Hollywomen

Maggie's Plan (US Release) directed by Rebecca Miller
2016-05-20
Maggie’s plan to have a baby on her own is derailed when she falls in love with John, a married man, destroying his volatile marriage to the brilliant Georgette.
Maggie’s Plan (2015)
Comedy
20 May 2016 (USA)
Director: Rebecca Miller
Writers: Rebecca Miller, Karen Rinaldi
Stars: Travis Fimmel, Julianne Moore, Ethan Hawke
Find Maggie’s Plan on 16 Film, TV & Doc Premieres By Women Filmmakers To Discover At Sundance 2016

Elena Rossini's The Illusionists California Tour
2016-05-13 - 2016-05-16 | Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Dr, Newport Beach, CA, 92660, United States
Filmmaker Elena Rossini is visiting Southern California for a series of exclusive screenings and talks in Los Angeles and Orange County this May for The Illusionists, a documentary about the commodification of the body and the marketing of unattainable beauty around the world.
May 13: Orange County Museum of Art
Newport Beach, CA
A screening of the director’s cut (91 minutes) of The Illusionists at the Orange County Museum of Art.
May 15: AJFCA Annual Conference
San Diego, CA
Elena Rossini will be a speaker at the Open Plenary Lunch, showing excerpts from The Illusionists.
May 16: Soho House
West Hollywood, CA
A screening of the TV cut of The Illusionists for members of Soho House, followed by a Q&A with director Elena Rossini. More details coming soon.
Find Elena Rossini on the Hollywomen Directors Board

Find Elena Rossini on the Hollywomen Cinematographers Board

Our Kind of Traitor (UK release) Directed by Susanna White
2016-05-13
Our Kind of Traitor (UK)
Thriller
UK theatrical release: May 13, 2016
French theatrical release: June 15, 2016
US theatrical release: July 1, 2016
Directed by Susanna White
Written by Hossein Amini based on the novel by John le Carré
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgård, Naomie Harris

Money Monster (US Release) Directed by Jodie Foster
2016-05-13
Lee Gates is a TV personality whose insider tips have made him the money guru of Wall Street. When Kyle loses all of his family’s money on a bad tip, he holds Lee and his entire show hostage on air threatening to kill Lee if he does not get the stock up 24 and a half points before the bell.
Money Monster
Drama, Thriller
May 13 2016 (USA)
Director: Jodie Foster
Writers: Alan DiFiore, Jim Kouf & Jamie Linden
Stars: Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Dominic West
Read our film announcement on Scripts & Heroines – News Round-up #1

Bentonville Film Festival, Arkansas May 3-8
2016-05-03 - 2016-05-08
Co-founded by Geena Davis in 2015, BFF’s mission is to encourage content creation in media that reflects the diverse & half female world we live in.
Founded in 2015 by Geena Davis and Trevor Drinkwater, the Bentonville Film Festival is partnering once again with ARC Entertainment, Walmart, Coca-Cola and AMC Theaters for its 2016 edition.
Programmed by Wendy Guerrero, the festival will take place on May 3-8 in Bentonville, Arkansas to support women and diverse storytellers.
Find the Bentonville Film Festival on our Women’s Film Festivals

Find the Bentonville Film Festival on our index of organizations The Diversity Diretory

The Vampire Diaries 7x20 (CW) Directed by Kellie Cyrus
2016-04-29
With Bonnie’s (Kat Graham) life at stake and an uphill battle ahead of them, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Enzo (Michael Malarkey) lead the charge to save Bonnie before her condition worsens
The Vampire Diaries 7×20
“Kill ‘Em All” (Airs on the CW on April 29, 2016)
Directed by Kellie Cyrus
Written by Chad Fiveash & James Stoteraux

Mother's Day (US Release) co-written by Lily Hollander & Anya Kochoff
2016-04-29
Intersecting stories with different moms collide on Mother’s Day.
Mother’s Day
Comedy
29 April 2016 (USA)
Director: Garry Marshall
Writers: Lily Hollander, Anya Kochoff, Tom Hines, Matthew Walker
Stars: Britt Robertson, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston

