#gender equality
Book Excerpt: “The Legendary Independent Female Filmmakers Everyone Should Know”
The following is excerpted from Michele Meek’s “Independent Female Filmmakers: A Chronicle Through Interviews, Profiles, and Manifestos,” which is available now. In January 1982,...
Paramount Launches New Dev/Green Light Process, Aims to Make Film Slate More Inclusive
Only a couple weeks after taking Time’s Up and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s #4PercentChallenge — and promising to commit to a women-directed project in the next 18 months —...
2019 Diversity Report: Women & POC Make Progress But Are Still Largely Underrepresented
UCLA’s College of Social Sciences has released its latest Diversity Report. Once again, the study reveals women and people of color are making strides on both sides of the camera, but overall,...
Making Space and Finding a Place: Crowdfunding Picks
Simply existing in the world can be difficult; figuring out how to be a part of the world brings with it a whole other set of challenges. Chief among those challenges are finding where you fit in and...
Study: 31 Percent of 2018’s Top-Grossing Films Featured a Female Protagonist
“2018 may be remembered as the year in which things were not quite as they appeared for female characters,” Dr. Martha Lauzen said of her analysis of women’s representation in last...
Four Gender Equality Docs to Air on WORLD Channel in Honor of Women’s History Month
If you want to celebrate Women’s History Month by supporting stories about women bucking tradition and demanding equality and justice all over the globe, then WORLD Channel is here for you. The...
Research: 2018 Marked Major Improvement for On-Screen Inclusion in Top Films
Finally, some encouraging stats for women and people of color in film. After concluding, in an earlier 2019 report, that the number of women directors hadn’t budged in 12 years, Dr. Stacy L....
WIFTI Introduces Rebate System for Gender-Balanced Projects at Berlinale
Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI) and post-production house Chimney have launched a new gender equality initiative. WIFTI unveiled 10% for 50/50, which provides rebates to...
Study: Women Represent 25 Percent of Non-Acting 2019 Oscar Nominees
Another year, another Oscars ceremony dominated by male nominees. The Women’s Media Center (WMC) has released its annual study of gender representation among the non-acting Academy Award...
Apply Now: 2019 Writers Lab for Women Screenwriters Over 40
The 2019 Writers Lab is now accepting submissions. An intensive screenplay development retreat for women screenwriters who are 40 or older, the program will host its fifth edition October 2-6, 2019...
Berlinale Breaks Down 2019 Gender Stats in New Report
The 69th annual Berlinale begins today and, while the fest will not officially sign the Gender Parity Pledge until Saturday, it’s already stepping up its transparency efforts. The Berlin...
Social Media Campaign Examines Gender Rep in Hollywood and U.S. Senate “Then and Now”
The U.S. Senate is far from achieving gender equality: just 25 percent of senators are women. Yet it’s a progressive haven for women compared to Hollywood, as a new social media campaign...
Less Than 20% of Top Musical Artists in 2018 Were Women, Study Finds
A new Time’s Up/Annenberg Inclusion Initiative challenge might be in order. The latter has released its second “Inclusion in the Recording Studio?” report, a study of gender and race...
Paramount Accepts #4PercentChallenge from Time’s Up and Annenberg Inclusion Initiative
Paramount has accepted Time’s Up and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s #4PercentChallenge. Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, and Paramount Players are committing to announcing...
New Ad Campaign Celebrates Women Directors, Brings Attention to Awards Season’s Gender Gap
2018 saw the release of many acclaimed films from women directors, including Chloé Zhao’s “The Rider,” Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace,” and Marielle...
Women Directing 40 Percent of Upcoming Disney Films, CEO Announces
Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Robert Iger made an exciting announcement via Twitter while addressing the 4% Challenge, the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and Time’s Up campaign...
Berlinale Will Sign the Gender Parity Pledge
The 2019 Berlin International Film Festival won’t kick off until next Thursday, February 7, but it’s already made history. Screen Daily confirms fest artistic director Dieter Kosslick...
