As a lifelong cinephile and film enthusiast, I have been following the industry closely for decades, witnessing both its triumphs and struggles from the front row. The numbers released by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University are disheartening but unfortunately not surprising. Despite the successes of trailblazing female directors like Greta Gerwig, Jane Campion, and Chloé Zhao, the situation for women in filmmaking remains dire.
It’s akin to being invited to a lavish banquet where only a select few are allowed to dine, while the rest of us watch from outside the grand ballroom windows. It’s frustrating, to say the least. The fact that the numbers haven’t improved in the face of so much acclaimed work by women directors is a testament to the deeply ingrained biases and systemic barriers that continue to thwart progress.
The irony is not lost on me that we live in an era where streaming platforms have revolutionized the way we consume content, yet the traditional Hollywood system remains stubbornly resistant to change. I can’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all – if only we could stream equality and diversity into the old-fashioned, closed-off world of filmmaking!
It’s high time for the powers that be in Hollywood to recognize the immense talent pool of women directors and to create opportunities for them beyond the occasional token gesture. As a film lover, I eagerly await the day when the numbers reflect the richness and diversity of voices that make up our industry – because let’s face it, cinema is better with more perspectives at the helm!
Last year, it was awe-inspiring to witness trailblazing films such as “Babygirl,” “Love Lies Bleeding,” “The Substance,” and “The Fire Inside,” directed by women. Despite their groundbreaking work, they were still a rare sight in the director’s chair, rather than the rule.
A recent study by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University revealed that female directors were only responsible for 16% of the directors on the 250 top-grossing domestic movies in 2023, which is a disappointingly low figure. This percentage remains the same when considering all films released in 2023. Regrettably, as we move up the box office rankings, the situation worsens – women helmed only 11% of the 100 most successful movies, marking a three-percentage point decrease compared to 2023 figures.
Several films, like Rachel Morrison’s “The Fire Inside” and Anna Kendrick’s streaming success “Woman of the Hour,” were unveiled towards the end of 2024 and are still awaiting their final box office earnings. On the other hand, productions such as Rose Glass’s “Love Lies Bleeding” and Alice Rohrwacher’s “La Chimera,” which were distributed by independent studios rather than major film companies, haven’t been screened in cinemas, hence they’re not included in San Diego State University’s study. It’s worth mentioning that many of these movies, including Glass’s and Rohrwacher’s works, are expected to generate limited box office income due to their indie labels. However, despite these factors, the data indicates that the position for female directors isn’t getting better.
Martha Lauzen, the researcher and head of the Center, highlighted the achievements of directors such as Coralie Fargeat (“The Substance”) and Halina Reijn (“Babygirl”), yet expressed concern about an industry that hasn’t seen significant advancement in promoting female filmmakers.
Recent remarkable achievements by well-known women such as Greta Gerwig, Jane Campion, and Chloé Zhao haven’t led to more job opportunities for a larger number of women. Having a few in the spotlight hasn’t resulted in employment for many,” Lauzen pointed out in her statement.
For over two and a half decades, Dr. Martha Lauzen has been scrutinizing female employment within the movie industry. This longstanding observation provides her with a comprehensive outlook on the subject. In the year 2024, her study analyzed a total of 3,300 film credits to reach its conclusions.
In the realm of film production, men tended to dominate in essential roles back then, but there were advancements for women in specific areas. By the year 2024, more women found employment as cinematographers, screenwriters, and producers. Women represented 12% of all cinematographers working on the top 250 films of that year, marking a 5% rise. They also constituted 20% of writers involved in those films, showing a 3% increase, and they made up 27% of producers, registering an increment of one percentage point.
On the other hand, significantly fewer women were chosen to work in roles such as composers, editors, and executive producers. The scores for only 9% of the top 250 grossing films were composed by women, marking a decrease of 5 percentage points. Women represented 20% of all editors, a slight drop of 1%, and accounted for 22% of all executive producers, a decrease of 2 percentage points compared to the previous year.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that about 70% of films utilized ten or more males for primary off-screen positions, compared to just 8% which featured ten or more females in similar roles.
Female directors tend to hire more women for crucial behind-the-scenes roles in movies compared to their male counterparts. In films directed by women, approximately half (52%) of the screenplays were written by women, a quarter (27%) of the editing was done by women, and about one-third (34%) of the cinematography was handled by women. On the other hand, in films made by male directors, only a small percentage of writers, editors, and cinematographers were women – 12%, 17%, and 5% respectively.
These figures are remarkable. One could attribute them to the challenging times marked by shrinkage and restructuring, but the broader film industry has been slow to address this matter for many years,” Lauzen noted, hinting at the budget cuts, shifting business strategies, and corporate mergers that have defined a tumultuous era in cinema history.
However, this period has witnessed women taking the helm of blockbusters such as “Barbie” and critically acclaimed films like “Nomadland” and “The Power of the Dog,” which earned Oscars. Yet, these accomplishments have not translated into a substantial increase in opportunities for female directors thus far.
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2025-01-02 02:16