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Written by Alyson Forster on Wednesday, July 16th, 2019
Who runs the world? GIRLS. But do we? Hollywood and the entertainment industry are modern. However, I recently learned that only 4.8 percent of directors and producers are women. This came as a surprise to me because our office is primarily women. So, it also makes me wonder why women are so lowly employed when there is an influx of talent. In comparison to my industry of women in insurance, we make up a whopping 57 percent of employees.
Despite the number of women in insurance, the World Economic Forum found that across all industries, only 28 percent of leadership roles such as CEOs & CFOs go to women. Our business culture is changing, but the odds are still stacked against both women in insurance and women in film. Even for women in insurance, those higher-level roles only go to about 19 percent of women.
So, why are there more women in insurance?
There are many reasons why women are not dominating the film industry. This varies on who you ask but many believe it is due to stereotypes within society. Many women struggle internally on trying to balance professional and family life.
Whatever the reason may be, women are starting to progress in their directorial debuts and smashing the box office. From Indies (Book Smart, Olivia Wilde) to Sundance winners (The Souvenir, Joanna Hogg), to action packed (Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker) – women are having an impact.
It’s hard to believe that the first woman director to ever win an Academy Award was in 2009 (only ten years ago)! Now, ten years later, 15 women have won an Oscar. This was the most women that have one in US history. Nominiations were up too, with 52 women noms last year – compared to 44 the year before. As a result, the film industry is making progress.
Women in Insurance, helping Women in Entertainment
Don’t give up! We are part of an exciting time where we can truly bring the best we can offer to the table. As women in insurance, working in an office filled with women, we understand the difficulties women in film face. There are tons of resources catered to women including film festivals, non-profit organizations, support groups and alliances.
Below are our top five list of resources for women in entertainment:
Los Angeles Women International Film Festival
The 2019 festival will feature films from around the world. The festival’s programming also reflects Alliance of Women Filmmakers’ mission to educate and inform audiences of social, political, and health issues impacting women across the world.
Film Fetal
Film Fatales supports an inclusive community of women in feature film and television directors. They meet often to share resources and brainstorm on projects.
Women Film Critics Circle
The Women Film Critics Circle is an association of 75 women film critics and scholars from around the world, who are involved in print, newswire, radio, online and TV broadcast media.
Alliance of Women Directors
The Alliance of Women Directors is an American 501c nonprofit organization created to support education and advocacy for women directors. Founded in 1997, they have over 250 members and are based in Los Angeles. Following the #metoo movement, Women in Film’s Sexual Harassment Help Line offers help and support to sexual harassment victims in the entertainment industry. They provide referrals to lawyers, therapy and offer support groups.
Women in Film Alliance
Women in Film aids women to advance their careers. They work with The Sundance Institute to offer a financial help. They funded multiple studies and research groups to study key barriers that we face and how to overcome and change the social structure.
Thank you, ladies.
Thank you to all women filmmakers! We support you in your creativity, talent, and knowledge. It is vital that we don’t forget to support each other. Working together is crucial. We need to work together because – who runs the world? We do! And if you’re are part of that growing 4% of directors or producers looking for insurance, we can help! We are women in insurance, looking to help all you women in entertainment.
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