Universal Is First Major Studio to Accept 4% Challenge
Universal Filmed Entertainment Group is following in the steps of Tessa Thompson, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Lopez, Lena Waithe, and many others. The Donna Langley-led company is the first major...
Lauren Greenfield Launches Girl Culture Films to Address Lack of Diversity Behind the Scenes in Advertising
Remember Always’ #LikeaGirl ad? Besides inducing tears around the world, the viral sensation won an Emmy, 14 Cannes Lions, and became part of the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection....
You’re Invited: Join W&H at Berlinale 2019 for Talk About Women Creating Change in the Biz
If you’re attending the Berlin International Film Festival this year, then make sure to mark February 9 on your calendar. That day Women and Hollywood — along with Time’s Up,...
Level Forward Secures 50 Percent Stake in Career Site for Women in Show Biz
Level Forward, Abigail Disney’s startup studio, is investing in another company striving to support women in Hollywood. Per the Los Angeles Times, Level Forward has obtained a 50 percent stake...
4% Challenge: Inclusion Initiative & Time’s Up Aim to Boost Number of Women Directing Top Films
Tessa Thompson, Kerry Washington, Brie Larson, Constance Wu, and many more have publicly vowed to announce a project with a woman director in the next 18 months. They’ve signed on to the 4%...
Inclusive Film Programming Collective Launches at Sundance
Sundance 2019 is off to a great start. According to a press release, the fest saw the introduction of the Programmers of Colour Collective (POC2), a group of women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ film...
Chicken & Egg Award Winners and (Egg)celerator Lab Participants Announced
Chicken & Egg Pictures has confirmed the 2019 recipients of the Chicken & Egg Award (formerly the Breakthrough Filmmaker Award) and the selected titles for the (Egg)celerator Lab (formerly...
Glasgow Film Fest 2019: Over Half of the Films Up For the Audience Award Are Women-Directed
The Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) has announced its 2019 lineup and — in news that’s most welcome considering the Oscars failed to nominate a woman director again — most of the films...
ACLU and “On the Basis of Sex” Team Up for “All Rise” Workplace Equality Campaign
Mimi Leder’s “On the Basis of Sex” traces Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s work in a landmark gender discrimination case. The events depicted in the biopic changed the world. And now the...
Quote of the Day: Regina King Says We Have to Give Women “More First Shots”
While accepting this year’s Golden Globe for supporting actress, “If Beale Street Could Talk” star Regina King made a public pledge: within two years, women will make up 50 percent...
Doc About Hollywood Gender Discrimination “This Changes Everything” Secures Release
“This Changes Everything,” a documentary investigating Hollywood’s decades of discrimination against women on and off-screen, has nabbed distribution. According to a press...
Flipping the Script: Crowdfunding Picks
Creating change in any field requires flipping the script — that is, upending the status quo and redefining expectations. Fortunately, there are countless women who do just that every day,...
Berlinale 2019: 41% of Films Eligible for Top Honors in Competition Are Women-Directed
The Berlin International Film Festival has finalized its 2019 Competition. Of the 23 films selected, eight are helmed by women, or about 35 percent. That figure is more than double last year’s...
Inaugural Coven Film Festival to Screen Shorts from Women Filmmakers
A press release has introduced the Coven Film Festival, a collection of world-class short films “made by women, for everyone.” Set to take place February 9 at the New People Cinema in San...
Upholding Gender Parity Pledge, Cannes Unveils Selection Committee for the First Time
The Cannes Film Festival is sticking to its word. Last year the fest signed the Gender Parity Pledge, promising to make its film selection process more transparent to the public — and inspired...
AFI Directing Workshop for Women Announces Class of 2020
Robin Cloud, Revati Dhomse, Ashley Eakin, Tiffany Huang, Marie Jamora, Bridget Moloney, Lara Panah-Izadi, and Nicole Taylor-Roberts are the AFI Directing Workshop for Women’s (DWW) Class of...
ICM’s Lorrie Bartlett Becomes First Black Board Member of a Major Talent Agency
ICM talent agent Lorrie Bartlett has made a historical career move. She has been brought on to her agency’s board of directors, the Los Angeles Times reports. Per ICM, this makes Bartlett the...
