The world may be winding down for the holiday season, but with the Oscar race heating up and so much content coming out, we’re in no rush to slow down anytime soon! For all of you who barely have enough time to catch a breath, you don’t even have to worry about looking at all those awards show updates; we have you covered with the latest buzz (and major disappointments—we absolutely mean you, Golden Globes!) as we race toward the Academy Awards. Keep scrolling for the rest of this piping hot tea!
In case you’re looking for something to watch over the holidays, we’ve also included all of the latest film releases and streaming updates that involve our fellow community members. So get cozy and get to scrolling!
Each category is organized alphabetically, so don’t forget to scroll all the way down to the bottom!
What is “Here’s The Work”?
This newsletter represents a curated selection of the commercials, branded content, short films, music videos, films, and documentaries that were directed by the talented directors in FREE THE WORK's global database.
Bear in mind, too, that while this list showcases the work of FREE THE WORK directors, our site also is a one-stop-shop for discovering writers, editors, colorists, composers, and DPs (with more roles to be featured in 2020!). A commitment to freeing the work doesn’t just stop at hiring underrepresented directors—enrich your crews with underrepresented creators across production roles!
See your work on the list? Let’s celebrate! Share across social media—tag us at @FREETHEWORK and use the hashtags #FREETHEWORK and #HeresTheWork!
Want to have your work featured? All creators who have applied and been accepted as vetted professionals on the FTW database are able to submit work released within the past 3 months to our Submission Form.
FILM & TV NEWS
Must-See Film & TV Releases
**Please note that the following dates are specific to the United States.
You can now watch all short films produced through the AT&T Hello Lab mentorship program! Catch work from
Alison-Eve Hammersley, Jessica Mendez Siqueiros, Malakai, and Vishnu Vallabhaneni in this playlist. (YouTube) | LINK
Sink your teeth into The Vampire Diaries spinoff, Legacies, which features an episode directed by Bola Ogun. (Netflix) | LINK
Carrie Brownstein (from Portlandia!) directed two episodes of the comedy miniseries Mrs. Fletcher. As if you needed another reason to watch the show, right? (HBO) | LINK
Experience the masterpiece that is Céline Sciamma’s 18th-century queer feminist drama, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, in theaters now! | LINK
Catch Chinonye Chukwu’s Clemency (scored by Kathryn Bostic). The powerful death-row drama (and Oscar hopeful) is in theaters on December 27. | LINK
Have your hope in the universe restored by Destin Daniel Cretton’s law drama Just Mercy (which stars Michael B. Jordan). The film opens in theaters on December 25.| LINK
Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn's The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, is a barrier-breaking "silent revolution" about the epidemic of violence against Indigenous women in Canada. (Netflix) | LINK
Eva Orner's BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR explores the rise of the controversial founder of hot yoga. It's some food for thought before your next yoga-sesh. (Netflix) | LINK
Watch Oscar-hopeful Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, in theaters on December 25! Feel all the warm, fuzzy feelings you need to fend off those cold winter blues. | LINK
Director Isabel Coixet’s Foodie Love, Spain’s first original half-hour series for HBO Europe, streams on December 25 throughout the continent. (HBO Europe) | LINK
Director JJ Adler’s new sketch "Magical Negro Rehab" can be viewed on the new show Astronomy Club Sketch Show. (Netflix) | LINK
Cozy up with your loved ones and watch screenwriters Kay Cannon and Victoria Strouse’s Let It Snow, which features a wholesome queer love story. (Netflix) | LINK
Lauren Greenfield's The Kingmaker will leave you on your edge of your seat as it details the shocking true story of the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos. If you loved Greenfield's The Queen of Versailles, this is absolutely a must-watch. (Showtime) | LINK
Catch Lena Waithe and Melina Matsoukas' Queen & Slim in theaters now and get wrapped up in the film's eye-opening take on systemic racial injustice. | LINK
