Time to plan a feminist movie night. ReFame, a coalition working to advance women’s representation on and off-screen, has awarded its gender equality stamp to 20 of the top-grossing films of 2018. According to a press release, Ava DuVernay’s fantasy adventure “A Wrinkle in Time,” heist thriller “Widows,” and Black Lives Matter-inspired drama “The Hate U Give” are among the titles that have earned the stamp by employing women on both sides of the camera.
ReFrame also presented its stamp of approval to nine 2018 films outside the top 100 that were nominated as part of a call for submissions. They include Mimi Leder’s RBG biopic, “On the Basis of Sex,” Josie Rourke’s “Mary Queen of Scots,” which traces the rivalry between the titular monarch and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, and Christina Choe’s psychological thriller “Nancy.”
Only 12 top-grossing 2017 films received the ReFrame Stamp. ReFrame credits the significant increase to “gains in the important roles of department heads and women of color leads and co-leads.” Unfortunately, it’s not all good news: only four percent of the films featured a woman director, as compared to 2017’s six percent. And only one of those helmers, DuVernay, is a woman of color. ReFrame also concluded that just 23 percent of the top films last year were written by women and only 37 percent were led by women. Nine percent of those female leads are women of color.
Projects being considered for the ReFrame Stamp are judged by a point system. Using data from IMDbPro, ReFrame examines the prevalence of women as writers, directors, producers, leads, co-leads, speaking parts, department heads, and crew. Additional points are awarded when women of color are hired.
“We designed and launched the ReFrame Stamp less than a year ago as a change lever to promote more inclusive hiring practices at all levels of production,” said Alison Emilio, Director of ReFrame. “While 2017 saw an uptick in films directed by women, throughout the past decade, the growth curve of female directors in the top 100 list has been flat, with women accounting for just four percent of the total from 2007 to 2018,” she emphasized. “As adoption of the Stamp criteria grows, it is our hope that it will continue to expand opportunities for women in all positions, in front of and behind the camera, throughout the screen industries each year.”
“The ReFrame Stamp provides something we’ve never had before, a concrete measurement of a producer’s commitment to parity and the language to acknowledge that commitment,” added Nina Jacobson, producer of stamp recipient “Crazy Rich Asians.” “It is also an incredibly useful tool that I use as a guide when we staff our productions. I have the checkmarks in my head as we cast and hire department heads. I want every production we do to earn the mark.”
Last summer ReFrame awarded the stamp to several 2018 films — top-earners and smaller releases alike — that met its criteria. “Capernaum” and “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” were among the recipients.
Check out all the latest ReFrame Stamp recipients below, courtesy of ReFrame. Go to the org’s website to nominate a film or TV show for the stamp.
2018 ReFrame Stamp – Narrative & Animated Feature Recipients from the Top 100 Grossing Films
A Simple Favor / USA 2018 (Director: Paul Feig, Screenwriter: Jessica Sharzer, Producers: Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson, Distributor: Lionsgate)
A Wrinkle in Time / USA 2018 (Director: Ava DuVernay, Screenwriters: Jennifer Lee, Jeff Stockwell, Producers: Catherine Hand, Jim Whitaker, Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Acrimony / USA 2018 (Director: Tyler Perry, Screenwriter: Tyler Perry, Producers: Ozzie Areu, Will Areu, Tyler Perry, Mark E. Swinton, Distributor: Lionsgate)
Blockers / USA 2018 (Director: Kay Cannon, Screenwriters: Brian Kehoe, Jim Kehoe, Producers: Chris Fenton, Evan Goldberg, Jon Hurwitz, Seth Rogen, Hayden Schlossberg, James Weaver, Distributor: Universal Pictures)
Book Club / USA 2018 (Director: Bill Holderman, Screenwriters: Bill Holderman, Erin Simms, Producers: Andrew Duncan, Bill Holderman, Alex Saks, Erin Simms, Distributor: Paramount Pictures)
Breaking In / USA 2018 (Director: James McTeigue, Screenwriter: Ryan Engle, Producers: James Lopez, Will Packer, Craig Perry, Gabrielle Union, Distributor: Universal Pictures)
Bumblebee / USA 2018 (Director: Travis Knight, Screenwriter: Christina Hodson, Producers: Michael Bay, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Don Murphy, Mark Vahradian, Distributor: Paramount Pictures)
Crazy Rich Asians / USA 2018 (Director: Jon M. Chu, Screenwriters: Peter Chiarelli, Adele Lim, Producers: Nina Jacobson, John Penotti, Brad Simpson, Distributor: Warner Bros.)
