At the Academy's Women's Luncheon hosted last Tuesday, actor/director Kristen Stewart delivered a fiery keynote to a crowd of Hollywood's biggest female leaders. A sticking point for Stewart was the woeful number of women in leadership positions on productions."In a post #MeToo moment, it seemed possible that stories made by and for women were finally getting their due, that we might be allowed or even encouraged just to express ourselves and our shared experiences, all of our experiences without filter. But I can now attest to the bare-knuckle brawling that it takes every single step of the way when the content is as too dark, too taboo, when the frankness with which it serves up observations about experiences routinely experienced by women frequently provoked disgust and rejection. But they are true and I don't feel disgusting," Stewart said (via The Hollywood Reporter).Women accounted for just 16% of directors working on the 250 highest-grossing domestic releases last year, according to the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. This is down from 18% in 2022. The Center has called this the "Celluloid Ceiling" that prevents women from winning important roles on film and TV sets.When the study was released at the start of this year, author Martha Lauzen lauded strong directors but pointed to a lack of progress."The stunning successes enjoyed by high-profile women in the last few years—including Greta Gerwig, Jane Campion, and Chloé Zhao—have not translated into opportunities for greater numbers...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Wednesday, 5 November