New York City is a Mecca of entertainment. The iconic city serves as the setting for countless film, TV, and theater classics. Now the city is tackling a major absence in many of these works: women. As study after study shows, women are underrepresented both onscreen and behind-the-scenes. The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) Commissioner Julie Menin has announced that NYC will launch a series of initiatives addressing gender inequality in the film and television industry, as well as the theater world.
A press release detailed the five initiatives launched by the municipal agency: “(1) a $5 million fund that will provide grants to support film and theatre projects by, for and about women; (2) pitch workshops for women filmmakers and a film financing conference connecting women filmmakers with financing for their projects; (3) a screenwriting contest for NYC screenwriters to broadcast a six-episode series on New York City’s channel 25; (4) an inspiring new block of programming on channel 25 focused entirely on women and their perspectives; and (5) a report analyzing the gender inequity of directors in the film industry.”
“As we grow our entertainment industry, it is only logical to make sure our women and girls have the skills they need to fill these jobs. We will encourage more women to follow their dreams of working in the entertainment industry and give them the tools to do so,” commented First Lady Chirlane McCray, Honorary Chair of the Commission on Gender Equity.
Menin described the initiatives as “concrete actions that will serve to elevate the role of women in the entertainment industry.” She emphasized, “Women are not a niche market. It’s incredibly discouraging that while women comprise 52 percent of the City’s population, less than 10 percent of the top grossing films are directed by women. I hope that our efforts pave the way for others to follow suit, and look forward to seeing these initiatives make a substantive impact on filmed entertainment in New York City.”
We applaud this multi-pronged approach to tackling sexism in the industry, and are heartened to see “concrete action” being taken. These initiatives will encourage more female-centric content and help aspiring and emerging female directors, screenwriters, and playwrights advance their careers by offering financial resources, networking, and visibility. (And as research shows, having more women behind-the-scenes increases the number of women onscreen.)
MOME describes their forthcoming study, “Women in the Director’s Chair: The MOME Report on Fairness in the Film Industry,” as “unprecedented.” The study, slated for release late this fall, will compare and contrast the career paths of male and female filmmakers to examine if gender plays a role in determining their success. This research sounds similar to a three-part study conducted by the Sundance Institute, Women In Film Los Angeles, Women Filmmakers Initiative, and Dr, Stacy L. Smith, Dr. Katherine Pieper, and Marc Choueiti of Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism University of Southern California. That research report, released in installments, tracked the career trajectories of women directors, analyzing “the systemic obstacles and opportunities facing women in American independent film.”
Perhaps this new study will consider mainstream filmmakers. Still, it’s important to recognize that The MOME Report will be adding to an existing body of work: We are hopeful that this new initiative will consult with the women( and men) who have been addressing sexism in the entertainment industry for years — the forces who were instrumental in steering this conversation to a fever pitch.
Still, as Azadeh Khalili, Executive Director of the Commission on Gender Equity, said, “Gender equity is central to fighting inequality at large, and I am glad to see MOME make a concerted effort to increase representation of women in our media and entertainment industries. She added, “This set of initiatives provides women with numerous and significant opportunities to gain exposure and recognition in this traditionally male-dominated field.” We are very much on board with this agenda.
As Barbara Byrne, Vice Chairwoman of Banking at Barclays, and a producer of “Equity,” pointed out, “The voices of women need to be heard. And in today’s world the media and film industries are powerful channels for those voices. Yet the statistics for women at the top of the film industry are worse than those for women in finance. New York City’s $5 million fund for women writers will foster and free powerful stories to be told that will lift us all.” She continued, “Diversity of talent matters. Let’s make it happen.”
Check out more details about the six initiatives below, courtesy of a press release.
- The MOME Women’s Fund for Film and Theatre
MOME is introducing a first-of-its-kind grant program for filmmakers, playwrights and theatre producers working on projects by, for, or about women. The grants will provide funding at strategic moments to help the applicants shepherd their projects to successful completion. The MOME Women’s Fund for Film and Theatre will provide $5 million over 5 years to support film and theatre projects by, for, or about women over five years through cash grants.
- “Speed Funding” for Women Filmmakers
Women filmmakers, especially those beginning their careers, face a formidable challenge in getting their projects funded. MOME will be hosting a film finance lab — a “speed funding” event for 50 filmmakers –for projects directed by, for or about women. Participating filmmakers and their producers will be given an unprecedented opportunity to meet venture capital firms, angel investors and other funders. The MOME Finance Lab, which will be featured within the First Time Fest movie festival, will provide much-needed access to capital. The eligibility requirements include: at least one team member claiming NYC residency; one finalized script of 60 minutes or more by, for or about women; registration with the Writers Guild of America, East; and a director and producer attached to the project. Filmmakers will be invited to attend a pre-pitch workshop.
- The MOME Script-Writing Competition
MOME will hold a script-writing competition and production project, which will invite New York City writers to submit 30-minute pilot scripts for an episodic series spotlighting stories by, for, or about women rooted in NYC’s five boroughs. Two winners will be chosen. Both of the winning candidates will have their scripts produced as a pilot that will air on NYC Media’s Channel 25 (NYCLife) and later be used as an important career calling card. Given the 18 million household-reach of Channel 25, this is an opportunity for the winning scriptwriters to have their work viewed by millions of people and earn a much-needed credit, which will help propel them to the next rung in their careers. Of those two pilots, one will be chosen to be produced as an episodic series on channel 25. Advanced students from the Barry R. Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema will produce the winning scripts under the mentorship of Founding Director Jonathan Wacks and other industry professionals. The Made in NY IFP Media Center will administer the writing contest.
- Launch of a Night of New Women-Focused Programming on NYC Media
MOME has produced and will air two inspiring new documentary programs focused on women that will air on Channel 25 as part of a weekly evening of programs focused exclusively on women.
o The Vanguard: Women in Media — This show will feature both pioneers and emerging stars covering several mediums, including broadcast television, radio, print, new media. Each 30-minute episode will feature several leading women in media from pioneering TV personalities like Connie Chung and Suze Orman to former NY Times editor Jill Abramson and Essence Magazine’s editor Vanessa Deluca.
o Her Big Idea — This is an 8-episode, half hour show featuring NYC-based women entrepreneurs who transformed a concept into a thriving company. Featured entrepreneurs include the founders of: Sarabeth’s, BarkBox, Fishs Eddy, Yumi Kim, Laura Geller, and more.
- Women in the Director’s Chair: The MOME Report on Fairness in the Film Industry
MOME has commissioned an unprecedented and much-needed report analyzing the relationship between women and men directors based on an extensive database of information on the career trajectories of directors in the film industry. The study compares the career path of male and female film directors and tries to determine whether gender plays a role in determining their success. The study will be released in the late fall 2016.
