Chastain launches women's empowerment production company

Actresses Jessica Chastain and Juliette Binoche, singer Queen Latifah, and film director Catherine Hardwicke have joined production company We Do It Together (WDIT) to produce films and TV that boost the empowerment of women.

The non-profit company is planning to develop a slate of "inspiring" films by and about women to ensure future opportunities for known and emerging voices within the industry. The first film will be announced in May at the Cannes International Film Festival, reports variety.com.

The board of directors includes producer Albert Berger; Gersh Agency's Sandra Lucchesi; Mosaic manager Paul Nelson; producer-director Carol Polakoff; producer Shelby Stone; producer-philanthropist Chiara Tilesi; and writer-producer Hanna Weg.

The advisory board includes Chastain, Latifah, Binoche and Harwicke along with Freida Pinto; director Hany Abu-Assad; actress Zhang Ziyi; director Amma Asante; director Marielle Heller; director Katia Lund; director Ma?gorzata Szumowska; actress Alysia Reiner; National Humanities Medal honoree Henry Louis Gates; and director Haifaa Al-Mansour.

WDIT will raise capital from grants, governments, corporate sponsors and individual donations to invest in the production of films. The proceeds will be reinvested in the company to create a self-sustaining organisation to invest in additional films.

The organisation is scheduled to participate at the United Nations' Third Annual Power of Collaboration Global Summit on February 29.