Latest news with #CenterfortheStudyofWomeninTelevisionandFilm
USA Today
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Women employ less than a quarter of key roles on film sets. These 5 women want to change that.
Women employ less than a quarter of key roles on film sets. These 5 women want to change that. Show Caption Hide Caption International Women's Day: Five women empower female filmmakers These five women embark on a journey to empower women and non-binary filmmakers by creating the social impact organization Not Your Daddy's Films. Hollywood loves a plot twist - but for many women and non-binary filmmakers, it's the same tired story. Statistics show they tend to get fewer opportunities to succeed in a male-dominated business. 'I had no idea how to find other people who looked like me before in the industry through the jobs that I was already on because I wasn't meeting a lot of me,' said actress, writer, and director Kourtney Bell. Although women have increased representation in front of the camera, that's not the case behind the scenes. In annual research released by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, women made up only 23% of all key behind-the-scenes roles. 'We are so frustrated, and we're angry, and we want to be in the rooms,' says multi-hyphenate Carlye Tamaren. 'We want to learn, but it's so hard we couldn't find information for ourselves to grow.' Filmmakers Kourtney Bell, Vika Stubblebine, Katherine Hughes, Carlye Tamaren, and Nicole Lipp wanted to build a community to support others who shared the same frustrations. They wanted to screen their films in a community of people who were actively working in the industry but who weren't yet A-listers. This group of type-A, creative women wanted a space for up-and-coming underrepresented artists, so they created Not Your Daddy's Films. Not Your Daddy's Films is a social impact organization committed to empowering women and non-binary filmmakers. The name is a nod to supporting films that aren't necessarily highlighted in mainstream media. "Not Your Daddy's Films felt like a cheeky way to tell everybody that they're welcome, that everybody can be a daddy in this space," explained Stubblebine. "It doesn't matter what your gender is, you are a daddy." These 'daddies' started out showing their films with a projector at the Melrose Umbrella Company, a quaint Los Angeles bar. Even with just 30 family and friends, everyone could tell this was going to be something special. 'I looked around at the audience, and notebooks were out, pens were scratching, and iPhone notes were going. People were whispering to each other and looked so excited, and the light went on in their eyes,' said Stubblebine. 'I was like, we're actually doing something really cool here and helping people.' Two and a half years later, Not Your Daddy's screenings nearly always sold out! Thirty friends turned into 350 friends. The list of events has also expanded into panels, workshops, and collaborations with some of LA's top contenders like A24, American Cinema Tech, and more. To reach an audience outside of Los Angeles, the podcast Daddy Dailies was born. Events in other cities, some even international, are in the works. "It has been the most exciting surprise of my life," said Tamaren. And the best part? It's working. More women are getting hired. "I've been so excited to hear stories from women and non-binary filmmakers who have screened their films at our screenings and have gotten meetings with managers and agents and producers after," said Lipp. Studies show that when women are directing movies, they are more likely to employ other women in key behind-the-scenes positions than films with male directors. But only 8% of the top 250 grossing films in 2024 employed 10 or more women. Female directors only made up 16% of those films. "Growing up in the early two thousands, most movies were made by men, and it was the male gaze on women on screen," said Hughes. "It's watching women tell stories about women. It's just different." These women are proving that anything is possible with the support of a strong community. Not only have their own lives changed, but they've also created a foundation for others to forge a path forward in one of the hardest industries to break into. By lifting up and showcasing women, women of color, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community, they are what they stand for. "It's very clear we are obsessed with women. We love women," described Hughes. "We want to be there for women, support women. And genuinely, too, we really mean it." "If there's any advice that I could give to somebody who is to a woman or a non-binary creator who's a new filmmaker, I would say come to our events," said Bell. "If you're a person who's looking for community, go to community."
