Full disclosure, I root for women in Film a lot. And it goes beyond acting, it’s all the things that happen behind the scenes.
Historically, the film industry has been male-dominated, with women often taking the backseat in supporting roles or stereotypical portrayals eg Makeup, costume… you know what I mean.
It goes without saying that women have been undervalued, and under-represented within the film industry — especially on the production level.
The importance of women in film is multifaceted and significant.
Further more, women have made vital contributions to the industry as writers, directors, producers, editors, cinematographers, and so on.
For instance, when Kemi Adetiba made “King of Boys” it was solid proof that it doesn’t matter what gender a director is — talent always prevails.
6 Importance of Women in Film.
“I cannot represent everything to everyone — and neither do I want to. I represent women like me when I’m at my best and writing honestly.”
– Stella Meghie
- REPRESENTATION
Women in the film industry provide representation for other women on and off-screen. This representation can help challenge stereotypes and provide more diverse and nuanced portrayals of women. This representation can help challenge stereotypes and provide more diverse portrayals of women in all aspects of filmmaking.
- 2. EMPOWERMENT
Women in film can inspire and empower other women to pursue careers in the film industry or other male-dominated fields. They can serve as role models and mentors to younger generations of women in film.
[An] 8 year old young girl came up to me when I went to speak at an elementary school, and she gave me a drawing. It was great and she said ‘I want to be just like you when I grow up and direct movies.’ And that just made me choke up. It was so cute, and the reason why she’s looking at me is I look like her.
Jennifer Yuh Nelson
- 3. DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES
Women bring a unique perspective to filmmaking that can enhance the creative process and lead to more inclusive and diverse stories. When women are involved in the storytelling and creative process, the resulting films can be more reflective of the world we live in, rather than a narrow perspective.
- 4. INCLUSIVITY
Women’s involvement in film goes a long way in ensuring that opportunities and resources exist for everyone, including people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those having physical or intellectual disabilities or belonging to other minority groups.
As a Black woman filmmaker I feel that’s my job: visibility. And my preference within that job is Black subjectivity. Meaning I’m interested in the lives of Black folk as the subject. Not the predicate, not the tangent. [These stories] deserve to be told. Not as sociology, not as spectacle, not as a singular event that happens every so often, but regularly and purposefully as truth and as art on an ongoing basis, as do the stories of all the women you love
– Ava Duvernay
- 5. ECONOMIC IMPACT
Women in film can have a significant economic impact on the industry. For example, films directed by women have been shown to perform better at the box office than those directed by men. This success can lead to more opportunities for women in the industry, and a broader range of stories being told.
- 6. SOCIAL IMPACT
The stories told in films can have a significant impact on society. Women in film can tell stories that challenge social norms and promote social justice. this can have a ripple effect that goes beyond the film industry.
“There is a different kind of vulnerability when a woman is directing.”
– Jane Campion
Overall, women’s voices and perspectives are essential to the creative and cultural landscape of the film industry.
By supporting and promoting women in the film industry, we can help create a more inclusive, diverse, and representative industry that better reflects the world we live in.
Also, women just generally make things … This is not up for debate. Hehehe
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Happy International Women’s Day.