role models - film

Annie Liebowitz
Annie is an American portrait photographer whose style is marked by a close collaboration between the photographer and the subject. The Rolling Stone magazine was launched during Annie’s early career, and her intimate photographs of celebrities helped define the Rolling Stone look.

Marjan Satrapi
Marjane is a contemporary graphic novelist, illustrator, Academy Award-nominated animated film director, and children's book author.

Meryl Streep
Possibly the best actress of her generation, Meryl is a multi-award winner. When she’s not on stage, the big screen or small screen Meryl actively supports numerous causes, arts and educational programs.

Susan Sarandon
Susan is an Academy Award-winning American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1970, and won an Oscar for her performance in the 1995 film, Dead Man Walking. She is also noted for her social and political activism for a variety of liberal causes.

Jane Campion
The only woman ever to win in the 'best director' catagory at Cannes, with her film 'The Piano', Jane is an ambassador for women becoming directors, quoted recently in the Telegraph as saying 'I would love to see more women directors because they represent half of the population – and gave birth to the whole world. Without them writing and being directors, the rest of us are not going to know the whole story.'


facts

Over four years, the percentage of women working as directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors on the top 250 U.S grossing films declined from 19% in 2001 to 16% in 2004.

In 2005, women comprised 17% of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films. This is the same percentage of women employed in these roles in 1998. 

Women accounted for 7% of directors in 2005. This represents an increase of two percentage points over 2004. However, this is less than the recent historical high of 11% recorded in 2000.

From The Celluloid Ceiling

Telegraph
'Jane Campion: Female directors need to be tough to make it in 'sexist' Hollywood'