“Ladies Special” Theme at the Muscat International Film Festival

The 7th Annual Muscat International Film Festival in Oman held a specially themed day earlier this week: “Ladies Special,” which featured the Indian actress-filmmaker Nandita Das and Her Highness Basma Al Said (of Oman).  The talk was followed by a screening of the 1995 female-focused film Waiting to Exhale, co-written by Terry McMillan and based on her novel of the same name.

Das spoke of her work as a director as well as her work with the Children’s Society of India and the effort it takes to make children’s films: “We are trying to make quality films for children. It is a struggle because economics interferes with art.” (Hmm, a universal truth of filmmaking?)

Read the entire story at the Times of Oman.

Wellywood Woman Interview w/Director of Alice Walker Documentary

Marian Evans of Wellywood Woman posted her latest podcast on Sunday which features an interview with filmmaker Pratibha Parmar who is working on a feature documentary about her friend Alice Walker, the writer, activist and poet.  The film, Alice Walker: Beauty In Truth, “tells the compelling story of an extraordinary woman’s journey from her birth in a paper-thin shack in cotton fields of Putnam County, Georgia to her recognition as a key writer of the 20th Century” (alicewalkerfilm.com).  It’s a brilliant interview by Marian, and a stimulating discussion between two women who are both motivated to share women’s stories.  Marian (@devt) is a vigorous supporter of the film and you can follow the film on twitter, too, @AliceWalkerFilm.  Check out the conversation and become a fellow supporter by spreading the word.

Listen to the interview at Wellywood Woman.

One Way or Another Conference on Women in LatAm Cinema

Alongside the Toulouse Film Festival in France this week, a conference was held to discuss the participation of women in Latin American cinema.  The One Way or Another Conference focused on the move of women in cinema from acting to directing, writing and producing (and beyond).  Included in the discussion was “the treatment of women’s problems in films, including sexism, gender inequality and violence.”  The conference takes its name from a film directed by the late filmmaker Sarah Gomez; she was the first Cuban woman to shoot a fiction film.

Read the entire story at Prensa Latina.

Two African American Female Directors Book New Films

Gina Prince-Bythewood

Melissa Silverstein of Women and Hollywood blogged earlier this week about director Gina Prince-Blythewood signing on to direct Before I Fall based on a book by Lauren Oliver, and Kasi Lemmons signing on to adapt and direct the Zadie Smith novel On Beauty.  Prince-Bythewood also directed Love & Basketball and The Secret Life of Bees, while Lemmons has directed Eve’s Bayou and Talk To Me.

Kasi Lemmons

This is extremely exciting news not only because two African American women will be directing films, but for personal reasons for me as Zadie Smith is one of my favorite writers and anything that will allow people to be exposed to her work — whether it’s actually sitting down and reading it or watching a film adaptation — is a great thing!  Wow, I can’t WAIT to see these films released.

Read the details over at Women and Hollywood.