Outgoing senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) got involved in the cause for women directors earlier this week by praising Warner Bros. for hiring longtime producer Denise Di Novi to direct the female-led thriller “Unforgettable.”
Boxer sent her accolade via letter, which was in fact a follow-up to previous correspondence from her office asking WB, as well as the five other major studios, why only 4.1% of top-grossing films in the last ten years were directed by women.
“When women’s voices are heard, whether in the US Congress or in the film industry, it strengthens our country,” Boxer wrote. “I will continue to follow the issue of women directors and your studio’s efforts to expand diversity at all levels.”
She continued, “While I am encouraged by recent news reports that some major upcoming films will be directed by women, it is clear that much more must be done to ensure that the many exceptional women in this industry get a fair shot in the director’s chair.”
Equal opportunities for female filmmakers is likely a cause near and dear to Boxer’s heart. The legislator’s daughter, Nicole Boxer, is the director of the documentary “How I Got Over,” as well as a producer of “The Hunting Ground” and “The Invisible War.”
[via Variety]
