Power To Transform announced that the Global Forum for Women will once again take place during the Berlinale 2024!

Power To Transform Chairwomen Barbara Rohm & Yvonne de Andrés share: “We have fond memories of the last forum, in which 59 organisations from 29 countries took part. This time, we will have more time to gather, exchange news, network, and support each other in a non-public part. We will hear inspiring power speeches from fellow campaigners, who will share their knowledge, experiences, and best practices with us. Afterward, we will open the event to a wider Berlinale audience, where we will discuss the topic of how to move beyond the male gaze and pose questions about how post-heroic storytelling can shape the future. More than ever, our fractured world needs new ways to amplify the widest range of new voices telling stories in new ways. As the author and mythologist Sharon Blackie says: “Post-heroic stories aren’t focused on individual glory; they’re focused on community and relationality. On diversity.” In this forum, we cordially invite trans and non-binary filmmakers.”

In a preceded closed event, under the title “Heroines for Change”, will feature 5-Minute Power Speeches from a wide-ranging group of fellow campaigners working in the field of gender equality and diversity. Participation is by personal invitation only.

The in-person event will take place on February 16th, 2024 at the Embassy of Canada to Germany, Leipziger Platz 17, 10117 Berlin.

The panel will discuss: “Post-Heroic Storytelling: Moving beyond the Male Gaze and Reimagining the Female Gaze.” The dramaturgy of filmmaking is fixated on the recipe of the hero’s journey and on patriarchal narratives. These stories are not serving all identities and they are teaching lessons that are only good for the wealthy and most powerful. They are also presented in such a way that we are led to simply accept the status quo of the world, rather than to question it. If we want to see innovative and diverse stories on the big screen, we have to pose questions about how to move beyond the male gaze and how Post-Heroic Storytelling can shape the future.

As the author and mythologist, Sharon Blackie says: “Post-Heroic Stories aren’t focused on individual glory; they’re focused on community and relationality. On diversity.” More than ever, our fractured world needs new ways to amplify the widest range of new voices telling stories in new ways. Power To Transform welcomes Anna Hints (Estonia), Minnenhle Luthuli (South Africa), Gail Maurice (Canada), and Joey Soloway (USA) in a panel discussion to be moderated by Manori Ravindran (UK).

Find the programme here!

Power To Transform also announced an online masterclasses on Thursday, 18 January 2024 to complement the Berlinale forum event.

The masterclass features Dr. Sharon Blackie. The award-winning writer, psychologist, and mythologist, Dr. Sharon Blackie believes that since we are all innately storytelling-creatures, stories and folklore, with their embedded life lessons, are deeply entwined in our civilization and culture. However, these stories are not serving us well and they are teaching lessons that are only good for the wealthy and most powerful. They are also presented to us in such a way that we are led to simply accept the status quo of the world, rather than to question. These so-called ‘Heroic Stories’ promote the idea that we need to be bigger and better than the previous generations and they purport the myth of ‘More, More, More’, whereby our character is defined by what we have and what we buy.

Therefore we should look at the re-imagining of these stories, because if our cultural mythology is rich and nourishing, it inspires us and gives us meaning. If it is arid and heartless, then it leaves us alienated and rootless. A Post-Heroic Story is a story that built not on individuality and competition, but on building community and recognizing diversity. It is story not about strength, but compassion. Quoting Carl Jung, Dr Sharon Blackie says: “If the cultural mythology is dying, then the myth-making power lies in the individual (or a group of individuals). We need to kickstart the transformation of culture. We need stories to re-enchant us, our children and the world.”

The conversation will be led by Barbara Rohm, Chairwoman Power to Transform!.

Please register to participate since the number of participants is limited!

WIFTI Member Nikki Cole shares her experience at Content London 2023. Content London is a stimulating event in the global content industry calendar. Over three days it brings the global drama, formats, and factual communities together around a conference, awards, and networking agenda. Nikki mentions: “I just had a wonderful, productive time at Content London. The industry is buzzing as we head post-strike into the ‘new normal’. Lots of good meetings, networking, and invaluable panels.”

