Celebrating female filmmakers on March 8
Liz Stimson
WVoN co-editor
At Sunday night’s Oscars women were celebrating success in film.
Meryl Streep has been nominated a total of 17 times over her shining career, and on Sunday walked away with an Oscar for her role in The Iron Lady, 33 years after winning her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in Kramer vs. Kramer.
However, underneath the glitz and glamour of the awards ceremonies a gender bias still exists in the industry.
Women make up less than 10 per cent of film directors and less than 15 per cent of screenwriters.
Birds Eye View (BEV), an organisation dedicated to celebrating and supporting women filmmakers, was founded as a positive response to this imbalance and set about addressing these statistics by championing female talent.
“Until we have a balanced perspective on our screens, we are missing half the picture” says BEV.
BEV’s annual film festival gives women in the industry an opportunity to show off their work and share creative ideas.
This important platform has grown since BEV was established in 2002 and since the first London festival was held in 2005.
BEV Director, Rachel Millward, said:
“Our first event was seen by just 200 people; now more than 18,000 join us at the festival and on tour every year, and a further 650,000 via online and broadcast channels”.
However, the sad news that BEV’s annual film festival would not be going ahead in 2012 was announced in October.
The reason? A 90 per cent cut in its public funding.
This was certainly a blow for the industry and was disheartening news for filmmakers and fans alike.
While a full length festival wasn’t possible this year, BEV is still working hard to make sure women in film aren’t overlooked.
In support of International Women’s Day on March 8, BEV is holding a screening showcasing the best short films from around the world.
The outstanding work of five female filmmakers will be screened at this event held in London to celebrate the diversity and creativity of the next generation of women in film.