Ratchet and Clank -US Release) co-directed by Jericca Cleland
2016-04-29
Ratchet and Clank tells the story of two unlikely heroes as they struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called The Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way they’ll learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one’s own identity.
Ratchet and Clank
Animation, Action, Adventure
29 April 2016 (USA)
Directors: Jericca Cleland (Animism, DP for Space Chimps), Kevin Munroe
Writer: T.J. Fixman (as Todd Fixman)

Arrow 4x19 (CW) Directed by Laura Belsey
2016-04-27
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNu_5W-wo8k
Oliver and the team struggle to come to terms with Laurel’s death, especially Diggle who is overwhelmed with guilt for choosing to believe Andy had changed. Meanwhile, Lance refuses to believe his daughter is really gone and asks Nyssa to help bring her back. A recent Black Canary sighting in Star City only seems to prove his theory that Laurel isn’t actually dead.
Arrow 4×19
“Canary Cry” (Airs on the CW on April 27, 2016)
Directed by Laura Belsey
Written by Wendy Mericle & Beth Schwartz

Walk with Me (French release) directed by Lisa Ohlin
2016-04-27
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ0oy1ls–o
Deployed on mission in Helmand, Afghanistan 25-year old Thomas steps on a landmine and loses both his legs. At the local rehabilitation center he meets Sofie, an ascending ballerina from the Royal Danish Ballet, who is helping a relative to regain strength after a long term sickness. Thomas desperately wants back in the field and gets impatient as progress does not emerge as fast as he wants to. When Sofie offers to help him with a more intense rehabilitation plan, he accepts. Despite their differences, they develop a special bond and a mutual affection.
Walk with Me (“De Standhaftige” – Denmark)
French theatrical release: April 27, 2016
Danish theatrical release: April 7, 2016
Director: Lisa Ohlin
Writer: Karina Dam
Stars: Dar Salim, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Morten Kirkskov

Artemis Women In Action Film Festival 2 @ Los Angeles
2016-04-22 - 2016-04-24 | Laemmle Ahrya Fine Arts Theater, 8556 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA, 90211, United States
A celebration of action films and the women who kick ass in them! A celebration of empowered women.
The Amazons are back for Round Two!
Melanie Wise and her team are gearing up for the second installment of the Artemis Women In Action Film Festival, which will take place at the Laemmle Ahrya Fine Arts Theater, Beverly Hills on April 22-24, 2016.
Celebrating women in action films and strong female characters, the event will showcase feature films, shorts and documentaries and promote the work of stuntwomen.
The 2015 edition honored actresses Linda Hamilton, Kristanna Loken, Gina Torres and celebrated the work of stundwomen Angela Meryl (Kill Bill) & Maja Aro (Once Upon a Time); this year’s honorees will include Bridesmaids & Ghostbusters director Paul Feig, Heidi Moneymaker (The Hunger Games, John Wick 2 & Scarlett Johansson‘s stunt double since Iron Man 2), Yancy “Witchblade” Butler, Jessie Graff (Leverage), Zoe Bell (Xena, Kill Bill) as well as Dayna Grant, who started her career on Xena and recently worked as the stunt double of Charlize Theron on Mad Max: Fury Road.
Artemis Women In Action Film Festival 2
Film Festival
Founded by Melanie Wise, Zac Baldwin, Sean Newcombe
Board of Directors: John Halbert, Howard Brodwin, Heidi Mastrogiovanni, John Halbert, Michael R. Miller, Tema Staig
Creative, Production and Business Development: Donna J. Gagnon
Marketing and Media Development Manager: Megan Hubbell
Strategic Partner Manager: Marilyn Jenne
Financial Advisor: Malissa Wise
Find the Artemis Women In Action Film Festival on our List of 100+ Women’s Film Festivals Worldwide

Find the crowdfunding campaign of No Touching starring Zoë Bell & Heidi Moneymaker on Kick It! Support Action Movies & Directing Awards

MUFF Toronto/Etheria Jackie Kong
2016-04-22 | Carlton Cinema, 20 Carlton Street, Toronto, Canada
This month MUFF has teamed up with Etheria to bring you Toronto MUFF fans a night of ‘80s b-movie horror and the darkest, creepiest, bloodiest female-directed Canadian shorts they could find!
From director Jackie Kong, they will be screening a double bill of The Being (1983) and Blood Diner (1987).

