It's no secret that awful things are happening to women around the globe simply because they're female: child marriage and sex slavery are just a few that come to mind. Thankfully, some people are working to put an end to these atrocities. Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn highlight this excellent work in their powerful two-part documentary Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. The Half the Sky ... Read More

     Never met a female cabbie in NYC before?  Neither had filmmaker Diana Diroy before she started her short documentary ‘What’s A Girl Doing Here?’. This is no surprise, since out of the 46,000 cab drivers working in NYC, only 170 are female. 'What's A Girl Doing Here?', follows the story of two female cabbies in the NYC area juggling their strenuous jobs and their every day lives. ... Read More

  Jay-Z, Will Smith, and Jada Pinkett Smith have joined forces to produce Free Angela & All Political Prisoners, a documentary premiering at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. The film marks the 40th anniversary of the acquittal of Angela Davis, the revered African American activist, writer and educator who faced criminal charges in the 1970s, at a heated moment in civil-rights history.      Will and Jada ... Read More

Recently, the media created a conversation about whether or not rape jokes are funny, or even acceptable. It was a discussion in our office, and I'm sure in many others. What we all can agree on, despite our sense of humor, is that rape is one of the most traumatizing crimes. Those closest to the victim are often the perpetrators of rape, just as complete strangers can forever darken the lives of others with rape as well. Why is it so ... Read More

IFC is on a roll. They just keep announcing exciting movie premieres and fun Q&A sessions with independent film’s greatest minds. This time, it’s director Jonathan Demme’s film festival veteran documentary: I’m Carolyn Parker: The Good, The Mad, and the Beautiful. The film will debut on September 13 at the NYC IFC Center followed by a Q&A with Demme. I’m Carolyn Parker follows one New Orleans ... Read More