Melissa Silverstein
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Founder/Publisher of @womenahollywood which educates, advocates and agitates for gender equality and inclusion. Artistic Director of Athena Film Festival.
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Articles by Melissa Silverstein
Creating Narrative Change at the 14th Annual Athena Film Festival
Among Barnard’s numerous programs and traditions, few showcase the College’s rich artistic legacy and commitment to women’s empowerment like the Athena Film Festival (AFF). Co-sponsored by Barnard’s Athena Center for Leadership and Women and Hollywood, the annual festival — which runs from February 29 to March 3 on campus — has a wide variety of programming that includes narrative features, documentaries, short films, and conversations with filmmakers and leaders.
With 'Wish,' Disney Rewrites 100 Years of Princesses: 'We Call Them Disney Heroines'
September 27, 2023 @ 9:38 AM The Disney princess has a long and fraught history, with the animated ladies of the film being as often praised for existing as they are condemned for it. And with the Walt Disney Company celebrating its centennial, co-directors Chris Buck an Fawn Veerasunthorn of the latest animated feature, “Wish,” wanted to focus on a relatable, average young heroine in Asha (voiced by Ariana deBose).
Artist Tom Whalen Unleashes An Enchanted New 'Beauty and the Beast' Print (Exclusive) Original
September 27, 2023 @ 8:00 AM There are few Disney animated classics as beloved and revered as “Beauty and the Beast.” So you can understand why artist Tom Whalen, whose distinctive style has been brought to everything from “Avengers”-themed cans of Coke to the actual poster for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Disneyland, was so excited to do a screen-print for the movie, which TheWrap can exclusively reveal.
We’re 6 Years Into #MeToo, but in Many Ways the Reckoning Is Still Beginning (Guest Column) Original
Fall has officially arrived, and while the season is marked in Hollywood by a flurry of film festivals, it also marks the anniversary of the explosion of #MeToo across this industry. While the power brokers with skeletons in their closets hoped that this would be a passing fad, six years later this is our new normal. You never know where, or when, a shoe is going to drop — as it did in a big way this month for Russell Brand.
Melissa Silverstein: Who gets to claim Susan B. Anthony?
On Aug. 26, we commemorated Women’s Equality Day, which signifies when women secured the right to vote in America. One of the architects of the effort to secure that right was Adams’ own Susan B. Anthony. What some might not know is that in the 1990s, decades after her death, Anthony became a poster woman for the anti-abortion movement. Her name fueled the creation of the Susan B. Anthony List (now Susan B.
Writer Aisha Harris (WANNABE, RECKONINGS WITH THE POP CULTURE THAT SHAPES ME) on Apple Podcasts
Aisha Harris, co-host of NPR’s beloved Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, chats to Melissa about her new book "Wannabe, Reckonings with the Pop Culture that Shapes Me". “Aisha Harris is one of our smartest, most entertaining modern cultural critics.
In Her Voice: A Women and Hollywood Podcast
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Director/Cinematographer Arlene Nelson (ANGEL CITY) on Apple Podcasts
Melissa interviews Arlene Nelson, director of the gripping three-episode docuseries ANGEL CITY (HBO MAX - 16 May 2023) The show goes behind the scenes and onto the pitch of the groundbreaking Los Angeles-based professional women’s soccer team, Angel City Football Club.
Listen to the Latest In Her Voice Podcast
Listen to the Latest In Her Voice Podcast womenandhollywood.substack.com
A Women and Hollywood Podcast on Apple Podcasts
11 episodes In Her Voice takes you behind the scenes with women filmmakers, actors, producers and others for an intimate look at the creative process. Join Melissa Silverstein, founder of Women and Hollywood and co-founder of the Athena Film Festival, as she conducts conversations with talent who are creating the hottest content coming to your screen. The podcast will also cover the latest entertainment news and issues that focuses on women and non-binary creatives.
In Her Voice: A Women and Hollywood Podcast: News Brief 1
Melissa's weekly round up of all industry news highlighting new releases made by women.
