie Combemale reports

January 27, 2021January 28, 2021 Leslie Combemale female crew, female directors, parity, Sundance Film Festival 2021

Sundance has been progressive enough to commit to inclusive programming, with 50% of programmed films directed by one or more women, as well as 50% directed by one or more artists of color. Beyond that, though, how are these productions supporting parity? Are they telling stories centered on subjects that haven’t seen themselves enough onscreen? Do they have women working on the crew? In order to effect change, that’s what filmmakers and film fans need to support. Here’s what’s happening at Sundance 2021.

News

WEEK IN WOMEN: Nia DaCosta to helm CAPTAIN MARVEL 2 – Brandy McDonnell reports

August 11, 2020August 17, 2020 Brandy McDonnell 0 Comments caprain marvel 2, female directors, marvel universe, nia dacosta

Nia DaCosta will become the first Black woman director in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as she has been tapped to direct “Captain Marvel 2” for Marvel Studios. She becomes the fourth woman to direct a Marvel Studios blockbuster, following Boden, Cate Shortland (Black Widow, currently due out Nov. 6), and Chloé Zhao (Eternals. currently slated for Feb. 12), as Marvel continues to broaden the horizons of the director it hires for its superheroic films,

Guest Posts Interviews

Filmmaker Anu Menon chats SHAKUNTALA DEVI – Mythily Ramachandran interviews (Guest Post)

July 30, 2020July 30, 2020 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments Anu Menon, biopics, female directors, hindi films, indian films, Kalki Koechlin, Mythily Ramachandran, Naseeruddin Shah, Shakuntala Devi, Vidya Balan

Indian filmmaker Anu Menon busts Bollywood stereotypes, Known for films with stories about strong female characters, her latest feature is Shakuntala Devi, a biopic that chronicles the life of the legendary female mathematician known alternatively as the ‘wizard of India’ and the ‘human computer.’ Menon chats with Mythily Ramachandran about the titular character and making the film.

Festivals

Sundance 2020: Black Women Directors Prevail – Kathia Woods reports

February 3, 2020February 3, 2020 Kathia Woods 0 Comments Channing Godfrey Peoples, dee rees, ekwa msangi, female directors, Janicza Bravo, radha blank, sundance film festival 2020, women of color

Sundance Film Festival featured many films directed by black women. Each film had a different theme and inspiration. Each of the filmmakers had a different point of entry into filmmaking. Some went to film school others went out on a whim, but each brought a strong personal vision and compelling story to the screen, showing that the black experience is not monolithic, but very global. That’s the beauty of filmmaking.

News

WEEK IN WOMEN: New Stats show drop in WoC-directed films – Brandy McDonnell reports

January 21, 2020January 22, 2020 Brandy McDonnell 0 Comments annenberg inclusion initiative, female directors, Stacy L Smith, twiw, week in women, women of color

Female director representation may be the highest it’s been in 13 years, but the number of women of color is still low. The percentage of underrepresented directors reached 16.8% in 2019, a drop from 2018’s high watermark of 21.4%. Just four women of color directed a top 100 movie in 2019.

Interviews

Jennifer Kent on THE NIGHTINGALE and Witnessing Violence -Jessica Zack interviews

August 12, 2019August 12, 2019 Jessica Zack 0 Comments female directors, jennifer kent, motw, Movie of the Week, the babadook, the nightingale

Sexual violence is excruciating to watch. So is any violence motivated by racism. And with her new film The Nightingale, an elemental, near-mythic 19th century revenge tale told from a woman’s perspective, Jennifer Kent wants to remind us that they absolutely should be.

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