I Feel Pretty / USA 2018 (Directors: Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein, Screenwriters: Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein, Producers: Nicolas Chartier, McG, Alissa Phillips, Amy Schumer, Mary Viola, Distributor: STX Entertainment)
Life of the Party / USA 2018 (Director: Ben Falcone, Screenwriters: Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone, Producers: Ben Falcone, Chris Henchy, Melissa McCarthy, Distributor: Warner Bros.)
Nobody’s Fool / USA 2018 (Director: Tyler Perry, Screenwriter: Tyler Perry, Producers: Will Areu, Tyler Perry, Distributor: Paramount Pictures)
Ocean’s Eight / USA 2018 (Director: Gary Ross, Screenwriters: Gary Ross, Olivia Milch, Producers: Susan Ekins, Steven Soderbergh, Distributor: Warner Bros.)
Proud Mary / USA 2018 (Director: Babak Najafi, Screenwriters: John Stuart Newman, Christian Swegal, Steven Antin, Producers: Tai Duncan, Mark Anthony Little, Paul Schiff, Distributor: Screen Gems)
Second Act / USA 2018 (Director: Peter Segal, Screenwriters: Justin Zackham, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Producers: Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Jennifer Lopez, Benny Medina, Justin Zackham, Distributor: STX Entertainment)
The Favourite / USA 2018 (Director: Yorgos Lanthimos, Screenwriters: Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara, Producers: Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos, Lee Magiday, Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures)
The Hate U Give / USA 2018 (Director: George Tillman Jr., Screenwriter: Audrey Wells, Producers: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Robert Teitel, George Tillman Jr., Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox)
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms / USA 2018 (Directors: Lasse Hallström, Joe Johnston, Screenwriter: Ashleigh Powell, Producers: Larry Franco, Mark Gordon, Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
The Spy Who Dumped Me / USA 2018 (Director: Susanna Fogel, Screenwriters: Susanna Fogel, David Iserson, Producers: Brian Grazer, Erica Huggins, Distributor: Lionsgate)
Truth or Dare / USA 2018 (Director: Jeff Wadlow, Screenwriters: Michael Reisz, Jillian Jacobs, Christopher Roach, Jeff Wadlow, Producer: Jason Blum, Distributor: Universal Pictures)
Widows / USA 2018 (Director: Steve McQueen, Screenwriters: Gillian Flynn, Steve McQueen, Producers: Iain Canning, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Emile Sherman, Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox)
2018 ReFrame Stamp – Narrative Feature Recipients Outside Top 100 Top Grossing Films that Applied in Open Call for Submissions
At Your Own Risk / USA 2018 (Director: John K.D. Graham, Screenwriter: Andrew Boylan, Producers: Alexandra Boylan, John K.D. Graham, Helenna Santos, Platform: iTunes)
Duck Butter / USA 2018 (Director: Miguel Arteta, Screenwriters: Miguel Arteta, Alia Shawkat, Producers: Mel Eslyn, Natalie Qasabian, Platform: Netflix)
Hell Fest / USA 2018 (Director: Gregory Plotkin, Screenwriters: Blair Butler, Akela Cooper, Seth M. Sherwood, Producers: Gale Anne Hurd, Tucker Tooley, Distributors: CBS Films/Lionsgate)
I Am Not an Easy Man / USA 2018 (Director: Eléonore Pourriat, Screenwriter: Eléonore Pourriat, Producers: Eleonore Dailly, Edouard de Lachomette, Distributor: Netflix)
Mail Order Monster / USA 2018 (Director: Paulina Lagudi, Screenwriters: Paulina Lagudi, Marc Prey, Producers: Paulina Lagudi, Robert J. Ulrich, Platform: Showtime)
Mary Queen of Scots / USA 2018 (Director: Josie Rourke, Screenwriter: Beau Willimon, Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Distributor: Focus Features)
Nancy / USA 2018 (Director: Christina Choe, Screenwriter: Christina Choe, Producers: Michelle Cameron, Amy Lo, Andrea Riseborough, Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Films)
On the Basis of Sex / USA 2018 (Director: Mimi Leder, Screenwriter: Daniel Stiepleman, Producers: Robert W. Cort, Jonathan King, Distributor: Focus Features)
Viper Club / USA 2018 (Director: Maryam Keshavarz, Screenwriters: Maryam Keshavarz, Jonathan Mastro, Producers: J.C. Chandor, Neal Dodson, Anna Gerb, Distributor: Roadside Attractions)