Barnard Hosts the 13th Annual Athena Film Festival
The Athena Film Festival (AFF) is one of the College’s biggest signature artistic events. The four-day entertainment fest — co-founded by Barnard’s Athena Center for Leadership and Women and Hollywood — offers audiences something increasingly rare in the current cinematic landscape: a communal experience. Beginning March 2 and running through March 5, this celebrated cinematic tradition returns to Barnard with on-campus film screenings, panel discussions, and more.
Guest Column: The Demise of Time’s Up Doesn’t Spell the End of Hollywood’s Equality Push Original
Loading your audio article I wish I was more surprised by the absence of women in the best director category at the Academy Awards nominations that were announced on Jan. 24. Just a quick reminder: only seven women have ever been nominated for best director (Jane Campion has been nominated twice), and three have taken home the award, the first being Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010.
Guest Column: The Demise of Time’s Up Doesn’t Spell the End of Hollywood’s Equality Push
Guest Column: The Demise of Time’s Up Doesn’t Spell the End of Hollywood’s Equality Push 01 February 2023 by Melissa Silverstein The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News I wish I was more surprised by the absence of women in the best director category at the Academy Awards nominations that were announced on Jan. 24.
Women and Hollywood's Weekly Newsletter
“Pamela, a Love Story”: Netflix All synopses are courtesy of press materials, unless otherwise noted. Pamela, a Love Story (Documentary) An intimate and humanizing portrait of one of the world’s most famous blonde bombshells, “Pamela, a Love Story” follows the trajectory of Pamela Anderson’s life and career from small town girl to international sex symbol, actress, activist, and doting mother. “Pamela, a Love Story” is now available on Netflix.
Women’s Trauma Reverberates at the Cinema This Fall
I’ve been thinking about the portrayal of women’s trauma onscreen this fall. It started back at the Toronto International Film Festival with “The Woman King,” directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and “Women Talking,” written and directed by Sarah Polley. I saw those movies back-to-back on a September morning.
Celebrating 15 Years of Women and Hollywood
This fall marks the 15th anniversary of Women and Hollywood. When I started Women and Hollywood in 2007, a woman had never won an Oscar for best director; a woman of color had never directed a $100 million movie; women leads in big budget movies were negligible; no one was supposed to talk about the sexual abuse rife across the industry; and Hollywood’s #MeToo reckoning was a decade away. Fifteen years later, things are very different.
Cannes Reminds Us (Again) of How Much It Is Holding the Film Industry Back
Educates, Advocates, and Agitates for Gender Diversity and Inclusion in Hollywood and the Global Film Industry Last week I was wondering why I was feeling so calm and then I realized that I wasn’t preparing to go to Cannes. For several years before the pandemic, I joined the annual pilgrimage to what’s considered the world’s most glamorous film festival.
#MeToo Comes for the Bullies
News #MeToo Comes for the Bullies In one of my past lives, I was bullied a lot at work. It was just the way it was. It was the theater business (Jujamcyn Theaters) and I never, ever, knew what type of mood my boss would be in. I had to work crazy hours, was expected to come in earlier than my boss (I don’t need to name any names here, because it is pretty easy to figure out who these people were.
Miranda July Talks “Kajillionaire,” Connection, and Creativity at the Latest Girls Club Event
Prior to her feature directorial debut, “Me and You and Everyone We Know,” Miranda July formed her own movie club/distribution project for women filmmakers, Joanie 4 Jackie. As the award-winning auteur told Women and Hollywood during a recent Girls Club event, hustle and a DIY ethos have defined much of her career — and that of other women making movies.
Quote of the Day: Lena Waithe Wants Hollywood to Mandate and Enforce Inclusion
In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Lena Waithe reiterated some common knowledge about show business’ inner workings — and how it can be especially tough for women and people of color to succeed in the industry. For example, it’s more about who you know than what you know: “You’re more successful when you have a team that thinks outside of the box but also a team that has friends in high places,” the multi-hyphenate said.
