Last month at the UN Headquarters in New York, and under the auspices of UN Women at CSW68, the event Launching Of The First Global Network Of Women Of Film And Audiovisual Media marks the initiation of a collaborative platform for all stakeholders involved in the film and audiovisual sectors to accelerate gender equality and financing with a gender perspective. Co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Spain at United Nations, CIMA Asociación de Mujeres Cineastas y Medios Audiovisuales, UN Women National Committee of Spain, UN Women National Committee of Australia, and Spain Film Commission, the event set the stage for an international collaboration aimed at accelerating gender equality and integrating a gender perspective in financing within the film and audiovisual sectors. The primary focus is on fostering exchanges and sharing best practices among media and audiovisual institutions and organisations to combat gender-based inequalities.

This event builds upon the commitment made by 29 global organisations at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris, France, in July 2021. The coalition pledged to work collectively toward women’s leadership, equal representation, economic justice, gender-responsive education, ending gender-based violence, and advocating for gender perspectives in international festivals. CIMA, a driving force behind this initiative, now leads the organisation of this CSW68 side event.

The event lays the groundwork for an international network, bringing together governments, institutions, private and public organisations, and civil society. This collaborative effort seeks to exchange data, promote best practices, and compile reports on global advances in achieving gender equality in film and audiovisual media.

OBJECTIVES:

• Strengthening Women’s Leadership: Explore measures to enhance women’s leadership and equal representation in the audiovisual and media industries.
• Economic Justice: Advocate for equal pay for equal work and increased financial support for audiovisual projects led by women.
• Policy Advocacy: Demand measures from institutions, governments, and private companies to accelerate gender equality in the audiovisual and media industries.

MAJOR ISSUES DISCUSSED:

Aligned with the CSW68 Main Priority Theme, the session will address the following:

• Measures for Women’s Leadership: Strategies to strengthen women’s leadership and equal representation in the audiovisual and media industries.
• Economic Justice: Advocacy for equal pay and increased financial support for projects led by women.
• Policy Advocacy: Calls for measures to accelerate gender equality and empowerment in the audiovisual and media industries.

UN Women National Committees play an essential role in supporting UN Women’s mission on a national level; advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. These independent committees serve as key advocates for women’s rights, working closely with UN Women and other stakeholders to implement policies and programs that address gender inequalities and promote women’s participation in decision-making processes. Through advocacy, fundraising, and awareness-raising activities, UN Women National Committees mobilise support for initiatives that aim to create a more inclusive and equitable society for all. At CSW68, emphasis is placed on strengthening the collaboration between UN Women National Committees and governments, civil society, and the private sector to accelerate progress towards achieving gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals.

CIMA (Asociación de Mujeres Cineastas y de Medios Audiovisuales) is a professional association in Spain representing over 1,100 women from the audiovisual industry united by a common goal: to promote equal presence of women filmmakers and audiovisual professionals and contribute to a balanced and realistic representation of women in audiovisual content. Founded in 2006, CIMA carries out its mission through research, advocacy, and programs that support women professionals as well as activities for the general public that promote gender parity in the media, among other initiatives. CIMA has consultative status at ECOSOC and is associated with the UN Department of Global Communication.

Last month at the Berlinale, Power To Transform held the 2024 Edition of the Global Forum For Women. The conference featured panels and workshops attended by women film organisations from around the world.

Barbara Rohm, Yvonne de Andrés and the Power to Transform! Team reflect on the events and express their gratitude:

“We would like to thank you all for your participation in the Global Forum for Women’s Film Organizations @berlinale2024 at the Embassy of Canada. Your presence greatly enriched the event and we are very grateful for your commitment. Your contributions to the cause of women in the film industry are essential to promoting positive change. Post-Heroic Storytelling: Moving beyond the Male Gaze and reimagining the Female Gaze points the way forward and we are glad to have contributed.

We would also like to express our deep appreciation to our esteemed partners: sjiwff St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, Federal Foundation for Gender Equality, WIFT International, EWA – European Women’s Audiovisual Network, Women and Hollywood, SWIFT – Sisters Working in Film and TV South Africa, Screencraft Works, and CIMA – Asociación de Mujeres Cineastas y de Medios Audiovisuales.”

The panels are now available to watch on YouTube!

The first closed panel “Heroines for Change” held at the Embassy of Canada to Germany featured 5-Minute Power Speeches from a wide-ranging group of fellow campaigners working in the field of gender equality and diversity.

Power To Transform then welcomed Anna Hints (Estonia), Minnenhle Luthuli (South Africa), Gail Maurice (Canada), and Joey Soloway (USA) in a panel discussion moderated by Manori Ravindran (UK). Exploring the topic of “Post-Heroic Storytelling: Moving beyond the Male Gaze and Reimagining the Female Gaze,” the panellists posed questions about how to move beyond the male gaze and how Post-Heroic Storytelling can shape the future of a innovative and diverse screen industry.

The conference also launched the study “Re-Framing the Picture: An International Comparative Assessment of Gender Equity Policies in the Film Sector.” The research by the Gender Equity Policy (GEP) Analysis project underscores that policies need to address systemic issues, not only target numerical representation. The research highlights that film industries do not just need more women, but women in the right positions. Re-Framing the Picture advocates for policies with strong accountability mechanisms, financial incentives, and the ability to actively drive industry change. Read more about the research here and download the report here. 

WIFT International is delighted to partner with the IMDb Pro Affiliate Programme. This means that all WIFT International members receive a 30% discount on IMDb Pro and their amazing tools for finding industry contacts, in-development information, industry lists, and Discover’s powerful search filters.

If you are an up-to-date member of your local or national WFT Chapter, email them to get your code and redeem this offer!

The Writers Lab is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Submissions for their 2024 US lab are open from February 20th.

Supported by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman, The Writers Lab is the only program in the world devoted exclusively to script and career development for women and nonbinary writers 40+.

The Lab welcomes English-language submissions from women screenwriters over 40 ANYWHERE in the world, therefore international submissions of both Features and Pilots (both 1-hour and ½-hour) in English will be considered. They will select approximately 12 promising writers for an in-person retreat in New York in November 2024. (Dates subject to change.)

During the four-day Lab, Mentors and Writers engage in rigorous script development through one-on-one mentor meetings, small group and panel discussions, peer workshops, story rooms, and more. In the following months of ongoing development, TWL mentors guide writers through the revision process with actionable feedback and offer strategic advice and advocacy with the help of partners, industry leaders, and their talented peers. 

Previous TWL lab winners have gone on to make The Black List, secure management, and have their screenplays produced.

Submissions are open from 20th February until 28th March 2024

Deadline to apply: March 28th, 2024.

The 2024 Lab dates are November 12th -15th, 2024.

For more information, please visit The Writers Lab website.

You can apply directly via the Writers Lab US (2024) – Coverfly.

All WIFTI members get a discount on their submission – all you have to do is email your local or national WFT Chapter for the code!

You can also listen to co-founders of the Writers Lab Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon talk about previous editions of the lab with WFT Ireland and NYWIFT.