Marielle Heller's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is in theaters, and we can promise that it will restore your faith in humanity. | LINK
Mati Diop's supernatural romance, Atlantics, is the breath of fresh air that you need right now. (Netflix) | LINK
Minhal Baig's coming of age drama, HALA, which centers on a Pakistani American teenager, is now available to stream. (Apple TV+) | LINK
Nanfu Wang’s One Child Nation is turning heads for its possible Oscar nomination and powerful exploration of China’s former one-child policy. Stream it now! (Amazon Prime) | LINK
Phillip Youmans' lauded debut feature, Burning Cane, is a thought-provoking character exploration of motherhood and religion, set in rural Louisiana. (Netflix) | LINK
Sam Taylor-Johnson's powerful 90's-set rehab drama, A Million Little Pieces, is now in theaters. | LINK
Sophia Takal's Black Christmas opens in theaters on December 13 the holiday slasher flick you didn't know you needed. A fresh take on Jason Blum's 1974 cult classic, this film follows a cutthroat group of sorority sisters that fight back against a campus killer. | LINK
Taylor Russell’s family drama, Waves, hit theaters on November 15, so be sure to see it soon! | LINK
Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy is a coming of age drama (and India's official entry for the 2020 Oscars) about a Mumbai streep rapper that will have you stunned with its stellar performances and socially-conscious messages about inequality. (Amazon Prime) | LINK



Awards Buzz
Over 70% of documentary nominees from the PGA Awards are directed or co-directed by women. | LINK
On November 3, Olivia Wilde took home the Breakthrough Director Award at the Hollywood Film Awards. | LINK
On November 18, the Voice of a Woman Awards announced its 2019 shortlist for 40 women directors in advertising and communications, which included the following directors:
A.V. Rockwell, Adi Halfin, Alicia MacDonald, Amber Grace Johnson, Anna Ginsburg, Aoife McArdle, Charlotte Regan, Cristiana Miranda, Daisy Zhou, Dee Rees, Georgia Hudson, Jaci Judelson, Jenn Nkiru, Karen Cunningham, Katina Mercandante, Kim Gehrig, Kirsten Lepore, Laerke Herthoni, Lisa Paclet, Lucy Walker, MJ Delaney, Natalia Leite, Nina Holmgren, Quinn Wilson, Rachel McDonald, Sasha Rainbow, Siri Bunford, & Sophie Edelstein. | LINK
The 77th Annual Golden Globes were announced on December 9, and once again, women filmmakers were virtually shut out of the boys' club. Lulu Wang's The Farewell and Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire are the only two women-helmed films nominated for a best feature category (Best Foreign Film), while no women were nominated in the directing and writing categories. If you're not boycotting the event by now, the awards will take place on January 5, 2020. | LINK
The 29th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards took place on December 2. Among the winners are Ava DuVernay (Breakthrough Series – Long Format for When They See Us) and Taylor Russell (Breakthrough Actor for Waves). | LINK
The International Documentary Association awarded Waad al-Kateab's For Sama with the top prize of Best Feature on December 7 at the IDA Awards. | LINK
On December 8, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association announced their picks for the year's best in film. Among the winners are Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) and her cinematographer Claire Mathon (who also worked on Mati Diop's Atlantics), Ja'Tovia Gary (The Governy Documentary), Jennifer Lopez (for Lorene Scafaria's Hustlers), and Zhao Shuzhen (for Lulu Wang's The Farewell). | LINK
The Academy has released the names of the 159 Documentary Features that were submitted for the 2019 race. The documentary feature shortlist will be announced on December 16. | LINK
Greta Gerwig's Little Women and Lulu Wang's The Farewell are among 10 films named to the American Film Institute’s AFI Motion Pictures of the Year list. The honorees will attend a private AFI Awards luncheon on January 3, 2020. | LINK
The Sundance 2020 features lineup has been announced. The “Day One” banner includes Oscar hopeful Haifaa al-Mansour’s Saudi Arabian drama, The Perfect Candidate, and Justin Simien’s horror-satire, Bad Hair. Also premiering at the festival is Dee Rees’ political thriller The Last Thing He Wanted and Janicza Bravo’s "social media tell tale," Zola. 46% of all feature film directors in competing categories are women. | LINK
