VANCOUVER – The National Film Board of Canada marked International Women’s Day on Tuesday by pledging that at least half of its productions will be directed by women, and half of all production spending will be allocated to films directed by women over the next three years.
Women in View, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening gender and cultural diversity in Canadian media both on screen and behind the scenes, recently released a report on the Canadian film industry showing that women represented only 17% of directors, 22% of writers, and 12% of cinematographers, in a sample of 91 feature-length films produced in 2013–2014.
“The NFB has always taken a leadership role in women’s filmmaking,” said Government Film Commissioner and NFB chair Claude Joli-Coeur, in a statement. “In our current fiscal year, films directed by women represent half of our total spending on production. In 2016‒2017, the numbers are projected to be well above that. But numbers can fluctuate. There have been good years and lean years for women’s filmmaking at the NFB. No more. Today, I’m making a firm, ongoing commitment to full gender parity, which I hope will help to lead the way for the industry as a whole.”
NFB said that the public will be able to keep track of its progress through updates on its website, which will provide transparency in its budgetary allocations.
