Women Directors, Writers In Independent Films Reach Record High

HOLLYWOOD, CA — A new report says the number of women working as directors and writers in independent films is higher than ever before.

The report, called "Indie Women: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women in Independent Film, 2019-2020," said women made up 38% of directors and 35% percent of writers in narrative features and documentaries. Report author Martha M. Lauzen, professor of television, film & new media at San Diego State University, said the figures were a new record.

Over 8,000 credits on more than 800 films in 2019-2020 were analyzed for the report. The study also reviewed more than 88,000 credits on almost 9,000 films from 2008-2020.

The study suggested documentaries offered better gender parity than narrative features. Women made up 40% of "key behind-the-scenes roles" on documentaries, but only 29% in narrative films.

Major festivals also displayed nearly an equal number of male and female directed documentaries, but twice as many narrative features by men than women.

There was a notable trickle-down effect in gender representation on films with female directors as well. Women made up 73% of writers on films with at least one female director, compared to a paltry 12% on male-directed productions.

Read the full report here.

City News Service and Kenan Draughorne contributed to this report.