Women in Animation President Marge Dean Pens Open Letter About Skydance and John Lasseter
This letter has been reprinted with permission from Women in Animation (WIA). Dear friends and colleagues, Last week’s announcement regarding the hiring of John Lasseter by Skydance has sent...
Guest Post: Hollywood, Resolve to Make 2019 the Year of Inclusive Hiring Targets
Guest Post by Gillian Thomas and Melissa Goodman It’s a new year, and that means it’s awards season — or more specifically, the season for a slew of award nomination announcements devoid...
Athena Fest 2019: “Fast Color,” “Knock Down the House,” & More to Screen
If you’re frustrated by awards season’s exclusion of women filmmakers and their stories, or if you’re encouraged by the growing number of film festivals committing to gender parity,...
Report: Black Male Directors Made Major Gains in 2018, Number of Women Plateaued Again
The good news: The number of black directors working on top-grossing films reached a 12-year high in 2018. Sixteen black helmers, including “Black Panther’s” Ryan Coogler and...
Women in Film LA and Women and Hollywood Launch Campaign in Support of Women Directors
On this weekend of the Golden Globes, where again not a single female has been nominated for best director, and as Academy Awards nominations open this Monday, January 7, Women and Hollywood and...
2018 Celluloid Ceiling Report: Number of Women Directors on Top 250 Films Falls to 8%
New year, same story. Dr. Martha Lauzen and the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film has released a new report, “The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women on...
Time’s Up Rings in New Year by Launching Campaign to Double Number of Women in Leadership
Time’s Up is officially one year old. Since it kicked off on New Year’s Day 2018, the movement to make workplaces safer and more equitable for women and other underrepresented communities...
The Year in Women and Hollywood
Dear Friends, This has been quite a year. The reckoning that began in October 2017 has continued to push the industry in ways no one could have ever imagined. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have...
On the Big and Small Screens, 2018 Was the Year of #MeToo and #TimesUp
Despite being so deeply ingrained in the cultural discourse, #MeToo and #TimesUp are still in their early days as social movements. #TimesUp is less than a year old and, while Tarana Burke created it...
Anita Hill-Led Harassment Commission Sets Sights on Protecting Hollywood Freelancers
The Hollywood Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality has made protecting freelancers a priority. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Anita Hill-led Commission is...
Berlinale 2019’s Panorama Program Is 23% Women-Helmed So Far
The Berlin International Film Festival has unveiled the first half of its 2019 Panorama program. Unfortunately, its initial numbers aren’t as encouraging as the Competition lineup’s...
Time’s Up to Support Rising Execs and Producers with New Mentorship Program
Time’s Up’s latest initiative is working to improve the entertainment industry’s executive and producer pipeline. A press release from the gender equality and inclusion coalition...
Sophia Takal Is the First Woman to Direct a Blumhouse Original
Blumhouse finally managed to locate and hire a female director. Several weeks after Jason Blum’s unfortunate remarks that he’d really like to work with women directors, but there’s...
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Rungano Nyoni, & Jameela Jamil Among UK’s WFTV Award Winners
“Fleabag” and “Killing Eve” creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, “I Am Not a Witch” filmmaker Rungano Nyoni, activist and “The Good Place” actress Jameela...
Golden Globes Nominate Zero Women Directors. Again.
It seems another Time’s Up red carpet protest is in order. The Golden Globe nominations have been announced and, even for a Hollywood awards ceremony, they are very male and, in many...
Catherine Hardwicke on “Twilight’s” 10th Anniversary and Breaking Down Stereotypes
It’s been a decade since Bella and Edward’s love story galvanized audiences comprised mostly of women and teen girls. “Twilight’s” box office success helped prove the...
Quote of the Day: Nicole Kidman on Hollywood’s “Long Road” to Equality
Nicole Kidman has kept good on a commitment she made publicly: to work with at least one female director every 18 months. “I’ve actually so far exceeded it,” she tells Variety in a...