To screen before THE BEING:
FISH OUT OF WATER
dir. Kirsten Carthew
MITTEN
dir. Amanda Row
REMOTE VIEWING
dir. Kristen Anderson-Sauvé

To screen before BLOOD DINER:
GRACE
dir. Karen Nielsen
THE MAKEOVER
dir. Dara Jade Moats
MADRE DE DIOS *special sneak peek!*
dir. Gigi Saul Guerrero

Find the Etheria Film Night on our List of 100+ Women’s Film Festivals Worldwide

Granny's Dancing on the Table (French release) by Hanna Sköld
2016-04-20
Eini grows up isolated from society in the woods together with her controlling and abusive father. Stories about her granny and Eini’s invincible fantasy enables her to create a world within, from which she can draw her strength to survive.
Granny’s Dancing on the Table (Sweden)
89 min | Drama
French theatrical release: April 27, 2016
Directed & written by Hanna Sköld
Stars: Blanca Engström, Lennart Jähkel, Karin Bertling

Blind Sun (French release) Directed by Joyce A. Nashawati
2016-04-20
Greece. Sometime in the near future. A seaside resort struck by a heavy heat wave. Water is rare and violence is mounting. Ashraf, a solitary immigrant, is looking after a villa while its owners are away. On a dusty road crushed by the sun, he is stopped by a police officer for an identity check.
Blind Sun (France, Greece)
88 min | Mystery
French theatrical release: April 20, 2016
Written & directed by Joyce A. Nashawati
Stars: Ziyad Bakri, Laurène Brun, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing

D'une Pierre Deux Coups (French release) by Fejria Deliba
2016-04-20
D’une Pierre Deux Coups (France)
Drama
French theatrical release: April 20, 2016
Written & directed by: Fejria Deliba
Stars: Samir Guesmi, Zinedine Soualem, Brigitte Roüan
Zayane a 75 ans. Depuis son arrivée en France, elle n’a jamais dépassé les frontières de sa cité. Un jour elle reçoit une lettre lui annonçant le décès d’un homme qu’elle a connu, autrefois, en Algérie. Le temps d’une journée, elle part récupérer une boite que le défunt lui a légué. Pendant son absence, ses onze enfants se réunissent dans son appartement et découvrent un pan de la vie de leur mère jusque-là ignoré de tous…

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 1x18 (CW) Directed by Aline Brosh McKenna
2016-04-18
Rebecca’s relationships are tested as she tries to navigate her friendship with Paula, her history with Josh and her connection with Greg. While at Josh’s sister Jayma’s wedding, Rebecca’s world is turned upside down.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 1×18
“Paula Needs to Get Over Josh!” (Airs on th CW on April 18, 2016)
Directed by Aline Brosh McKenna
Written by Rene Gube
Guest stars: Tess Paras & Lea Salonga
Find Aline Brosh McKenna on the Hollywomen Screenwriters Board

Despite the Falling Snow (UK Release) Directed by Shamim Sarif
2016-04-15
In Cold War Moscow, a female spy steals secrets from an idealistic politician – and falls in love with him.
Despite the Falling Snow (2016)
1h 33min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
15 April 2016 (UK)
Directed & written by Shamim Sarif
Stars: Rebecca Ferguson, Antje Traue, Charles Dance

