Paul Feig’s filmography tells you a lot about the writer-director. He doesn’t shy away from female-led films. In fact, he’s built a career on making them: “Bridesmaids,” “The Heat,” and “Spy,” to name a few. But Feig has also spent years championing women behind the scenes. Long outspoken about the dearth of opportunities for women directors, the ReFrame ambassador didn’t mince words when it came to folks who buy into the myth that there aren’t women ready, willing, and able to step behind the camera.
Feig attended Rome’s MIA Market to discuss how U.S. program ReFrame — which sponsors female directors to get them high-profile industry gigs and works to expand the talent pool — could be adopted by Italy.
Asked by The Hollywood Reporter what he says to people who claim “there are no female directors to hire,” Feig said, “There are. You’re wrong. They’re out there. You just have to give them the jobs,” he explained. “The dirty sentence that people say all the time is, ‘Well, we just have to hire the best person.’ I find that very insulting, because it implies that we’re saying, ‘Just hire any woman.’ Here’s the great thing about this: we ambassadors are established in the industry. Our reputation is all we have. So why would we possibly advocate for somebody who’s not going to do a good job?” he emphasized “It’s going to make us look terrible. Once we find the people that we think are good, we can put our money where our mouth is and get them out there.”
The “Freaks and Geeks” creator continued, “For me, the ultimate goal is just to change the default setting in everyone’s brain. When you’re looking to hire somebody, don’t just go, ‘Oh, we know that guy!’ Instead, before you hire the guy think, ‘Wait. Are there any women we can find? Let’s interview some women for this.'”
For more from Feig — including the future of ReFrame and the importance of unconscious bias training — head over to The Hollywood Reporter.
Feig’s latest pic, “A Simple Favor,” is in theaters now. Starring Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, the noir story centers on a mommy blogger searching for answers about her missing best friend.
