Nicole Kidman reveals working with 27 women filmmakers since 2017 at Cannes; advocates female empowerment and slams ageism
Nicole Kidman
, the 'Baby Girl' star, is renowned for her impeccable skills and for advocating women's empowerment in the entertainment industry. The 57-year-old deserving gem received the
Women in Motion Award
at the
Cannes Film Festival 2025
, presented by Kering, for her outstanding achievements and contribution to Hollywood, impacting global cinema.
The Vow of Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman, the
Oscar-winning actress
, took a public vow in 2017 to work with a female director every 18 months, which helped change the entire trajectory of women. Since 2017, Kidman has worked with 27
female directors
.
'I was going to make it possible. I was at a point where we had a discussion where there was such a disparity in terms of the choice. You'd go, 'Could a woman direct this?' And there wasn't a number of names where you could even consider people. They'd say it was someone's first time, and you didn't want to risk it,' Kidman stated during the Kering talk, according to Variety.
The unfair treatment
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Undo
Nicole continued by stating that she decided to support and protect female filmmakers by mentoring them and giving them opportunities where they don't feel like the film is the only shot to establish themselves in the industry. Over the years, the 57-year-old has spoken about the unfair treatment and standards of women.
While the male filmmakers are likely to get rebounds and chances, women are knocked down quickly if they don't deliver the perfect film. Speaking to Cannes, Kidman stated that she prioritises telling the women that if the film does not work - it's not the end.
"I'm not over!"
'You get to a certain age and maybe you had made a great film in your 20s that got lauded, and then suddenly you're in your 40s and you haven't followed it up or made choices that didn't succeed,' Nicole said before adding, 'But you're like, 'I'm not over! Please still keep believing in me and investing in me.' That is important too, resisting ageism. There's the emerging talents and then the ones that are still going, who have a wealth of knowledge and experience and have somehow been cast out or are not the cool person. It's about going, 'No, you actually can have a second or third chapter.''
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