Stranger With My Face Film Fest @ Tasmania, Australia
2016-04-14 - 2016-04-17 | Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart, Australia
Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival focuses on female perspectives in genre.
April 14-17
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
The 4th edition of Stranger With My Face International Film Festival will take place in Hobart from 14-17 April, with a line-up of eight feature films, a shorts program, a symposium, workshops, panels and social events.
Stranger With My Face focuses on diverse perspectives in genre filmmaking and primarily screens horror films directed by women.
The 2016 program includes the Australian premiere of Lucile Hadžihalilović’s Evolution and the international premiere of Midnight Show, by up-and-coming Indonesian director Ginanti Rona Tembang Asri.
Ginanti Rona Tembang Asri, who will be a guest at Stranger With My Face, previously worked as an assistant director and 2nd unit director on films including Killers, The Raid and The Raid 2.
French director Hadžihalilović, whose previous full-length feature film is the acclaimed Innocence (2004), has cited influences from Narciso Ibañez Serrador’s Who Can Kill a Child? to Lovecraft to Philip K. Dick in inventing the strange and compelling world of Evolution. She will take part in a Skype Q&A after the SWMF screening.
The other feature films screening are:
The Australian premiere of Bernard Rose’s stunning modern take on Mary Shelley’s classic tale, Frankenstein, starring Xavier Samuel, Tony Todd, Carrie Ann Moss and Danny Huston;
The Australian premiere of Anna Biller’s stylish retro thriller, The Love Witch, which is particularly notable for its lush 35 mm cinematography despite a modest budget;
The Australian premiere of Yolanda Torres’s The Forsaken, an intense contained location thriller from Spain about a group of criminals trapped together in a house;
The Invitation, Karyn Kusama’s chilling look at group dynamics and gas-lighting, winner of Best Film at Sitges in 2015;
Australian filmmakar Megan Riakos’s debut feature film, Crushed, a thriller set in picturesque wine country;
and the dark yet charming coming of age story Girl Asleep, directed by Rosemary Myers and adapted from an acclaimed play produced by South Australia’s Windmill Theatre Company.
Also screening is a line-up of outstanding short films from around the world:
Nasty, directed by Prano Bailey-Bond (UK)
Blame, directed by Kellee Terrell (USA)
Thorn, directed by Soichi Umezawa and produced by Mai Nakanashi (Japan)
Can You See Them? directed by Polly Staniford and Mike Staniford (Australia)
The Betrayal directed by Susan Young (UK)
ReStart directed by Olga Osorio (Spain)
The Goblin Baby directed by Shoshana Rosenbuam (USA)
Measure directed by Shelagh Rowan-Legg (Canada/UK)
Abaddon directed by Samantha Ferguson (Australia)
Vintage Blood directed by Abigail Blackmore (UK)
Innsmouth directed by Izzy Lee (USA)
The Things You Take (Australia) winner of SWMF’S 48-Hour Tasploitation Challenge in January 2016 and made by The Dying Arts (Matt Burton, Melanie Irons, Katie Robertson, Hannah Herrmann-Payn, Finegan Kruckemeyer, Shaun Wilson)

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 3x16 (ABC) Directed by Wendey Stanzler
2016-04-12
The team hunts for information on a new enemy; Malick’s secret from his past threatens to destroy his Hydra legacy.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
3×16 “Paradise Lost” (Airs on ABC on April 12, 2016)
Directed by Wendey Stanzler
Written by George Kitson & Sharla Oliver
Guest stars: Reed Diamond as Daniel Whitehall, Powers Boothe as Gideon Malick, Mark Dacascos as Giyera, Cameron Palatas as young Gideon Malick, Alexander Wraith as Agent Anderson, Joel Dabney Courtney as Nathaniel Malick, Axle Whitehead as James, Mark Atteberry as Kurt Vogel, Ana Zimhart as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Henry Leblanc as mourner and Bethany Joy Lenz as Stephanie Malick.

AFI Directing Workshop for Women 2016 Showcase on April 12 feat. Sarah Gertrude Shapiro
2016-04-12
For more than 40 years, the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop For Women has supported the careers of emerging female directors by offering them a tuition-free training workshop followed by the opportunity to direct a short film. Now led by Patty West, the selective initiative has followed the evolution of filmmaking by adding an episodic program to its flagship short film workshop.
On April 12, 10 short film and episodic participants of the 2015 Workshop will present their work at the AFI Directing Workshop for Women Annual Showcase, taking place at the DGA theater in Los Angeles.

