Women and Hollywood

Melissa Silverstein is a writer, blogger and marketing consultant with an expertise in the area of social media regarding women and Hollywood. She is the founder and editor of Women and Hollywood, one of the most respected sites for issues related to women and film as well as other areas of pop culture. She is the Artistic Director and co-founder of the Athena Film Festival – A Celebration of Women and Leadership at Barnard College in NYC. The third annual festival will take place from February 7-10, 2013.

Blog Roll

New Trailer for Wish Me Away: Directed by Beverly Kopf & Bobbie Birleffi

Video

This will open in theatres in the summer but New Yorkers can catch it at the Athena Film Festival on February 11. Details here.

By Melissa Silverstein
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February 2, 2012 10:42 AM
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0 Comments

Blogs

Aurora Guerrero debuted her feature film 'Mosquita Y Mari' at Sundance 2012 and I had a chance to talk to her near the end of a hectic but exciting festival. She shared the secret of her $80,000 Kickstarter campaign success, and the importance of telling stories from the queer, Chicana and immigrant communities she belongs to.

By Therese Shechter
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January 30, 2012 12:15 PM
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0 Comments

Dee Rees' debut film, Pariah, has rightfully been celebrated for its tender coming-out and coming-of-age story of a shy yet sexually curious 17-year-old African-American girl, Alike (Adepero Oduye).

An unprecedented black LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) success at the Sundance Festival in January, the film was immediately picked up by Focus Features for distribution and has since received two nominations for the Spirit Awards, which recognize independent film. In November, Rees was awarded breakthrough director of the year at the Gotham Awards.

Clearly, the movie's positive critical reception owes much to the brilliant dramatic performances of newcomers Oduye and Pernell Walker, veterans Charles Parnell and Kim Wayans, Bradford Young's beautiful cinematography and Rees' subtle yet sophisticated depiction of Alike and her middle-class African-American family's coming to terms with her lesbian identity.

By Salamishah Tillet
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January 3, 2012 10:40 AM
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Love and Risk in Iran: Circumstance Written and Directed by Maryam Keshavarz

Here is a piece I wrote on Circumstance written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz for the Human Right Campaign's Equality Magazine, for their Summer 2011 Issue.

By Melissa Silverstein
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August 23, 2011 4:39 AM
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4 Comments

NewFest Crowns Winners

NewFest wrapped up at the end of last week and female directors got a bunch of surprises.

By Melissa Silverstein
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August 1, 2011 2:30 AM
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1 Comment

Interview with Bobbie Birleffi and and Beverly Kopf: Directors of Wish Me Away

Wish Me Away is the incredibly moving coming out story of country music star Chely Wright. When I read a little over a year ago that Wright had come out my first reaction was "so what". After you watch the film you realize how difficult this process was for Wright mostly because of where she worked -- Nashville. She was the first high profile country performer to come out, something she had to do to save her life, and sadly, not for her, but for country music, she is now embarking on a new life post Nashville. Since she came out Nashville has turned its back on her and so she is remaking her life and her career.

By Melissa Silverstein
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July 26, 2011 2:30 AM
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0 Comments

Trailer Watch: Wish Me Away - directed by Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf

This doc about country star Chely Wright premieres at the LA Film Festival on Monday- June 20

By Melissa Silverstein
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June 16, 2011 2:30 AM
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2 Comments

Save the Date: The Topp Twins are Coming to NYC on May 13 for a Q and A with Me!

One of my favorite films from the Athena Film Festival which I produced last February was The Topp Twins. As I say to everyone on paper this film sounds too way out to work. It's about lesbian twins sister activist singers from New Zealand. But this film rocks. The sisters, Lynda and Jools, are beloved in New Zealand from the farmers to the city folk. Their shows which are a combination of vaudeville act and political rally with some great singing and yodeling thrown in.

By Melissa Silverstein
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May 6, 2011 2:40 AM
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0 Comments

Maren Kroymann - The German Meryl Streep

I got a bit of an inkling about how popular my fellow jury member Maren Kroymann was here in Germany, when at the opening night party a couple of people circled her, pointed their fingers and stared. Since I have a limited knowledge of actresses who have not been seen in movies in America I had no idea who Maren Kroymann was aside from having googled her before I arrived here in Germany.

By Melissa Silverstein
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April 15, 2011 3:06 AM
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1 Comment

Cross-Post: On TV, The Lesbians Are All Right... As Long As They're Pregnant by Trish Bendix

Originally posted on Alternet

By Melissa Silverstein
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February 1, 2011 4:00 AM
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3 Comments

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