Nikki Cole, a member of WIF LA and WIFT Toronto, an entertainment professional who writes, directs, and produces shows for leading production studios, also attended the Women in Film and Television International Summit (WIFTI) in Helsinki, Finland this year.

At the Helsinki event, Nikki listened to many of these panels and specifically participated in the ageism session. As an entertainment professional who has been creating award-winning films and TV series for quite some time, she recognizes how big of a problem it is. Nikki is a member of several women’s equity groups focused on increasing gender and age diversity within film and television. She mentors for Women In Film and Television Toronto and is a member of multiple guilds and non-profits such as The Director’s Guild of Canada, Alliance of Women Directors, Women In the Director’s Chair, the CMPA, Film Fatales, Greenlight Women, and WIF LA.

Remembering the WIFTI Summit

Nikki was immensely grateful to attend the WFTI summit as she was the recipient of a travel grant from The Canada Council for the Arts. Recent times have been difficult for her as the industry and its creatives are grappling with strikes and a reduction in available work. Nikki finds the silver lining in these experiences, while she looks forward to the projects she is currently working on being green-lit.

“I’ve been to Helsinki before,” says Nikki, “However, attending the Women in Film and Television International Summit (WIFTI) was a one-of-a-kind experience. I was overjoyed to join the diverse and inclusive atmosphere with many other talented professionals including non-binary participants and male allies. It was especially eye-opening to speak with internationally respected leaders from all over the planet, including representatives from Botswana, Jamaica, Israel, and the Northern Sammi indigenous people. The summit was full of surprises including daily saunas, amazing food, art walks, an opera performance, and an emotional handover from outgoing founder and president Helene Granqvist to incoming president Susan Liddy. I so look forward to furthering and strengthening the relationships I made there.”

In the future, Nikki plans to continue promoting messages of diversity and inclusion while continuing to develop, produce, and direct her own films and series, and collaborating with partners in the film and television industry.

WIFTI organised the 2023 Summit in cooperation and by the invitation of WIFT Finland and WIFT Sweden with WIFT Finland in charge of the event production. The WIFTI Helsinki Summit 2023 was curated by Marjaana Mykkänen, in collaboration with Helene Granqvist, Dr. Susan Liddy, and Kirsten Schaffer, in cooperation with the WIFTI Knowledge, Advocacy, and Activism Committee. There was much joy in seeing familiar faces, especially since most of the attendees hadn’t travelled much in the last few years. Many of these panels are now available to watch via a curated WIFTI YouTube Playlist!

The WIFTI Helsinki Summit 2023 was supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond, the Finnish Film Foundation, Hanaholmen Cultural Center, WIF Los Angeles, West Finland Film Commission/Turku Business Region, City of Espoo, City of Helsinki, and by Audiovisual Producers of Finland, Business Finland, the Irish Embassy, Aurora Studios, Elisa Entertainment and Finnish Film Workers Union.

On Saturday, the conference saw a discussion on the current status of Gender Equality from researchers, professors, and professionals including Prof. Lisa French (Australia), Dr. Eva Flicker (Austria), Dr. Susan Liddy (Ireland), Dr. Greta Gober (Poland). They discussed change – what has changed, who’s responsible for change, what does change mean? Director Katja Gauriloff (Skolt Sámi, Finland), director Fawzia Mirza (US/Canada), and editor Theo Lindberg (Sweden) were in conversation with Victoria Thomas (UK).

Liselott Forsman from the Nordic Film & TV Fund talked about the impact of AI.

Laura Allen Muller from WIFT Denmark spoke about their campaign “A BIGGER PICTURE” which aims to improve the representation of minorities in Danish Film and TV.

Andria Wilson Mirza from WIF LA shared some insights into how the ReFrame Initiative (a collaboration between WIF LA and the Sundance Institute) designs and leads systemic change programs in Hollywood and how they develop partnerships with key industry leaders and companies. Within the ReFrame Initiative, they are now launching ReFrame ReSource – an online hub of culture change tools and best practices created in collaboration with 50+ advocacy organisations, covering topics ranging from equity in development to production, hiring, and audience development.

Eeva-Sofia Anttonen from WIFT Finland presented a digital tool called “The Equality Tool for the AV industry” to help people in the industry take concrete actions to improve equality and comply with diversity legislation. They are launching it soon, and it will soon be available in Swedish!

