WIFTI Special Event@Sundance

Women in the Director’s Chair@Sundance, a networking special event and panel discussion presented by Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI) included female filmmakers– Lynn Shelton, Stacie Passon, Francesca Gregorini and Jendra Jarnagin – sharing their insights on their films, film festivals, the film industry at large including the “Celluloid Ceiling” report– a variant on the “Glass Ceiling” of the behind-the-scenes employment of women in the top 250 of the top grossing domestic films.

Statistically, women are underrepresented in creative positions in Hollywood. According to The Wrap– “the 2011 [Celluloid Ceiling] study by Martha M. Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, showed that 38 percent of the top 250 films employed either no women or only one as director, executive producer, producer, writer, cinematographer or editor. That’s an increase of 2 percent over 2010, but still a dismal number.”

Box office in 2012 was a big year and quite lucrative for Hollywood. Despite studio heads bemoaning low profits, billions of dollars were made worldwide. With women at below double digit percentages in directing, writing and cinematography positions, it will be interesting to watch for this yearʼs annual “Celluloid Ceiling” report that comes out during the Sundance Film Festival.

Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI) is committed to promoting and supporting women filmmakers in 2013. Looking ahead, Sundance Film Festival announced their list of sixteen films in the Dramatic Feature competition that includes 8 female directors out of 16 filmmakers! Itʼs a remarkable turnaround from the lack of female directed films selected for competition at Cannes 2012.

Change comes slowly but when it does, it creates quite an impact. We look forward to making 2013 a pivotal year that promotes and showcases Women in the Director’s Chair…one chair at a time!