US mass media company 21st Century Fox is hosting a mentorship course for
female filmmakers, in an initiative to even out gender imbalance in the industry.
Nicole Bernard, Executive Vice President of Fox audience strategy commented,
“The cross-divisional enthusiasm to launch this initiative speaks to our
commitment to drive industry change, and we hope that stellar creative arts
organisations across the globe will be equally excited to join us.’
Of the 20 participants, five will be selected, after undergoing a five week
directing workshop, to enter a ten-month programme where they will develop a
short film, which will be released under the Fox brand.
Joe Earley, Chief Operating Officer of the Fox Broadcasting Company added: “To
connect with viewers today, we need stories that represent the amazing range
of experiences and voices in the real world. Along with writers, the vision of
directors is key as they obviously bring those stories to life through their own
lens.”
According to a report done by the Sundance Institute, woman directors
contributed only 4.4% of 100 top-grossing US films made between 2002 and
2012, 41.5% of which came through the institute’s programmes. It also revealed
that female employment was self-perpetuating as female directors are more
likely to hire female staff, feature more female characters in their films and write
movies that are less violent than those made by men.
Despite the success of a few exceptions such as Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt
Locker) and Jane Campion (The Piano), the lack of female voices in Hollywood
has come under scrutiny. Organisers of the 2012 Cannes film festival apologised
to feminists and critics after it surfaced that none of the directors competing for
the Palme d’Or prize were female.
