“For me, I want to see diversity in storytelling sources because we live in a very diverse society, and the stories are for the whole society. That's really important. For me, as a female filmmaker, when I was out on the festival circuit on 2006, I felt like such a freaking anomaly - an oddity.” WantImportantWholeStoriesFeltSourceDiversityFemaleStorytellingFilmmakerDiverseFestivalsCircuitsAnomaliesOdditiesDiverse Society Author:Lynn Shelton
“Female directors really do need to support each other. Too many times I've been led to believe that my direct competition was other women, as if there can be only a handful of successful female filmmakers a year. That conversation, that perception, needs to change. Women are the people who have helped me make films I love, and I want to be that kind of strength to other women.” PeopleIfsWantNeedsYearsBelieveKindFilmSupportSuccessfulDirectorsConversationPerceptionFemaleDirectCompetitionFilmmakerHandfulNeed A Change Author:Jennifer Phang
“It might sound crazy, but filming in a conflict zone, in Afghanistan, and being a female filmmaker was the easy part. I found people open and understanding of the importance and beauty of filmic storytelling. I never had to explain why Jake Bryant, my Director of Photography, and I were climbing up a ladder to get a high shot, or running ahead to get an arrival shot, or filming weeks after weeks, months after months, collecting so much material. The process was respected and honored.” PeopleMightRunningFoundEasyProcessUnderstandingSoundWeekCrazyMaterialsMonthsDirectorsConflictPhotographyShotsFemaleImportanceStorytellingFilmmakerZoneClimbingAfghanistanHonoredLaddersCollectingArrivalsJakeClimbing Up Author:Pietra Brettkelly
“I think it is kind of depressing how few female filmmakers there are. I think it is in general depressing how few women there are in ... important positions in society” ThinkingKindImportantPositionFemaleFilmmakerDepressing Author:Susanne Bier
“I would give female filmmakers the same advice I’d give any filmmaker; believe in your vision, believe in your team, believe in yourself.” GivingBelieveVisionTeamAdviceFemaleFilmmakerBelieve In YourselfBelieve In You Author:Leanne Pooley
“I think that until a filmmaker knows that about him- or herself, the films they make will just be copies of other people's work. It's important for anyone who wants to make films for a living, but I think perhaps it has an even greater weight for female filmmakers since they represent a much smaller percentage of the population. Their voices are fewer so they must be even stronger.” PeopleThinkingKnowsWantImportantFilmVoiceGreaterFemaleWeightStrongerPopulationFilmmakerWorking ItCopiesFewerPercentages Author:Megan Griffiths
“I think this is an exciting time to be a female filmmaker. Trust your instincts, work harder than anyone else and learn your craft. Know it all. This means learn how to shoot, edit, produce and direct. Get as much experience as you can and watch a lot of films.” ThinkingKnowsMeanFilmWatchesProduceHard WorkFemaleDirectExcitingHarderInstinctCraftsFilmmakerEditsWork HarderKnow It AllTrust Your Instincts Author:Alex Hammond
“Along the way, female filmmakers will have the feeling that they're not good enough. And that's really just a result of being "otherized" from the moment they're born. Keep an eye out for all those insecurities, and even expect them. Borrow white male privilege and just move through the world as if it was created for you. You have to kind of talk yourself into an imaginary space where the world is on your side and expects you to speak and wants you to speak. You have to create that space for yourself over and over again. Every hour sometimes.” IfsWorldWayWantKindSometimesEnoughMomentsFeelingsEyeMovingSpeakSidesBornHoursSpaceWhiteResultsFemaleMalesPrivilegeFilmmakerInsecurityGood EnoughImaginaryYour SideNot Good EnoughMale Privilege Author:Jill Soloway
“Without the benefit of Google, ask anybody to name more than five female filmmakers that have made more than three films. It's shockingly hard.” MadeHardFilmThreeAsksNamesFiveBenefitsFemaleFilmmakerGoogle Author:Leslye Headland
“I am blessed to live and work in [France,] a country where women filmmakers are by and large not unfairly treated. So I wouldn't have much to contribute regarding issues faced as a female director.” CountryIssuesDirectorsFemaleBlessedTreatedFranceFilmmaker Author:Anne Fontaine
“I looked at [Geena Davis] research and see things like 21 percent of filmmakers are women, only 31 percent of speaking roles in popular films are female - you start seeing it everywhere. It's so much bigger. So you've uncovered this groundbreaking data and research.” FilmRolesSeeingResearchPercentFemaleBiggerDataFilmmakerGroundbreakingPopular Film Author:Emma Watson
“I was being generous. Gia Coppola wasn't even a filmmaker at that time, but I asked her to do it, because I believed in her as an artist. And because I wanted a woman's take on the material. The book Palo Alto is very male-centric, but Gia carved out a bunch of the female characters, and brought them to the fore in the movie. And the project was richer for it.” BookCharacterArtistFemaleGenerousFilmmaker Author:James Franco
“As a female filmmaker it's important to have a voice for and about women. We have a lot of valuable stories to tell and young girls need to hear them.” ImportantGirlFemaleValuableFilmmaker Author:Tara Subkoff
“I don't see myself as a crusading feminist filmmaker. Not at all. I have the luxury of coming from New Zealand and I've had moments in my life where being female is considered to be a tremendous advantage - emotionally, career-wise. Personally, I have nothing to prove. But I'm tremendously curious about human nature. Female life is so incredibly underexplored in cinema, so these stories feel very exotic.” MomentsHuman NatureProveFemaleFeministCuriousFilmmaker Author:Niki Caro
“It doesn't matter if you're the smartest person in the room: If you're not someone who people want to be around, you won't get far. Likewise for helping those in line behind you. I take seriously my role as a mentor to young female filmmakers - I make sure my time is tithed.” PeopleIfsWantPersonsMatterHelpingYoungLinesRoomsBehindsRolesFemaleFilmmakerMy TimeMentorBehind You Author:Melissa Rosenberg