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Originally posted on Deadline on February 26, 2020.

The ReFrame coalition has awarded 26 feature films released in 2019 with its ReFrame Stamp, which recognizes the top 100-grossing gender-balanced narrative and animated features. The list, which grew from 20 total films that earned the stamp a year ago, includes Booksmart, Captain Marvel, Harriet, Hustlers and Oscar Best Picture nominee Little Women.

This reflects gains for women in the important roles of director, department heads, and women of color leads and co-leads. With an aim to increase the number of women of all backgrounds working in film, TV, and media, the ReFrame Stamp, which is showcased in end credits and appears on IMDb, serves as a mark of distinction for projects that have demonstrated success in gender-balanced hiring. Additional points are awarded to content that has women of color in key positions.

This year’s list included 12 women directors (12 percent) in the top 100 films at the box office compared to 4 in 2018, with 4 of those directors being a woman of color. However, there was a 17% decrease in women writers with 23 in 2018 to 19 in 2019, with an increase from zero to 3 women of color writers in 2019. 16 of the films that received the stamp were from male directors.

“We launched the ReFrame Stamp with IMDbPro three years ago as a change lever to promote more inclusive hiring practices at all levels of production,” said ReFrame director Alison Emilio. “The call to action is simple. Use the ReFrame criteria, improve hiring outcomes, get the stamp.”

“I see the ReFrame Stamp as an important lever for change to help women and people of color break through the boundaries and level the playing field,” said Booksmart director Olivia Wilde. “Stamp criteria helped me focus on who would be best for the job – and I was able to hire an incredibly diverse and balanced crew to curate the environment I always wanted to see on a set.”

See below for the full list of the 2019 ReFrame Stamp recipients:

A Dog’s Way Home / USA 2019 (Director: Charles Martin Smith, Screenwriters: Cathryn Michon, W. Bruce Cameron, Producers: Gavin Polone, Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing)
Abominable / USA 2019 (Director: Jill Culton, Screenwriters: Jill Culton, Producers: Suzanne Buirgy, Peilin Chou, Dave Polsky, Distributor: Universal Pictures)
Alita: Battle Angel / USA 2019 (Director: Robert Rodriguez, Screenwriters: Laeta Kalogridis, Producers: James Cameron, Jon Landau, Distributor: 20th Century Fox)
Black and Blue / USA 2019 (Director: Deon Taylor, Screenwriters: Peter A. Dowling, Producers: Roxanne Avent, Sean Sorensen, Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing)
Booksmart / USA (Director: Olivia Wilde, Screenwriters: Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Katie Silberman, Producers: Chelsea Barnard, David Distenfeld, Jessica Elbaum, Megan Ellison, Distributor: United Artists Releasing)
Breakthrough / USA 2019 (Director: Roxann Dawson, Screenwriters: Grant Nieporte, Producers: DeVon Franklin, Distributor: 20th Century Fox)
Captain Marvel / USA 2019 (Director: Anna Boden, Screenwriters: Anna Boden, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Producers: Kevin Feige, Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Cats / USA 2019 (Director: Tom Hooper, Screenwriters: Lee Hall, Tom Hooper, Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Tom Hooper, Distributor: Universal Pictures)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold / USA 2019 (Director: James Bobin, Screenwriters: Matthew Robinson, Nicholas Stoller, Producers: Kristin Burr, Distributor: Paramount Pictures)
Escape Room / USA 2019 (Director: Adam Robitel, Screenwriters: Maria Melnik, Producers: Ori Marmur, Neal H. Moritz, Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing)
Five Feet Apart / USA 2019 (Director: Justin Baldoni, Screenwriters: Mikki Daughtry, Tobias Iaconis, Producers: Cathy Schulman, Distributor: CBS Films / Lionsgate)
Frozen 2 / USA 2019 (Director: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, Screenwriters: Jennifer Lee, Producers: Peter Del Vecho, Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Harriet / USA 2019 (Director: Kasi Lemmons, Screenwriters: Kasi Lemmons, Gregory Allen Howard, Producers: Gregory Allen Howard, Debra Martin Chase, Daniela Lundberg, Distributor: Focus Features)
Hustlers / USA 2019 (Director: Lorene Scafaria, Screenwriters: Lorene Scafaria, Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Jennifer Lopez, Distributor: STX Entertainment)
Isn’t It Romantic / USA 2019 (Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson, Screenwriters: Erin Cardillo, Dana Fox, Katie Silberman, Producers: Gina Matthews, Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures)
Last Christmas / USA 2019 (Director: Paul Feig, Screenwriters: Emma Thompson
Bryony Kimmings, Producers: Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson, David Livingstone, Emma Thompson, Distributor: Universal Pictures)
Little / USA 2019 (Director: Tina Gordon, Screenwriters: Tina Gordon, Producers: Kenya Barris, James Lopez, Will Packer, Distributor: Universal Pictures)
Little Women / USA 2019 (Director: Greta Gerwig, Screenwriters: Greta Gerwig, Producers: Denise Di Novi, Amy Pascal, Robin Swicord, Distribution: Sony Pictures Releasing)
Long Shot / USA 2019 (Director: Jonathan Levine, Screenwriters: Liz Hannah, Producers: Beth Kono, Charlize Theron, Distributor: Lionsgate)
Ma / USA 2019 (Director: Tate Taylor, Screenwriters: Scotty Landes, Producers: Jason Blum, John Norris, Tate Taylor, Distributor: Universal Pictures)
Queen & Slim / USA 2019 (Director: Melina Matsoukas, Screenwriters: Lena Waithe, Producers: James Frey, Lena Waithe, Melina Matsoukas, Michelle Knudsen, Andrew Coles, Brad Weston, Pamela Abdy, Distributor: Universal Pictures)
The Curse of La Llorona / USA 2019 (Director: Michael Chaves, Screenwriters: Mikki Daughtry, Producers: Gary Dauberman, Emile Gladstone, James Wan, Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures)
The Hustle / USA 2019 (Director: Chris Addison, Screenwriters: Jac Schaeffer, Producers: Rebel Wilson, Distributor: United Artists Releasing)
UglyDolls / USA 2019 (Director: Kelly Asbury, Screenwriters: Alison Peck, Producers: Jane Hartwell, Distributor: STX Entertainment)
Us / USA 2019 (Director: Jordan Peele, Screenwriters: Jordan Peele, Producers: Jason Blum, Distributor: Universal Pictures)
What Men Want / USA 2019 (Director: Adam Shankman, Screenwriters: Tina Gordon, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, Producers: James Lopez, Will Packer, Distributor: Paramount Pictures)

