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 galvanized women in the industry to speak out and demand systemic change. The tectonic shift that this — and other industries — are undergoing will take time, but Women and Hollywood has been on the forefront of this push for change for over a decade.
For 11 years, Women and Hollywood has been the leading resource that sets the standard and defines the conversation on gender equality. Day in and day out, the site and our social media accounts fuel coverage of inequality in Hollywood, amplify women’s voices, and reinforce empowering messages in the media.
More change is coming. We can feel it. Women have been hired to direct big budget films, Chloé Zhao, Cate Shortland, SJ Clarkson, and Cathy Yan among them.
Other significant moments this year include:
- Greta Gerwig becoming the fifth woman nominated for a best director Academy Award
- Ava DuVernay signing a $100 million deal with Warner Brothers
- HBO hiring intimacy coordinators to work on its shows
- Warner Media putting a company-wide policy committed to diversity and inclusion into effect
- Jennifer Lee being named co-director of Disney Animation
- The Inclusion Rider taking hold across the industry
- Rachel Morrison becoming the first female cinematographer to be nominated for an Oscar
- SAG-AFTRA calling for a ban on auditions in hotel rooms and residences
- Sexual Harassment and Assault hotlines being created in the US, UK, and at the Cannes Film Festival
- Christina Hodson being hired to write Batgirl movie
- Anita Hill chairing the Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equity in the Workplace
Women and Hollywood kept up with the change by relaunching our website with the goal of engaging filmgoers and filmmakers with news and information that highlights female filmmakers and agitates for increased opportunities for women in the industry. Additionally, we launched a second newsletter, this one curated, which includes recommendations on films and TV shows for the coming week. We also run biweekly crowdfunding features as well as monthly “Writer to Watch” pieces, which allow us to highlight emerging as well as established voices.
Other activities Women and Hollywood has been involved with over the past year include:
- Organizing meetings with activists in Cannes and London
- Participating in the march of the 82 women up the stairs at the Cannes Film Festival
- Working with activists across the globe to bring the Gender Parity Pledge to festivals
- Participating on the steering committee for TheWrap Power Women Summit and curating a group of 25 women to participate
- Moderating panels at the Hamptons and Women’s Sports Film Festivals
- Attending Time’s Up Connect conference
- Covering the Academy Awards from the press room
- Maintaining ongoing contact with reporters and researchers
I want to give a shout out to everyone who helps make Women and Hollywood run day in and day out. I couldn’t do it without them. To Laura Berger and Rachel Montpelier, who are the guts and day-to-day women who care so deeply about the work, I thank them for their love and dedication. To Mariana Weber, who keeps our presence on social media robust, I thank you. To this year’s class of interns, Sophie Willard, Beandrea July, Keno Katsuda, and Antora Majumdar, you are the future and I can’t wait to see what you accomplish.
As we move forward into 2019 — and continue to fight for gender parity and inclusion in the entertainment industry — we want to reiterate how much we appreciate you, your participation in our cause, and your input.
Thank you for your continued support and happy holidays.
Melissa Silverstein
Founder and Publisher