The audience heard from Brigitte Monneau, Canada, about women as a specialist tool. They also heard from Domizia De Rosa, Italy, about rules for ethical behaviour in the AudioVisual Field Sector. Alejandra FC Zarazua, Sweden, disclosed insights from WIFT TECH.

WIF CEO Kirsten Schaffer, WIF LA, shared the celebration of WIF LA turning 50 with stories about how the community was built 50 years ago, what change looks like now, and what’s next for WIF and the movement, followed by an evening of dinner, dance and a celebration of WIF LA turning 50.

Helene Granqvist also presented the newly instated WIFTI Peace Prize to Anne Lajla Utsi from the Sámi Film Institute. The WIFTI Peace Prize rewards the efforts of embracing peace, even while experiencing tension, discomfort, and historical challenges. The prize honours the art of storytelling and the process of building constructive relationships.

Sunday morning started off with “Voices from the Indigenous North.” Pauliina Feodoroff remarked about how to re-learn communication with nature, Anne-Lajla Utsi (Sámi Film Institute) shared how three of the four films from their slate have premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, Victoria Thomas (UK) and Grace Maharaj (Sweden) talked about leadership and economic equity in the European media and entertainment context. Dr. Deborah Jermyn, Professor Bernadette Luciano, and Dr. Susan Liddy talked about inclusivity with a spotlight on age.

Then there was an opportunity to visit different rooms with different discussions – topics ranging from how to run a successful chapter, gender inclusive language and chapter names, benchmarking programs: mentoring, upskilling, advocacy, sustainability, experience on ageism and how to overcome it, the imperative and the impossibility of managing diversity, global guilds and peer groups.

Domizia De Rosa, Italy, Elina Knihtilä, Finland, Norma Jean Straw, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA, Kirsten Schaffer, WIF LA were in a panel called “Culture Wars”, addressing the right-wing governments around the world who are using culture (including film, TV, media) to move forwards repressive agendas.

Hollywood, Bollywood, and Nollywood are the three largest film and television-producing regions in the world – but not in that order. Do you know who produces the most films? Guneet Monga Kapoor, India, Fawzia Mirza, US/Canada, Victoria Thomas, UK taught us that Nollywood and Bollywood are not terms used by their own industries and that from here on out we should all call them for what they are – the Nigerian film industry and the Indian film industry.

The Summit was enveloped with discussions on the next steps for WIFTI, and summaries from all the parallel group meetings earlier in the day.

In the afternoon, there was a ceremony of the change of guards where Helene Granqvist stepped down as president of WIFTI and Dr. Susan Liddy took over the reins. In between all the sessions, the attendees had time for chats, saunas, dips in the ocean or the pool (or both, for some), and all in all, it was a weekend full of community, love, respect, and simply amazing to share a room with people from six different continents and feel they are all working towards the same goal. A better world.

Thanks to Theo Lindberg for providing the original summary as well as for his great contributions to the event in question.

President Dr Susan Liddy is enthusiastic about the Helsinki Summit: “I’d like to pay tribute to the work of Marjaana Mykkanen and the Finnish team and to all the volunteers who gave so freely of their time. The event was a wonderful celebration of our global organisation, a really memorable occasion. I’m looking forward to the next summit already!”

The 120 participants (of whom 34 speakers) used the days well to match the promise of the event: To share ideas, working methods and solutions for the future of an equal audiovisual industry. The event opens a view to the global landscape of women in film, television and media, giving members a chance and means to learn from and support each other.

Based on almost unanimous feedback, the experience was pleasant. When asked what they liked: 

“Everything! It was really one of nicest encounters of my life! I loved the very safe and caring atmosphere, the excellency of the organization, the location, the panels and most importantly to connect to such interesting people from all over the world. Comprehensive program – multiple topics, multiple voices.“

“I learned that there are so many initiatives going on all over the world, and that we can make an impact together. I also learnt that collaboration is of vast importance in order to get somewhere and that sharing information is crucial. We don’t have to invent “the wheel” over and over.”

“I learned that we can be a global force of change.” 