Elyse Steinberg on Why “The Fight” Is the Most Important Film She’s Ever Made
Elyse Steinberg directed “The Fight” with Josh Kriegman and Eli B. Despres, her partners at Edgeline Films. The film offers an up-close look at four recent ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) legal fights. The cases concern the separation of immigrant families; the abortion rights of an undocumented teenager; whether the federal government would be permitted to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census; and the Trump Administration’s ban on most transgender people from the military.
Weekly Update for July 31: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films You Can Watch from Home
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD She Dies Tomorrow – Written and Directed by Amy Seimetz After waking up convinced that she is going to die the following day, Amy’s (Kate Lyn Sheil) carefully-mended life begins to unravel. As her delusions of certain death become contagious to those around her, Amy and her friends’ lives spiral out of control in a tantalizing descent into madness. “She Dies Tomorrow” is now screening at select drive-ins. It will be available on VOD August 7.
Mary Mazzio on “A Most Beautiful Thing,” Her Doc About the First African American High School Rowing Team
Mary Mazzio is a documentary filmmaker, former attorney, and Olympic rower. As a filmmaker, Mazzio explores the concept of overcoming obstacles, whether it is a fight for social change (“A Hero for Daisy”) or issues of poverty and lack of opportunity (“Ten9Eight”).
August 2020 Film Preview
By Shayna Maci Warner and Tatiana McInnis This August, women run the gamut in film: offering laughs, working through breakups, and even fending off killer lions. There are a wealth of VOD and streaming options, and a few theatrical releases that span almost every genre. Start the month with a look inside the super-secret, super-messy world of college crush parties with “CRSHD” (August 4), from writer-director Emily Cohn.
Pick of the Day: “The Fight”
Features Pick of the Day: “The Fight” "The Fight" Every day of the three-and-a-half years that we have endured the Trump presidency has felt like a fight — a fight for our rights and for the world we want to live in. The lawyers of the ACLU have been on the front lines of this fight in such a profound way.
Karen Maine Talks “Yes, God, Yes,” Her Coming-of-Age Comedy About Female Self-Pleasure
Karen Maine wrote and directed the 2017 short “Yes, God, Yes,” which premiered as a Vimeo Staff Pick and received 2.9 million views. It won Best Short at the St. Louis International Film Festival. She co-wrote 2014 Jenny Slate-starrer “Obvious Child.” The feature version of “Yes, God, Yes” premiered at the 2019 SXSW Film Festival. The film hits virtual cinemas and drive-ins July 24 and Digital and VOD July 28. This interview was conducted in 2019. W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
Quote of the Day: “The Old Guard’s” KiKi Layne on Black Female Superheroes
Features Quote of the Day: “The Old Guard’s” KiKi Layne on Black Female Superheroes "The Old Guard": Netflix KiKi Layne is speaking out about how representation — and the lack thereof — influences her aspirations in Hollywood. The “If Beale Street Could Talk” breakout stars alongside Charlize Theron in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “The Old Guard,” an action pic about a covert group of mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die.
Exclusive: Chicken & Egg Pictures Announces Four New Project: Hatched Grantees
Four documentaries with festival premieres that were impacted by COVID-19 will receive grants from Chicken & Egg Pictures. The org, which supports women and non-binary nonfiction filmmakers, has announced the latest recipients of Project: Hatched, a film completion fund that has been reshaped in light of the pandemic.
Weekly Update for July 3: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films You Can Watch from Home
Read our message on BLM and the protests against racism and anti-Black police brutality. FILMS ABOUT WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD Desperados – Directed by LP; Written by Ellen Rapoport “Desperados”: Cate Cameron/NETFLIX A panicked young woman (Nasim Pedrad) and her two best friends (Anna Camp and Sarah Burns) fly to Mexico to delete a ranting email she sent to her new boyfriend. On arrival, they run into her former beau (Lamorne Morris), who soon gets caught up in their frantic scheme.
