SUBMISSIONS OPEN FOR FIRST-EVER TUCKER CENTER FILM FESTIVAL
Calling all filmmakers. If you’re an aspiring Steven Spielberg and#40;or better yet Kathryn Bigel0wand#41; then you’ll want to know about the first-ever Tucker Center Film Festival. Presented with University of Minnesota Athletics, the festival will take place on Tuesday, February 1, 2011, in conjunction with the 25th Annual National Girls and Women in Sport Day. Submissions for the festival are now open. The deadline to submit content for consideration in the festival is November 15, 2010 at 5pm CST. Entries must focus on girls and/or women in sport or physical activity, however, submissions can be in a variety of forms and#40;trailer, short, or feature-lengthand#41;. More information regarding submission guidelines and procedures can be found here. Please contact Austin Stair Calhoun for additional information regarding the festival, to submit a film, or to suggest a film for the festival. Ready for your close-up? [Read More]published October 30, 2010 at 2:03pm CDT
WOMEN’S STORIES DOMINATE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
Michelle Williams in Meek's Cutoff In a very interesting piece in Variety writer Justin Chang says that it is the Year of the Woman at the Venice Film Festival. He starts off talking about the stark sexuality that he has seen in some movies. Films that show actual female bodies. He lingers on the film Black Venus which is about how the woman known as the Hottentot Venus was exploited in Europe in the 19th century. And remember, they haven’t gotten to Julie Taymor’s closing film The Tempest. He says that the film: raises thorny questions about the ethics of representation and female objectification that will loom large over this intensely fascinating film as it makes its way through festivals and, hopefully, into arthouse cinemas. He also makes the point that three women’s films — Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Attenberg, Kelly Reichardt’s Meek’s Cutoff and Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere — are deservedly in the competition. That’s where he lost me. Would any [Read More]published September 9, 2010 at 4:35pm CDT
THE LONDON FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS LINEUP
The fall festivals are finalizing their lineups and what has become clear to me as I track the films and the presence of women directors is that the festivals usually have a core list of films that go from festival to festival as they make their runs towards release and Oscar recognition. The reality is that most of the high profile films are directed by men. So the high profile section like the galas and special screenings, the ones that draw the media and the stars are populated by male directors. The BFI London Film Festival which takes place from october 13 to 28 has the same problem. The big high profile films are directed by men. But when you keep on looking the good news is that you will find many, many films directed by women. Props goes artistic director Sandra Hebron who has really added a good diversity of women’s voices to her lineup. I wonder how much it helps when there is a woman making the decisions. I remember the lineup earlier this summer at the Edin [Read More]published September 8, 2010 at 7:35pm CDT
WOMEN’S SUMMER BOX OFFICE RECAP
The weather is changing here in NYC, the kids are getting ready to go back to school and the fall film festivals are upon us, so before too much time passes let’s take a look at how women fared this summer at the box office. We all know that in general there are still many fewer films that star women both at the multiplex and at the art house. That still needs to change. The big movies starring women this summer kicked off with Sex and the City 2 which got the shit kicked out of it by the critics. But even though it was a disappointment creatively and everyone thinks assumes it was a flop, it has grossed $95 million in the US and $194 million overseas. So the gross is now almost $300 million and it cost $100 million to make, so it will ultimately make money. The Twilight Saga’s third film, Eclipse, has now grossed $298 million domestically and $356 million overseas. That’s a total of almost $656 million and the budget for the film was $68 million. A huge hit. It [Read More]published September 7, 2010 at 10:20pm CDT
TELLURIDE FILM FEST LINEUP: VERY FEW WOMEN DIRECTORS
I’m getting back up to speed and decided to wade in on some fall film festivals news. The Telluride Film Festival kicked off today and there are 24 films listed in the main lineup called “the show.” Of the 24 films announced guess how many are directed by women? 1.5. One film – OKA! AMERIKEE is directed by Lavinia Currier and a second, THE TENTH INNING is directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. That’s 6.25%. It’s just so fun to come back after almost two weeks off and know that nothing has changed. Sigh. Telluride Film Festival [Read More]published September 6, 2010 at 4:23pm CDT
published August 20, 2010 at 5:09pm CDT
INTERVIEW WITH SUSANNA WHITE – DIRECTOR OF NANNY MCPHEE RETURNS
Susanna White took some time during the press junket for Nanny McPhee Returns to answer some questions for Women and Hollywood. Nanny McPhee Returns opens nationwide today. Women and Hollywood: How did you get the script for the film? Susanna White: I was sent it. I was out in Africa. I can remember the day very clearly. I was researching the moment when the American Marines crossed the border from Kuwait into Iraq. And I came in and washed the sand off me and was completely transported. I fell in love with the writing. It’s such a departure from what I’ve done before. I really engaged, mainly with the character of Mrs. Green, a mom who’s desperately trying to hold it all together, do a job, run the house, look after her kids, and care for the old people in the village and not really coping and desperately in need of a nanny. I thought, although loosely set in World War II, it felt like a contemporary story I wanted to tell. WandH: Why was it so attractive to you since thi [Read More]published August 20, 2010 at 4:53pm CDT
published August 19, 2010 at 5:03pm CDT
INTERVIEW WITH KIRAN DEOL – DIRECTOR OF WOMAN REBEL
There’s been a twitter conversation this morning about how few shows on HBO have women leads. While they might not be great with series about women, they have done a number of fantastic and interesting documentaries about women. That continues tonight with the premiere of Woman Rebel which tells the story of Silu a woman who fought in the Army and#40;which was 40% female and one of the focuses was women’s rightsand#41; and then once the revolution was over became a member of parliament. Director Kiran Deol answered some questions about the film. Women and Hollywood: You got on a plane the day after you graduated from Harvard to make this film. Why was the story so important to you? Kiran Deol: I heard the statistic ’40% women’ — that 40% of the women in this rebel army were women, and it had my jaw on the floor. I’m of Indian descent. Nepal is very close in proximity and at the time I was really drawn to a story that featured women in the developing world no [Read More]published August 18, 2010 at 6:42pm CDT
WHY IS IT SO STRANGE THAT MALE CRITICS LIKE MOVIES ABOUT WOMEN?
I read this blog post yesterday What does this say about U.S. manhood: Male critics actually like ‘Eat Pray Love’ by Patrick Goldstein of the LA Times and it didn’t really get to me enough to blog about it. But while I was tossing and turning in bed this morning Goldstein’s post came to my mind and it made me angry. The point to me is not that male critics like the film — male and female critics both like and dislike the film — it’s that there is surprise in the fact that some male critics actually like the film. Not mentioned is that some women dislike the film, but that doesn’t seem to be as big a sin than men actually liking a film about a woman. I seriously can’t believe that this conversation still goes on. The job of a reviewer is to look at a film and say whether they like the film, the characters, you know the whole package. The fact that it stars a woman or is about a woman should not automatically let men off the hook because really, how are they [Read More]published August 18, 2010 at 1:10pm CDT