Systemic Change

Our research shows that the film industry must grapple with not only the paucity of female directors working at its highest ranks, but also the image industry leaders hold regarding female directors. To journey from gender inequality to parity, decision-makers and advocates must work to alter their perceptions about what women can and want to do in their careers. This requires moving away from narrow and limiting stereotypes to conceptions of women that are as open and unbounded as those surrounding men. After three years of research, the question can progress from “Why are female directors missing behind the camera in top films?’ to “What can be done to create change?”

In October 2015, Women In Film Los Angeles and Women at Sundance organized a Summit of 40 Hollywood decision-makers to do just that. The two-day meeting was devoted to designing systemic solutions to gender inequality in the film industry.