Thompson on Hollywood

Venice Days' Spotlight on Female Filmmakers: 'Womens Tales' in Conversation with Nair, Bier & Cavani

Festivals

The Venice International Film Festival's Venice Days kicks off its ninth edition with "Women's Tales," featuring four short films by young female directors: Zoe Cassavetes, Lucrecia Martel, Giada Colagrande and Massy Tadjedin.

By Sophia Savage
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August 28, 2012 12:58 PM
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Women Directors Delpy & DuVernay Talk Leveling the Playing Field

Features

Three women filmmakers with new movies are inspiring mofe discussion of the state of women directors in Hollywood. The LA Times' Nicole Sperling talks to Julie Delpy ("2 Days in New York," "2 Days in Paris"), Ava DuVerney ("Middle of Nowhere") and Leslye Headland (the upcoming "Bachelorette").

By Sophia Savage
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August 10, 2012 4:01 PM
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Best Films Directed by Women, Reaching Consensus

Reviews

While we pore over the latest Sight & Sound film critics poll of the Top 50 Movies of all time, it's not surprising that most of the films are directed by men. The notable exception is Chantal Akerman's "Jeanne Dielman," which I saw in college but barely remember. On the other hand, I recall every frame of Maya Deren's "Meshes in the Afternoon." The poll, as many have commented, is dominated by older films, most of them pre-1960, a time when few women were directing, unless they were Ida Lupino, Dorothy Arzner or Leni Reifenstahl, who did not make the S & S list.

By Anne Thompson
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August 3, 2012 4:06 PM
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Are Women Directors Entering a Golden Age? Studio 360 Talks to Shelton, Polley

News

Are we entering a golden age for women directors in Hollywood? I've been trying to figure out the troubled relationship between women and the film business for decades, so I unloaded for Studio 360's Kurt Andersen, who also talked with Sarah Polley and Lynn Shelton, about how the industry favors independents--as its glass ceiling remains intact.

By Anne Thompson
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July 18, 2012 2:35 PM
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Streep Lays Out Women's Pic Studio Stats at Women in Film Awards: "Why Don't They Want the Money?"

Features

If women make up 51 percent of all moviegoers, “Why don’t they want the money?” asked Meryl Streep at the Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards Tuesday night. She cited five movies in less than five years aimed at women, costing a fraction of the cost of studio tentpoles, that grossed $1.6 billion combined worldwide...

By Valentina Valentini
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June 13, 2012 3:13 PM
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Columbia's Women Filmmakers, from Holofcener to Cholodenko: Not as Easy As It Looks (Video)

Features

The elephant in the room at last week's oddly titled Columbia University Film Festival panel "What Glass Ceiling? The Remarkable Success of Columbia's Women Filmmakers," showcasing filmmakers Lisa Cholodenko, Nicole Holofcener, Shari Springer Berman and Cherien Dabis was how tough it is for these indie filmmakers to be successful at all.

By Anne Thompson
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May 14, 2012 6:42 AM
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AFI Directing Workshop for Women Showcase, New Participants

News

The AFI Directing Workshop for Women showcase will take place at the DGA Theater May 8. Each year, the Directing Workshop for Women offers eight women who have established themselves within the industry a tuition-free program of hands-on and classroom production experience as well as the chance to direct a short film.

By Sophia Savage
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May 8, 2012 11:53 AM
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Ashley Judd, Kate Winslet and Jennifer Lawrence vs. Our Toxic Misogynist Culture

Features

In the past week, actresses and their weight have been front and center. When moviegoers suggested that Kate Winslet was too fat in the 3-D rerelease of the 1997 blockbuster "Titanic," she responded that she's now thinner than co-star Leonardo DiCaprio. Jennifer Lawrence was described as not hungry enough in "The Hunger Games."

By Sophia Savage
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April 10, 2012 5:29 PM
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Against Gendered Culture

Blogs

Why are books and movies tagged pink or blue, like babies in a 1950s nursery?

By Carrie Rickey
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April 3, 2012 12:09 PM
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Columbia University Film Festival Goes Retro at Twenty-Five

Festivals

New Yorkers this is for you. This year, the Columbia University Film Festival (CUFF) celebrates its 25th anniversary with a week-long festival of screenings and dramatic readings. The fest, which is co-presented by the Columbia University School of the Arts Film Program and Film Society of Lincoln Center, opens at Alice Tully Hall on May 4, 2012.