Presented by Kimberly Peirce & Jill Soloway in the past years, who better to host the 2016 edition than one of its most successful alumna: Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, co-creator of the Lifetime hit UnREAL?
A participant of the program in 2012 with her short film Sequin Raze, Shapiro teamed up with Buffy showrunner Marti Noxon to adapt her award-winning dark comedy into a TV show.
The move has paid off: the critically-acclaimed series will start its second season on June 6 and has inspired the Lifetime channel to strongly support the AFI Directing Workshop via its Broad Focus initiative by guaranteeing employment to all new DWW graduates.

Claire Fowler, Erica Liu, Christine Boylan, Bella Monticelli-McTiernan, Rebecca Murga, Philiane Phang and Chelsea Woods will therefore screen their short films made during their AFI fellowship while Amy Barrett, Dime Davis and Mia Lidofsky will present their series.
Last but not least, the event will also introduce the new participants of the 2016 AFI DWW Class, who will follow the footsteps of Lesli Linka Glatter, Hanelle Culpepper, Jan Eliasberg, Maya Angelou, Sian Heder and many former alumnae who left their marks in the film & TV industry.
Discover the Crowdfunding Campaigns Of The 2015 AFI Directing Workshop For Women Films & Series
Discover the 2014 AFI Directing Workshop For Women Showcase
Find the UnREAL Premiere at SXSW on SXSW 2015: Watch Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck and 10 Films & Series Written By Women
Find Sarah Gertrude Shapiro on the Hollywomen Screenwriters Board
Find Sarah Gertrude Shapiro on the Hollywomen Directors Board
Discover the season 2 premiere of UnREAL written by Sarah Gertrude Shapiro & Marti Noxon on our calendar

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 1x17 (CW) Directed by Joanna Kerns
2016-04-11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFCZ0DHLf2A
Rebecca is hiding a big secret from Paula, which begins to affect their friendship.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 1×17
“Why Is Josh in a Bad Mood?” (Airs on the CW on April 11)
Directed by Joanna Kerns
Written by Jack Dolgen

The Girlfriend Experience 1x01 (Starz) co-directed by Amy Seimetz
2016-04-10
Law student Christine Reade is introduced to the world of transactional relationships in this original anthology series. Providing “The Girlfriend Experience”—an emotional and sexual relationship offered at a high price—gives Christine a rush of control and intimacy, but she soon finds herself juggling two very different lives.
Directed & written by Amy Seimetz and Lodge Kerrigan
Based on the film by Steven Soderbergh
Premieres on Starz on April 10

Find The Girlfriend Experience on Premieres By Women Filmmakers To Discover At Sundance 2016

High Strung (US Release) Co-written by Janeen Damian
2016-04-08
When a hip hop violinist busking in the New York subway encounters a classical dancer on scholarship at the Manhattan Conservatory of the Arts, sparks fly. With the help of a hip hop dance crew they must find a common ground while preparing for a competition that could change their lives forever.
High Strung (2016)
1h 36min | Drama, Music, Romance
8 April 2016 (USA)
Director: Michael Damian
Writers: Janeen Damian, Michael Damian
Stars: Keenan Kampa, Nicholas Galitzine, Jane Seymour

Be Here Now: The Andy Whitfield Story (US Release) - Doc by Lilbet Foster
2016-04-08
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLxoDqVG3bE
As though life is imitating art, actor and sex-symbol, Andy Whitfield, had just become a star as the lead in the hit television series,’Spartacus,’ when he is faced with his biggest personal challenge – life-threatening cancer. ‘Be Here Now’ is a feature documentary that follows him on his dramatic journey to cure himself
2016 – Documentary
Director: Lilibet Foster
Starring: Andy Whitfield, Vashti Whitfield
Opening in Theaters in New York on April 8th & Los Angeles on April 15th

