Wanted: More Female Filmmakers
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 20:07ACEFEST has been graced with the extraordinary talents of many female directors and writers in the past 3 years. We’ve had women judges, filmmakers, speakers and even prize winners. As wonderful as this is, why is it the exception?
Kathryn Bigelow
NO FEMALE DIRECTOR HAS EVER WON AN OSCAR.
Let’s change this – please! Why is filmmaking the “boys’ club” of the creative world? Kathryn Bigelow will cross her clammy fingers at this year’s Academy Awards for her masterpiece, The Hurt Locker. Could this be a new era of women filmmakers? The stats elude to… no. In a recent study by San Diego State University, only 9% of Hollywood directors in 2008 were women – the same findings recorded in 1998.
Enrollment records prove there is a substantial female presence at film schools world-wide. Yet, so few make feature film. Are they making short films? As bold as it may sound, do women only make short films!? Ladies, does duration really matter?
Truth is, Hollywood has a deeply-rooted, chauvinistic history. Do women perhaps threaten production execs with their feminine themes and emotionally-driven plots? We don’t know the answer. We know from experience that women filmmakers have given some of the most memorable cinematic gifts to this world and we owe them more than sexism and unequal opportunities. It’s 2010 and times are changing for the better, but not nearly fast enough.
Melanie H. says:
February 11th, 2010 at 4:47 PM
I AGREE WITH ALEX MORISSEN 100% I am also a female film maker in LA, I went to NYU same time few major directors that also attended NYU, I have a family member that works at a major studio and yet it has been very hard to get thru those same gates Alex is referring to. I have now written numerous screenplays 2 of them action-thriller and for some reason because i am a woman i feel (thats the problem) WOMEN FEEL, MEN DONT!!! well isn’t movies about “feeling something???” Like Billy Bob Thorton once quoted at the Fox Searchlight interview he did a while back which i was actually there in the room as a guest, he quoted “i want to go to the movies to feel something” anyways i feel it is very much a man’s world in this industry and yes there are very successful women in it, but for some reason scales just don’t tip, WE NEED MORE WOMEN FILMMAKERS!!! that is my advise to you Alex, KEEP PUSHING THRU THE VERY HEAVY, THICK GATES UNTILL YOU ARE HEARD!!!!!!!!!! AND I HOPE OTHER WOMEN DO THE SAME!!!!!!!! my votes go to you Kathryn Bigelow
Anna Anderson says:
February 11th, 2010 at 4:57 PM
I AM NOT A FILMMAKER, BUT I AM IN THE INDUSTRY AND I AGREE WITH BOTH LADIES BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN IT 1ST HAND. thats is all i am going to say. I LOVED BOYS DONT CRY AND THAT FILM WAS HEAVY CONTENT!! WE NEED MORE OF Kimberly Peirce AND MORE WOMEN DIRECTORS!!!!!!!!!!PLEASE
Tom says:
February 11th, 2010 at 5:20 PM
I agree with Anna. ‘Boys Dont Cry’ was made possible by New York Foundation for the Arts. Perhaps a good route for female directors would be to bypass the “Boys Club” and find organizations that have th financial backing to get their work into theaters and in front of faces. This is, of course, a temporary solution as real change MUST occur on a macro level.
Anonymous says:
February 26th, 2010 at 10:26 AM
Wow.. Nice post.. Thanks for the nice info
Mulch Hockessin says:
March 14th, 2010 at 12:41 AM
outstanding post! great advice, will take on board!
Justin Brewington says:
March 17th, 2010 at 2:46 AM
Thanks for the info, I’ll keep checking back for more stuff, bookmarked!
Becky Sangha says:
March 24th, 2010 at 10:50 PM
Great post! I recently interviewed Martha Lauzen, the SDSU professor who conducts the research on women in film cited in your article and asked her if Bigelow’s win would help to shatter the celluloid ceiling experienced by women filmmakers today. Check out my blog for her answer http://sunandmoonvision.org/filmforgood.
Gary Smith says:
April 6th, 2010 at 10:54 PM
I think your blog is good.
Lanelle Wolz says:
April 8th, 2010 at 3:05 PM
Your blog is so informative … keep up the good work!!!!