The Hollywood Critics Association announced their nominations on November 25. The awards will take place on January 12, 2020. Included in the nominations are:
Alma Har’el (Honey Boy), Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), Chinonye Chuwku (Clemency), Greta Gerwig (Little Women), Gurinder Chadha (Blinded By the Light), Lauren Greenfield (The Kingmaker), Lorene Scafaria (Hustlers), Lulu Wang (The Farewell), Melina Matsoukas (Queen & Slim), Natasha Braier (Honey Boy), Olivia Wilde, (Booksmart), Susanna Fogel (Booksmart), & Taylor Russell (Waves). | LINK
The PGA Awards Documentary Nominations include One Child Nation, directed by Nanfu Wang and For Sama, directed by Waad al-Kateab. The PGA Awards will take place January 18, 2020. | LINK
Andrew Thomas Huang and Savanah Leaf were nominated for Best Music Video Grammys. The Grammys will take place on January 26, 2020. | LINK
The Independent Spirit Awards announced their official nominations on November 21. The awards will take place on February 8, 2020. Included in the nominations are:
Alma Har’el (Honey Boy), Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), Chinonye Chuwku (Clemency), Danielle Krudy & Bridget Savage Cole (Blow the Man Down),
Gulp Splash / Jocelyn Deboer & Dawn Luebbe (Greener Grass), Lorene Scafaria (Hustlers), Lulu Wang (The Farewell), Natasha Braier (Honey Boy), Olivia Wilde (Booksmart), Rashaad Ernesto Green (Premature), & Waad al-Kateab (For Sama). | LINK
Here is an official guide to all 92 Best Foreign Language Film submissions for the Oscars, featuring Anastasiya Miroshnichenko,
Zoya Akhtar, and Haifaa Al-Mansour. | LINK



On Your Radar
Michael B. Jordan and Alana Mayo are developing a comedy feature film under their Outlier Society production company for HBO Max. HBO Max is set to launch their streaming service in 2020. | LINK
Ava DuVernay, Kat Candler, and ARRAY Filmworks are developing a one-hour drama series about the Texas oil industry for TNT. | LINK
A24 will now air all of their theatrical releases (like Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird and Taylor Russell’s Waves) on Showtime Networks. | LINK
Haifaa al-Mansour is confirmed to direct Let It Go, a biopic of the British entrepreneur Dame Stephanie Shirley. | LINK
Variety’s 2020 Directors to Watch List and of 10 filmmakers featured, five are women (and three are FTW creators!):
Janicza Bravo, Mati Diop, Radha Blank. | LINK
Melina Matsoukas, the director behind Queen & Slim and shows like Insecure and Master of None, has landed a first-look deal with FX Productions. | LINK
Nahnatchka Khan, the director behind Fresh Off the Boat and Always Be My Maybe, is set to helm the comedy feature Showboat, which centers on cruise entertainment. | LINK
Niki Caro set to direct multiple episodes of the upcoming Amazon musical drama Daisy Jones & The Six. | LINK
Zoe Saldana has been confirmed to play the lead role in Reed Morano’s Sabaya, which is about the unlikely circumstances behind the 2015 U.S. Special Forces raid that killed a top ISIS leader. | LINK
Paramount’s current 2020 film slate includes 16 films, and exactly one of them is directed by a woman: Reed Morano’s The Rhythm Section. | LINK
Siqi Song and Tina Gharavi are featured as one of 25 participants in the BAFTA Los Angeles Newcomer program. | LINK
SIGNED DIRECTORS
Aisling Chin-Yee | WME Agents: Sarah Self, Hannah Davis, and Chelsea Radler | LINK
Beatrice Pegard | Hobby Films | LINK
Carly Usdin | CAA | LINK
Floria Sigismondi | Scheme Engine | LINK
Gillian Zinser | Lief | LINK
Haya Waseem | Curfew | LINK
Juliana Curi | Honor Society | LINK
Laura Borgio | Annex Films | LINK
Laura Scrivano | Missing Link Films | LINK
Lucie Barbier-Dearnley | Sim NY | LINK
Luisa Kracht | Stink Films | LINK
Madeline Kelly | Curfew | LINK
Nora Kirkpatrick | Furlined | LINK
Sarah Daggar-Nickson | Chromista | LINK
Tamika Miller | LAIR | LINK
Thessa Meijer | HALAL | LINK



COMMERCIALS
Amirah Tajdin | Farfetch, "Fall 19' Campaign" | The Factory | LINK
Amy Allais | BHF, "#clearthestigma – Lebohang Motsoeli" | Ola Films | LINK
Angela Kohler | Popsockets, "Express Yourself" | Majority | LINK
Aoife McArdle | Playstation | adam&eveddb | Somesuch | LINK
Canister | Royal British Legion | Cubaka | Tinderflint | LINK
Clara Cullen | Adidas Women x Stella McCartney, "Breast Cancer Awareness" | Image Partnership | LINK
The Coles | Bank of America, "Swipe Right" | Hey Wonderful | LINK
Daisy Zhou | DBX, "Beautiful is Relentless" | Ashton Martin | Great Guns | LINK