Originally posted on TheWrap on March 9, 2020.

[WIF] announced nine new grantees for its 34th annual Film Finishing Fund.

Two of this year’s recipients have been selected at major film festivals: Sabrina Doyle’s narrative feature “Lorelei” will screen at the Tribeca Film Festival, while Iram Parveen Bilal’s “I’ll Meet You There” was selected for the recently scuttled SXSW fest. Parveen Bilal and “And She Could Be Next” co-director Grace Lee were both previous grantees, in 2012.

The Film Finishing Fund provides cash grants and in-kind production services to complete films that fit the established criteria of being created by, for or about women. The works-in-progress are viewed by a special jury of women in the industry who select the winning films.

This year’s nine grantees—including four receiving $25,000 grants from Stella Artois—were chosen from 266 feature-length narrative films, documentaries and shorts submitted from 21 countries.

“When female filmmakers are afforded the resources to create first-rate work that represents a more complete audience, only then do we see progress towards parity,” WIF L.A. Executive Director Kirsten Schaffer said in a statement. “For over 30 years, Women in Film has helped women bring remarkable storytelling to the screen, and we are truly proud of this year’s grantees and their exceptional work.”

Since its launch in 1985, the Women in Film Finishing Fund has awarded over $2 million in cash and in-kind services to 280 films.

Here are this year’s grant recipients:

Stella Artois Grantees
A COPS & ROBBERS STORY • Documentary Feature, Directed by Ilinca Calugareanu
I’LL MEET YOU THERE • Narrative Feature, Directed and Written by Iram Parveen Bilal
LORELEI • Narrative Feature, Directed and Written by Sabrina Doyle
AND SHE COULD BE NEXT • Documentary Feature, Directed by Grace Lee & Marjan Safinia

Documentary Feature Films
BELLY OF THE BEAST • Directed by Erika Cohn
DAUGHTER OF A LOST BIRD • Directed by Brooke Swaney
APÁTRIDA • Directed by Michèle Stephenson

Narrative Short Film
UNPOT • Directed and Written by Huieun Park

Documentary Short Film
LUPITA • Directed by Monica Wise Robles

Originally posted on Harper’s Bazaar on February 20, 2020.

Gemma Chan has been named as the latest recipient of the Women In Film Max Mara Face of the Future award. The British actress follows in the footsteps of Emily Blunt, Katie Holmes and Zoe Saldana, who have all won the coveted prize in the past.

Chan will be recognised for her “distinguished acting achievements” as well as her “personal embodiment of timeless style and grace”, Max Mara explained in the announcement. She will be officially honoured at an event in Beverly Hills this June as the 15th recipient in the award’s history.

“When women support each other the potential for success is limitless,” Max Mara’s Nicola Maramotti said. “Gemma is a rare talent that personifies confidence and poise with effortless glamour. Max Mara has always been about empowering and inspiring women through its masterful design, and we are so proud to recognise Gemma this year with the WIF x Max Mara Face of the Future award.”

Chan achieved worldwide fame with her role in 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians, after making her name in British television show Humans. She has since had roles in Hollywood blockbusters including Mary, Queen of Scots and Captain Marvel – and she is set to appear in Marvel’s Eternals this summer, starring opposite Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and Kit Harrington.