Arab Times
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab Times
Female protagonists reach parity with men in top-grossing films of 2024
NEW YORK, Feb 12, (AP): For the first time in recent history, the percentage of top-grossing films featuring female protagonists equaled the percentage of films with male protagonists, according to a pair of annual studies released Tuesday. Movies like "Wicked," "Inside Out 2" and "The Substance' lifted Hollywood's theatrical releases to gender parity in leading roles in 2024. Of the 100 top domestic-grossing films in 2024, 42% had female protagonists, and 42% had male protagonists, according to a report issued by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which also released its annual study Tuesday, found that 54% of the top 100 films at the box office in 2024 featured girls and women as protagonists. That's a massive jump from just the year prior, when 30% of films featured women in lead roles. In 2007, when the USC annual study began, that figure was just 20%. "This is the first time we can say that gender equality has been reached in top-grossing films,' Stacy L. Smith, founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, said in a statement. "In 2024, three of the top five films had a girl or woman in a leading role, as did five of the top 10 films - including the number one film of the year, Disney's 'Inside Out 2,'" added Smith. "We have always known that female-identified leads would make money. This is not the result of an economic awakening but is due to a number of different constituencies and efforts - at advocacy groups, at studios, through DEI initiatives - to assert the need for equality on screen.' Other metrics suggested the gains in leading roles masked still-endemic disparity throughout Hollywood. The percentage of female characters in speaking roles increased from 35% to 37% in 2024, according to the San Diego State study. Major female characters rose from 38% in 2023 to 39% in 2024. "Films such as 'The Substance' pushed back hard against a culture that considers women disposable,' Martha Lauzen, director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, stated. "While the number of films with female protagonists rose to a historic high in 2024 after a dismally lean 2023, the percentages of women in the more stable categories of major and speaking roles reflected only minor gains.' Universal Studios, which is led by Donna Langley, was the studio with the best record for female representation. In 2024, 66.7% of Universal releases centered on girls and women, according to the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. Neither study captures the large number of films released directly on streaming platforms or films that fall outside the top 100 movies in theaters. But for decades, those top box-office films have offered a snapshot of a film industry that has long failed to come close to reflecting the demographics of American society. That remains the case for underrepresented racial or ethnic groups, who account for roughly 42% of the U.S. population. In the top 2024 films in 2024, 25% included an underrepresented lead or co-lead, according to Annenberg. In those 25 movies, the lead or co-leads were 38.% Black, 15.4% Asian or Asian American and 3.9% Hispanic. That was a substantial decrease from 2023, when 37 leads or co-leads were people of color. "The progress we saw for female-identified leads was not matched by the findings for underrepresented leads,' said Smith. "This downturn signifies a lack of investment in storytelling that reflects the audience as a whole. The reality is that audiences want to see stories about women and people of color - studios and filmmakers do not have to choose between the two.'
Washington Post
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Female protagonists reach parity with men in top-grossing films of 2024
NEW YORK — For the first time in recent history, the percentage of top-grossing films featuring female protagonists equaled the percentage of films with male protagonists, according to a pair of annual studies released Tuesday. Movies like 'Wicked,"'Inside Out 2" and 'The Substance' lifted Hollywood's theatrical releases to gender parity in leading roles in 2024. Of the 100 top domestic grossing films in 2024, 42% had female protagonists, and 42% had male protagonists, according to a report issued by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University.
The Independent
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Female protagonists reach parity with men in top-grossing films of 2024
For the first time in recent history, the percentage of top-grossing films featuring female protagonists equaled the percentage of films with male protagonists, according to a pair of annual studies released Tuesday. Movies like 'Wicked,"'Inside Out 2" and 'The Substance' lifted Hollywood 's theatrical releases to gender parity in leading roles in 2024. Of the 100 top domestic grossing films in 2024, 42% had female protagonists, and 42% had male protagonists, according to a report issued by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which also released its annual study Tuesday, found that 54% of the top 100 films at the box office in 2024 featured girls and women as protagonists. That's a massive jump from just the year prior, when 30% of films featured women in lead roles. In 2007, when the USC annual study began, that figure was just 20%. "This is the first time we can say that gender equality has been reached in top-grossing films,' Stacy L. Smith, founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, said in a statement. 