Pick of the Day: “John Lewis: Good Trouble”
Features Pick of the Day: “John Lewis: Good Trouble” "John Lewis: Good Trouble" : Magnolia Pictures John Lewis is a seminal figure in our history. What the activist and political leader has done to improve civil rights in our country is immeasurable. Watching Dawn Porter’s new doc, “Good Trouble,” one is reminded of the historic moments over that last half-century that Congressman Lewis has participated in. He is one of those people whom everyone respects.
July 2020 Film Preview
This July offers many new films by and about women to discover on VOD and streaming platforms, and — as some films make their tentative return to cinemas — in movie theaters, too. Book-ending the month are three documentaries about extraordinary musicians, their paths to success, and their cultural impact. Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni’s “Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind” profiles the Canadian icon’s journey — all the way from choir boy to star — with intimacy and honesty.
Pick of the Day: “Scheme Birds”
Features Pick of the Day: “Scheme Birds” "Scheme Birds": Ellinor Hallin “If you stay here you either get locked up or knocked up,” explains Gemma, the Scottish teenager at the center of “Scheme Birds.” Still, she hopes to spend the rest of her life in her struggling hometown. She could go anywhere, she says, including Ibiza. But she has no interest in leaving Motherwell. Soon into the doc, Gemma finds herself meeting the same fate as so many others from her town — she’s knocked up.
Pick of the Day: “And She Could Be Next”
Features Pick of the Day: “And She Could Be Next” "And She Could Be Next" Sometimes “And She Could Be Next” is a joy to watch, and sometimes it’s infuriating. Seeing so many women of color running and winning political races is incredibly exciting. Grace Lee and Marjan Safinia’s two-part “POV” docuseries shows the possibility of a world in which women candidates of color are taken seriously and win. Our world would and could be a much better place with inclusive voices at all levels of government.
Hollywood's Inclusion Efforts Must Be Central to Its Work (Guest Column)
BUSINESS 7:21 AM PDT 6/30/2020 by Melissa Silverstein "We must bring more non-white women and people of color not only into the rooms but also to the decision-making tables," says the founder and publisher of Women and Hollywood and artistic director and co-founder of the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College.
Human Rights Watch Film Fest 2020 Women Directors: Meet Mira Jargil - “Reunited”
Mira Jargil is known for the award-winning festival hit “The Time We Have,” the feature documentary “Dreaming of a Family,” and the series “Till Death Do Us Part.” The former two won best documentary at the prestigious Danish Film Awards. Jargil owns the Danish production company Moving Documentary together with director Christian Sønderby Jepsen. “Reunited” will screen in the New York edition of the 2020 Human Rights Watch Film Festival.
Human Rights Watch Film Fest 2020 Women Directors: Meet Erika Cohn - “Belly of the Beast”
Erika Cohn is a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning director and producer. Most recently she completed “The Judge,” a Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated film about the first woman judge appointed to the Middle East’s Shari’a courts. The doc premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and was broadcast on PBS’ “Independent Lens” series.
Human Rights Watch Film Fest 2020 Women Directors: Meet Shalini Kantayya - “Coded Bias”
Shalini Kantayya directed the season finale episode for the National Geographic television series “Breakthrough,” a series profiling trailblazing scientists transforming the future. Her debut feature film “Catching the Sun,” about the race for a clean energy future, premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival and was named a New York Times Critics’ Pick. “Catching the Sun” was released globally on Netflix and was nominated for the Environmental Media Association Award for Best Documentary.
Remembering Lynn Shelton
We were honored to host Lynn Shelton in an interview with The Girls Club to discuss her films and her recent work on “Little Fires Everywhere.” Sadly, Lynn passed away just two weeks after this interview was conducted. We wanted to share this conversation and celebrate her honest and giving spirit with everyone as a remembrance. This interview took place May 5. It has been edited and condensed. It was transcribed by Sophie Willard.
Pick of the Day: “Judy & Punch”
Writer-director Mirrah Foulkes has described “Judy & Punch” as a “bat-shit crazy origin story about the Punch and Judy puppet show.” After seeing it, I’d attest to that, but would also liken her feature debut to a demented fairy tale. With its dark subject matter and rich sense of irony, it’s reminiscent of original Hans Christian Andersen and Brothers Grimm stories — but is presented through a decidedly feminist lens.