Eloise King | “Grab Life By the Boobs” | Coppafeel! | Prettybird | LINK
Fiona Jane Burgess | Nike, "All For One: A Community of Movement" | BREAKS | ALIBI | LINK
Ida Andreasen | Plastic Change | Bacon | LINK
Jeana Theron | “16 days of Activism: Courtney Pieters” | First Women | Fox P2 | Darling TV | LINK
Joanna Bailey | Ovarian Cancer Action, "I will survive" | Nikki Weiss and Co. & Heads Up Production | Snapper Flims | LINK
Jody Lauren Miller | “Gingerbread” | Florida Lottery | LINK
Karla Braun | Procter & Gamble, “Not Your Mama’s Olay” | The Community | Kreative Kontent | LINK
Kate Halpin | RAA Travel Insurance, "Wrong Track" | Eight | LINK
Katharina Hingst | Amorelie, "#24ThingsToTryBeforeYouDie" | Überground | EASYdoesit | LINK
Lizzy Bailey | South Australia Tourism | TBWA Melbourne | LINK
Luisa Kracht | “S.O.S. Moms” | Facebook | LINK
Melanie Bridge | Woolworths, "Picked For Christmas" | M&C Saatchi | The Sweet Shop | LINK
Merete Mueller | “Unite” | Bombas | Bindery | LINK
Molly Schiot | Kyleena, "Lucy's Story" | Hill Holiday Health | Honor Society Films | LINK
Reed Morano | Visit Dubai, "A Story Takes Flight" | Pulse Films | LINK
Sara Dunlop | NBA x ATT, "The Codes We Live By" | Translation | The Corner Shop | LINK
Stef Smith | Young Henry's | Playtime | LINK
Los Perez (Tania Verduzco, Adrian Pérez) | Latitude, "Let's" | CHE Proximity | Division Sydney | LINK
Zandi Tisani | “Coconut Kelz” | Takealot | Arcade Content | LINK
Zoe McIntosh | New World, "Enjoy Christmas 'Round at Ours" | Clemenger Group New Zealand | Sweetshop | LINK



MUSIC VIDEOS
Adinah Dancyger | "Baby Little Tween" – Okay Kaya | LINK
Alexandra Gavillet | Wafia – Flowers & Superpowers | LINK
Allie Avital | Kesha – "My Own Dance" | LINK
Ashleigh Jadee | Flyo ft. RV, LD, Youngs Teflon – "Hoodies, Gloves" | LINK
Ashleigh Jadee | M Huncho ft. Nafe Smallz – "Thumb"Yellow Fish | LINK
Aya Tanimura | Barbie – "We're Taking Over" | LINK
Aya Tanimura | Xavier Omär, Sango ft. Wale, VanJess – "Just Get Here" | LINK
Clare Gillen | "Automatic" – Lil Miquela | LINK
Fiona Jane Burgess | Grace Carter – "All Fired Up" | Lez Creative | LINK
Laura Cairney-Keize | Tiësto, Mabel – "God Is A Dancer" | Black Dog Films | LINK
Nadira Amrani | “Higher Power” – Avelino | LINK
Quinn Wilson | Banofee ft. Empress Of – "Tennis Fan" | LINK
Sarah Prinz | Clipping – "All In Your Head" | LINK
Sarah Prinz | Tinashe ft. Ms. Banks – "Die a Little Bit" | AVONNI | LINK
Sophie Muller | “Look At Her Now” – Selena Gomez | LINK
Symone Ridgell | Noah Cyrus – "Lonely" | LINK
Symone Ridgell | Noah Cyrus – "fuckyounoah" | LINK
Tamar Levine | The Head and the Heart – "See You Through My Eyes" | Stories Intl. | LINK



BRANDED CONTENT
Abby Moriah Berendt Lavoi | Autodesk, "Generative Design in Architecture Helps Designers Solve Complex Problems Quicker" | Lavoi Creative | LINK
Ani Simon-Kennedy | A Touch of Sugar | Bicephaly Pictures | LINK
Camille Summers-Valli | UN International Fund for Agricultural Development, "This is How We Rise" | Somesuch & Co. | LINK
Claire Pinegar | The Guardian Labs x Grey Goose, "How to Host a Christmas Party" | Greatcoat Films | LINK
Elizabeth Weinberg | Cete, "Branches" | LINK
Emily Anderson | “The Farmer Next Door” | Corteva | Ogilvy | LINK
Emma Miranda Moore | Refinery 29 UK x Your Good Skin, "Boots" | LINK
Jess Kohl | Facebook, “Story of Us: The Caramel Curves” | Mutt Industries | Prettybird UK | LINK
Joanna Nordahl | Cancerfonden, "Pink Ribbon 2019" | LINK
Karena Evans | Tinder, "Swipe Night" | LINK
Kinga Burza | Bumble, "I Got This" | LINK
Lauren Midwinter | “On the Move: A Day with Naomi Shimada” – Branded Content | Sunday Times Style & Sorel | LINK
Margot Bowman | Carharrt WIP x Dazed x NTS Radio, "Showing Up Showing Out" | Prettybird | LINK
Mary John Frank | PAI x The Center For Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) x National Women's Law Center, "The Global HER Project"Invisible Pictures | Sour Peacy Films | Rascal Films | LINK
Nina Meredith | Vice Media & Mail Chimp, "Second Act" | DROGA5 | LINK
Rei Nadal | “Athlete In Progress: Dina Asher-Smith | Nike | Nowness | Prettybird UK | LINK



SHORT FILMS
Amirah Tajdin | Irthi Crafts Council, "The Weavers"The Factory | LINK
Erin Brown Thomas | “Human” | LINK
Ilana Garcia-Mittleman | "FEMENINA" | LINK
JJ Adler | Astronomy Club Sketch Show, "Magical Negro Rehab" | LINK
Mary Dauterman | "Pretty" | LINK
Victoria Fiore | "People's Projects" | Vice | The National Lottery | LINK