“I learned a great deal of invaluable information, but what stuck with me the most was the diversity discussions, and how to use and share resources in a more efficient way.”

“That I have an amazing network of women all around the world that has existed already 50 years. And that we have still lots to do together, and we need to stand next to each others. Other countries are still in the beginning of the change, and even the more developed ones are getting clash backs at the moment. Together we are stronger and we will change the world!”

The founders of Women in Film Guild Botswana, Serena Serene Mmifinyana and Nikita Neo Mokgware are currently attending a screenwriting program by The Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa (ICAPA) Trust in Lagos, Nigeria.

The workshop is a training program in story-telling for the screen aimed at African women screenwriters who have a compelling project in late development. This program is partly funded by The Hawthorne Foundation, and facilitated by DFK Films, a screenwriting consultancy company run by Gabriele Sindler and Donat Keusch who are one of Europe’s leading script analysts. Tsitsi Dangarembga is the founder of ICAPA Trust and one of the pioneers of black women’s filmmaking on the continent. Industry practitioners on the African continent often short-change story development due to a lack of funding and education opportunities for the process. Yet, script development is arguably the most important part of motion picture development. 

ICAPA Trust expects several films from this year’s workshop to proceed to production, as the Trust is setting up a special vehicle for productions that come out of its training activities. Ms Mmifinyana and Ms Mokgware are very confident that their project will be one of the successes to be recognized. Their project, Dimo in the Sky, is the only animation project in the program. This is the same project that was chosen to be pitched at Pavillion Afriques at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and has garnered much attention and interest from producers and stakeholders both in and out of the continent. Ms. Mmifinyana and Ms. Mokgware are both very grateful for this program, as it is enabling them to improve on their story-building to lock in a film that will resonate with an international audience. All of this can further improve the quality of their films, and take back their knowledge to help improve the quality of films in Botswana.

WIFTI organised the 2023 Summit in cooperation and by the invitation of WIFT Finland and WIFT Sweden with WIFT Finland in charge of the event production.

The WIFTI Helsinki Summit 2023 was supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond, the Finnish Film Foundation, Hanaholmen Cultural Center, WIF Los Angeles, West Finland Film Commission/Turku Business Region, City of Espoo, City of Helsinki, and by Audiovisual Producers of Finland, Business Finland, the Irish Embassy, Aurora Studios, Elisa Entertainment and Finnish Film Workers Union.

Many of these panels are now available to watch via a curated WIFTI YouTube Playlist! Watch experts discuss gender equality, highlight voices from the Indigenous North, illustrate their search for inclusivity with a spotlight on age, and lay out the next steps for WIFTI, among many other insightful conversations!

After the WIFTI Summit in Helsinki, Women in Film and Television International welcomes Dr. Susan Liddy as its new President and Chair of WFT Ireland. During the event, Dr. Liddy took the stage to the stage to share an important message that reflects WIFTI’s mission to empower women in the screen industries worldwide. Watch this video back here now.

Dr. Liddy, an academic and advocate for gender equality, said “As I stated after the WIFTI Helsinki Summit ‘Facing the Future’ (September 22-24, 2023) during which I was formally inaugurated as President of WIFTI, it is a privilege to have been chosen to lead the organisation in the years ahead. I look forward to working with international colleagues in both WIFTI chapters and affiliated organisations, to further strengthen our global organisation and importantly, our connection to each other. We are bound by a shared goal, to elevate and amplify the role of women, including those who identify as women, in the screen industries across the world; across borders and across cultural divides. We support each other first and foremost as women and as filmmakers. But we are also united in a vision of empowerment, advancement and solidarity which includes our allies in many marginalised communities with whom we stand shoulder to shoulder. Our goal is steadfast: to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in the screen sector everywhere. My immediate objective is to further intensify dialogue and connection by looking for ways to engage more deeply, more frequently despite being divided by continents and oceans! I have no doubt we will find a way!”

WIFTI’s commitment to empowerment and solidarity extends to all those who share their vision of a more inclusive and equitable screen industry. Dr. Liddy’s words reflect the dedication of WIFTI to creating a world where everyone has the opportunity to tell their stories.