Inclusive Perspectives: Crowdfunding Picks
It’s more important than ever to support underrepresented voices and viewpoints in film — whether they focus on fact or fiction. Our latest round of crowdfunding picks each highlight different perspectives on their filmmaker’s chosen topic, ranging from the exploration of a different college experience for young Black students, to a mental health-focused take on the psycho-thriller genre, and the competitive but surprisingly personal world of roller derby.
Weekly Update for May 29: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films You Can Watch from Home
Due to the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent restrictions, Women and Hollywood is shifting its focus to online content. We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.
Pick of the Day: “The High Note”
Features Pick of the Day: “The High Note” "The High Note": Focus Features I realize Dakota Johnson has been on-screen for a while now, but having not seen any of the “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise or her more recent films, I was unfamiliar with her work. Watching her in “The High Note” was a pleasant surprise: I was very drawn into her and her performance. There is something about her comfort onscreen — it probably has to do with the Hollywood pedigree.
It's Time to Go ON THE RECORD
Published on May 29, 2020May 29, 2020 • 26 Likes • 1 Comments Jacki ZehnerInfluencerFollow Investor + Consultant + Former Partner, Goldman Sachs Was the 2020 Sundance Film Festival really only four months ago? It feels like a lifetime and another reality ago. Sundance was the last major film festival to happen before COVID-19 brought events and mass gatherings to a halt, but thankfully they are continuing online.
Composer to Watch: Tamar-kali of “Shirley,” “The Assistant,” and “Mudbound”
Features Composer to Watch: Tamar-kali of “Shirley,” “The Assistant,” and “Mudbound” Tamar-kali: Scott Ellison Smith Tamar-kali did not plan on becoming a film composer, but she has quickly become a standout voice in the industry.
Exclusive: A Biologist Learns About Her Own Body in a Clip of “The Dilemma of Desire”
Features Exclusive: A Biologist Learns About Her Own Body in a Clip of “The Dilemma of Desire” "The Dilemma of Desire" Can you draw a clitoris? Our exclusive clip of “Maria Finitzo’s” “The Dilemma of Desire” poses this important question.
June 2020 Film Preview
From hard-hitting documentaries to coming-of-age dramedies, there are a bevy of films by and about women hitting VOD and streaming platforms in June. Among the pics opening the month are Josephine Decker’s “Shirley” and Mirrah Foulkes’ “Judy & Punch,” both opening June 5. The former centers on the titular “Lottery” writer, whose marriage and mental state become increasingly strained with the arrival of new tenants, while the latter is a feminist reimagining of the Punch and Judy characters.
Pick of the Day: “On the Record”
Features Pick of the Day: “On the Record” "On the Record": Sundance Institute/Martyna Starosta In the two-plus years since the #metoo movement changed the culture, most of those who have been removed from power for misdeeds have been older white men — Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, Les Moonves. Dream Hampton and the brave women in the docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” first peeled back the curtain on an African American predator.
Pick of the Day: “Hannah Gadsby: Douglas”
Features Pick of the Day: “Hannah Gadsby: Douglas” "Hannah Gadsby: Douglas" Hannah Gadsby’s show “Douglas” — named for her dog — is her brilliant follow-up to “Nanette.” I was lucky enough to see “Douglas” in person last year and a recording of the show is now on Netflix. Gadsby begins by giving us a long overview of what the show will be, and then fulfills every expectation and then some. She continues to redefine the comedy form.
Weekly Update for May 15: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films You Can Watch from Home
Due to the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent restrictions, Women and Hollywood is shifting its focus to online content. We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. (Please keep in mind that these dates are subject to change.) FILMS ABOUT WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD Alice – Written and Directed by Josephine Mackerras Alice (Emilie Piponnier) is the perfect wife and mother, living with her husband Francois (Martin Swabey) and their son in an apartment in Paris.
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