Tania Friemuth a Reel Angel member and DOP went to find out what positive interventions are happening or going to rectify the stats? We all are too aware of.
We did record audio from our phone, which you can listen:
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A brief running order is included below.
GDI Symposium – 8th Oct, BFI Southbank London SE1 8XT
09.00 -09.45 Registration opens with refreshments in the BFI Southbank, The Riverfront Café
09.45 Registration closes and all guests seated
10.00 Welcome and opening remarks by Clare Stewart, Festival Director, BFI London Film Festival
10.05 Introduction to the Geena Davis Institute by Madeline Di Nonno, CEO, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
10.10 Keynote address by Geena Davis, Founder and Chair of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
10.20 Geena Davis Institute presentation by Madeline Di Nonno
Panel One: How Film Impacts Issues Affecting Women and Children
Moderator:
Shami Chakrabarti, Director, Liberty
Speakers:
Amanda Nevill, CEO, British Film Institute
Baroness Mary Goudie, Co-founder of the 30% Club, which sees global CEOs work together to promote equality and diversity
Deborah Jamison, CEO, Ending Domestic Violence
David Kosse, Head of Film 4 and former President of Universal International
Eileen Naughton, Managing Director and VP, UK-Ireland Sales & Operations at Google.
Panel Two: Empowering Women and Girls Through Film
Moderator:
Bonnie Greer, Playwright, Novelist, Critic
Speakers:
Elizabeth Karlsen, Chair WFTV UK, Producer, CAROL
Abi Morgan, Writer, Suffragette (Backed by BFI, Film4 and Pathe)
Destiny Ekaragha, Writer-director, Gone Too Far!
Deepa Mehta, Writer-director, Beeba Boys
Laurie MacDonald, Producer, He Named Me Malala
Some highlights from Geena herself:
Link to The Geena Davis Institue research findings here;
http://seejane.org/research-informs-empowers/
We all know the stats from previous articles on female directed and writers:
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jul/22/gender-bias-film-industry-75-percent-male
Some key points what we need to do/can do/ are doing to help this change taken from both panel discussions and speakers;
– Early on in life, on screen for young kids role models.
– Bfi diversity scheme- 3 tick scheme, to support their motto ‘ talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t’ –
One of the ticks can be obtained by meeting this criteria:
‘At least 10% of the total crew are BAME; or 5% are disabled; or 40% are from a socially disadvantaged background; or if at least 30% are women; or, depending on the location of the production, we will also consider an otherwise demonstrable and reasonable ‘significant engagement’.
More info on their 3 tick scheme:
Its galvanised the way for other funding bodies, a year piloted it, its been very successful and now fully integrated. And now developing further schemes across the whole organization.
– Keep the discussion, dialogue going. More voices, actresses speaking out such as Helen Mirren says in this video clip here , plus Meryl streep, Jennifer Lawerance, Saide Frost, Gemma Atherton and Emma Watson kicked off 1.2 billion conversations on social media. – But also deeds not words as spoken in Suffragettes.
– WFTV – what they do to support us is invaluable.
– People in ‘power’ or close to the ‘power’ – take more risks – ‘I am going to write only about women for the next 4 or 5 years ‘ – says Abi Morgan writer, also Gemma Arterton is only doing strong female roles. Alicia Silverstone Silverton setting up her own production company like Sadie Frost’s– Blonde to Black Pictures – http://www.blondetoblackpictures.com/
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