The study reveals an improved pan-European interest in combatting sexual violence and unconscious biases, but a snail’s-pace move towards gender parity

Lab Femmes de Cinéma recently released its newest report, titled “Qualitative Study on the Place of Female Directors in Europe” (authored by Lise Perottet), on gender-inclusive practices and structural barriers for female filmmakers in the European film and audiovisual industry. Led by co-founder and director Fabienne Silvestre, the French think-tank focuses on industry issues surrounding gender parity, diversity and representation.

This is the eighth annual edition of the report, which has received support from the French Ministry of Culture since 2022 and the French National Centre of Cinema (CNC) since 2023. The study is produced in collaboration with the European Film Agency Directors Association (EFAD). Translations of the French- and English-language study into Italian, Lithuanian and Serbian have been led by the Moving Images – Open Borders (MIOB) network, which comprises seven European film festivals.

The 2023 study builds on the previous version, highlighting major trends in measures implemented against sexual violence and a growing interest in supporting gender diversity. It also examines new trends in supporting the careers of women directors as well as efforts to combat unconscious bias within selection committees, thereby improving representation.

This edition compiles data from the national film agencies of 36 countries in addition to using quantitative statistics from the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO). Thirty-one of the 36 countries surveyed have introduced gender-equality measures, while ten are implementing training, workshops or initiatives to reduce unconscious bias. The study also highlights initiatives to diversify and make national industries more representative on the whole, which includes gender diversity as a part of the broader effort.

While gender parity has been reached in film schools, the lab reports that only 23.92% of first or second feature directors are women, while the percentage plummets to 15.41% for a director’s third film and beyond. Using the European average for women filmmakers and historical trends, gender parity between male and female directors will only be reached in 2080.

Sixteen countries have committed to combatting gender-based and sexual violence. The study notes that national film centres have “taken a particular interest in violence committed on film sets and have encouraged film crews to call on the services of intimacy coordinators when shooting intimate scenes”.

Conversely, only six countries have adopted measures to help with childcare costs and assist working parents, regardless of gender. “Studies show that having children puts women at a greater disadvantage in the world of work: helping parents actually leads to greater equality in creative conditions between women and men,” the report continues.

Since the publication of the first edition of the study, countries have been reluctant to implement quotas, in terms of both funding and project prioritisation. Only one country, Spain, “has introduced quotas for film financing”, where, “since 2020, a share of the total grants budget [from the ICAA] must be given to projects by female directors”.

In the study, Lab Femmes de Cinéma reiterates its commitment to collecting data, publishing further editions of the report, and “encouraging countries to take a reflective look at their own measures and be open to the innovative practices of other countries”. It also calls for “more proactive” efforts to break down “gender stereotypes and structural exclusion mechanisms that are still in place” in the European cinematographic industry.

The full report can be read here, and its 15-page summary can be found here.