The Boss (US Release) co-written by Melissa McCarthy
2016-04-08
A titan of industry is sent to prison after she’s caught for insider trading. When she emerges ready to rebrand herself as America’s latest sweetheart, not everyone she screwed over is so quick to forgive and forget.
The Boss
Comedy
8 April 2016 (USA)
Director: Ben Falcone
Writers: Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone, Steve Mallory
Stars: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Schaal, Kristen Bell

The Invitation (US Release) Directed by Karyn Kusama
2016-04-08
A haunted man attending a dinner party at the house he once called home becomes gripped with paranoia that his ex-wife and her new husband are harboring an insidious agenda
The Invitation
100 min – Horror, Thriller
Opens on April 8 + on VOD on Netflix
Directed by Karyn Kusama
Written by Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi
Produced by Martha Griffin, Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, Nick Spicer
Discover our articles featuring Karyn Kusama
Find Karyn Kusama on the

Nashville 4x14 (ABC) Directed by Lily Mariye
2016-04-06
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaGgheRifcA
A familiar face-Juliette Barnes-finally returns to NASHVILLE after receiving treatment for postpartum depression and finds herself at a critical crossroads upon her homecoming.
Known for her role as nurse Lily Jarvik on NBC’s ER during 15 years, Lily Mariye is making her TV directorial debut on Nashville’s April 6 episode What I Cannot Change, which marks the return of Hayden Panettiere’s character Juliette Barnes to the ABC show.
While continuing her acting career in ER and shadowing episodes helmed by Jonathan Kaplan and Lesli Linka Glatter, she ventured into directing in 2000 with the short film The Shangri-la Café, loosely based on her family’s history and produced during her time at the AFI Directing Workshop For Women.
In 2012, she wrote and directed the award-winning feature Model Minority and entered the Disney ABC/DGA Directing Program, which led her to shadow, then direct, episodes of Nashville.
A fan of the show herself, Lily Mariye is more than familiar with the music business, having followed the career of her husband of 30 years, four-time Grammy Award nominee and best-selling saxophone player Boney James.
Nashville 4×14 (Airs on ABC on April 6)
“What I Cannot Change”
Directed by Lily Mariye
Written by Taylor Hamra
Edited by Lizzy Calhoun
Guest stars: Ed Amatrudo, David Alford, Jeananne Goosen, Keean Johnson, Alicia Witt, Mark Collie, Jessy Scram, Simalee Montano & Shane McRae.

Find Lily Mariye on the Hollywomen Directors Board
Find more on Lesli Linka Glatter on Women Dominate The Directors Guild of America TV Awards

Find more on the AFI Directing Workshop For Women on Women Dominate The Directors Guild of America TV Awards

No Home Movie (US Release) Doc by Chantal Akerman
2016-04-01
No Home Movie is a portrait by Akerman, the daughter, of Akerman, the mother, in the last years of her life.
No Home Movie (France, Belgium)
115 min | Documentary
US release on April 1
Directed by Chantal Akerman
Stars: Chantal Akerman, Natalia Akerman

Grimm 5x15 (NBC) Directed by Karen Gaviola
2016-04-01
Grimm 5×15 (NBC)
“Skin Deep”
Directed by Karen Gaviola (Supergirl, Lost)
Written by Michael Golamco

The Midnight Man (US Release) Co-written by Brinna Kelly
2016-03-31
When Grady, an assassin with a genetic disorder that renders him unable to feel pain, is sent on a high-stakes assignment, his world is turned upside-down after an attack when he awakens to discover that he can feel pain for the first time in his life. With the clock ticking and his greatest asset gone, Grady will go head-to-head with his greatest fears and unspeakable enemies, while experiencing a tactile world he never could have imagined.
The Midnight Man
Crime, Thriller
March 31st, 2016 (USA, limited)
Director: D.C. Hamilton
Writers: D.C. Hamilton, Brinna Kelly
Stars: Will Kemp, Brinna Kelly, William Forsythe