'In 2024, three of the top five films had a girl or woman in a leading role, as did five of the top 10 films — including the number one film of the year, Disney's 'Inside Out 2,'" added Smith. "We have always known that female-identified leads would make money. This is not the result of an economic awakening but is due to a number of different constituencies and efforts — at advocacy groups, at studios, through DEI initiatives — to assert the need for equality on screen.' Other metrics suggested the gains in leading roles masked still-endemic disparity throughout Hollywood. The percentage of female characters in speaking roles increased from 35% to 37% in 2024, according to the San Diego State study. Major female characters rose from 38% in 2023 to 39% in 2024. 'Films such as 'The Substance' pushed back hard against a culture that considers women disposable,' Lauzen stated. 'While the number of films with female protagonists rose to a historic high in 2024 after a dismally lean 2023, the percentages of women in the more stable categories of major and speaking roles reflected only minor gains.' Universal Studios, which is led by Donna Langley, was the studio with the best record for female representation. In 2024, 66.7% of Universal releases centered on girls and women, according to the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. Neither study captures the large number of films released directly on streaming platforms or films that fall outside the top 100 movies in theaters. But for decades, those top box-office films have offered a snapshot of a film industry that has long failed to come close to reflecting the demographics of American society. That remains the case for underrepresented racial or ethnic groups, who account for roughly 42% of the U.S. population. In the top 2024 films in 2024, 25% included an underrepresented lead or co-lead, according to Annenberg. In those 25 movies, the lead or co-leads were 38.% Black, 15.4% Asian or Asian American and 3.9% Hispanic. That was a substantial decrease from 2023, when 37 leads or co-leads were people of color. 'The progress we saw for female-identified leads was not matched by the findings for underrepresented leads,' said Smith. 'This downturn signifies a lack of investment in storytelling that reflects the audience as a whole. The reality is that audiences want to see stories about women and people of color — studios and filmmakers do not have to choose between the two.'
Associated Press
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Female protagonists reach parity with men in top-grossing films of 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — For the first time in recent history, the percentage of top-grossing films featuring female protagonists equaled the percentage of films with male protagonists, according to a pair of annual studies released Tuesday. Movies like 'Wicked,' 'Inside Out 2" and 'The Substance' lifted Hollywood's theatrical releases to gender parity in leading roles in 2024. Of the 100 top domestic grossing films in 2024, 42% had female protagonists, and 42% had male protagonists, according to a report issued by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which also released its annual study Tuesday, found that 54% of the top 100 films at the box office in 2024 featured girls and women as protagonists. That's a massive jump from just the year prior, when 30% of films featured women in lead roles. In 2007, when the USC annual study began, that figure was just 20%. 'This is the first time we can say that gender equality has been reached in top-grossing films,' Stacy L. Smith, founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, said in a statement. 'In 2024, three of the top five films had a girl or woman in a leading role, as did five of the top 10 films — including the number one film of the year, Disney's 'Inside Out 2,'' added Smith. 'We have always known that female-identified leads would make money. This is not the result of an economic awakening but is due to a number of different constituencies and efforts — at advocacy groups, at studios, through DEI initiatives — to assert the need for equality on screen.' Other metrics suggested the gains in leading roles masked still-endemic disparity throughout Hollywood. The percentage of female characters in speaking roles increased from 35% to 37% in 2024, according to the San Diego State study. Major female characters rose from 38% in 2023 to 39% in 2024. 'Films such as 'The Substance' pushed back hard against a culture that considers women disposable,' Lauzen stated. 'While the number of films with female protagonists rose to a historic high in 2024 after a dismally lean 2023, the percentages of women in the more stable categories of major and speaking roles reflected only minor gains.' Universal Studios, which is led by Donna Langley, was the studio with the best record for female representation. In 2024, 66.7% of Universal releases centered on girls and women, according to the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. Neither study captures the large number of films released directly on streaming platforms or films that fall outside the top 100 movies in theaters. But for decades, those top box-office films have offered a snapshot of a film industry that has long failed to come close to reflecting the demographics of American society. That remains the case for underrepresented racial or ethnic groups, who account for roughly 42% of the U.S. population. In the top 2024 films in 2024, 25% included an underrepresented lead or co-lead, according to Annenberg. In those 25 movies, the lead or co-leads were 38.% Black, 15.4% Asian or Asian American and 3.9% Hispanic. That was a substantial decrease from 2023, when 37 leads or co-leads were people of color. 'The progress we saw for female-identified leads was not matched by the findings for underrepresented leads,' said Smith. 'This downturn signifies a lack of investment in storytelling that reflects the audience as a whole. The reality is that audiences want to see stories about women and people of color — studios and filmmakers do not have to choose between the two.'
