By: Catalina Perez de Armiñan
The 64th Annual Academy Awards were groundbreaking for women in film across the globe. Although women have historically been given less opportunities, recognition, and space in Hollywood, this is a sign of progress.
It all started with Beyonce’s opening performance of “Be Alive,” which was nominated for best original song from the film “King Richard.” This was followed by three female hosts, for the first time in Oscar history, entering the stage: Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes, and Amy Schumer.
But that was merely the beginning; the night was filled with heartwarming, well-deserved wins. Another big moment for women was when Adriana DuBose won the best supporting actress award for her performance of Anita in “West Side Story,” making her the first openly queer woman of color to receive the award. “You see an openly queer woman of color, an Afro- Latina who found her strength through art. And that’s what I believe we’re here to celebrate,” DuBose said.
And the celebrations for women continued indeed, with the win of “The Queen of Basketball,” a film about Lusia Harris, the first and only woman to be drafted to the NFL, winning for best short documentary subject. This was followed by Jane Campion accepting the Oscar for Best Director for “Power of the Dog,” becoming the first woman to be nominated for best director twice, the other time being in 1993 for “The Piano.” Later in the evening, Jessica Chastain won best performance by an actress in a leading role for her work in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” Lastly, female-directed independent film “CODA” was one of the most triumphant of the night, winning best film, among other awards.
Although this huge night provided visibility to some of the very many talented artists and filmmakers in Hollywood and beyond that identify as female, it doesn’t mean there’s still not a lot to work on. Women’s talent, preparation, and creativity continues to be proven yet again in Hollywood and the entertainment industry, but to many, there seems to be no drastic shift when it comes to power structures in the film industry. In fact, they are simply still not being provided with enough opportunities to create. According to a report by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) released in 2019, women make up 50% of moviegoers. However, out of top 250 grossing films of 2019, women comprised 6% of composers. This number still remains unchanged since 2019, according to the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film.
It’s important to understand the perspective of women who have been in Hollywood and in the entertainment and film industry to clearly visualize the impact that this can have on the careers of female-identifying creatives. Kelsey Siepser, actor, and associate professor of Acting for Film and Television at Emerson College Los Angeles, can clearly remember one moment that impacted her career when she was just the age of sixteen.
Siepser was interested in acting, but also really enjoyed directing theater. She attended a filmmaking and directing program, where out of twenty students, she was one of the only two girls in her class. Siepser clearly recalls nearly all the films that were shown in the class portrayed men only, in main character parts at least. She distinctly remembers that one day her male teacher showed a movie with incredibly graphic violence. Then the film reached a scene, the only scene featuring a woman in it. It was a sex scene. Sieper was simply happy and excited to see a woman on screen. However, as soon as the scene started the teacher paused, apologized saying he did not mean to show that, and skipped over the only scene in the film where a woman was portrayed. “That was very frustrating, and I never really pursued being a filmmaker after that,” Siepser said.
This unleashed frustration that later led to other big decisions Siepser took in her career, such as not moving to Hollywood or starting to work at a younger age, which she now admits would have been beneficial. Now she teaches in hope that her experiences in this business, both positive and negative, will help others.
In fact, Siepser has also noticed an increase in women looking to grow and express themselves through film. “I teach at an acting summer camp, and the summer before the pandemic, I watched the filmmaking program, and it had more female identifying students than male identifying students. To see that there are more filmmakers in this new generation is like, wow,” Siepser said.
“Being a woman especially in this industry we have had to consciously expand, and that has led to more growth and more creativity,” said actor, writer, and director Whitney Ellis. And if there is one shared sentiment, it is that female professionals in this business feel even more comfortable when they work in collaboration with other women. “I work with a lot of female crew because I write and direct as well as act. I made a point to work with a lot of female crew that I have grown to love over the years. We’ve become friends as well as collaborators and I really treasure those relationships,” said Ellis. And other female artists agree.
“I think the experience that has affected me the most in a positive way is seeing how women support each other in this space,” said Sarah Hollis, actor and producer. And that support can sometimes just be paying attention to the small details that men often miss. “The film I did that’s on Netflix called ‘The American Side’ was directed by a woman and that set was a little more equal (men vs. women ratio on set) and I really enjoyed that experience. I’ve been directed by a lot more men than women and that’s the only time I was directed by a woman. She actually cared about my wardrobe, and we had a conversion about it,” said Siepser.
And perhaps it’s these details that make a difference. According to the Geena Davis Inclusion Quotient, a software tool developed by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media at Mount Saint Mary’s University to analyze audio and video media content, in 2014, and 2015, films led by women grossed 15.8% more on average than films led by men.
However, a paper published by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film stated that women still accounted for only 30% of all creators, directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and directors of photography working on broadcast network, cable, and streaming programs. And male actors still quite dominate screentime. Male characters received two times the amount of screen time as female characters in 2015 and in films with a male lead, male characters appear on screen nearly three times more often than female characters according to the data recorded by the Geena Davis Inclusion Quotient for 2014 and 2015.
So, what can be done for more women to start taking on more roles in Hollywood? “If women want to write their own stories, then it’s time to do that,” said Hollis. She explains that it’s crucial to make a seat at the table for other women. Not replacing each other, but contributing with each other and working towards reaching those goals together. In terms of changes that would be beneficial, Siepser suggested funding set aside for artists who are not necessarily looking to make all that money but just express themselves. “Society needs to start taking care of its artists and creatives,” said Siepser. To her, it all comes down to who has access to resources and opportunities.
To the women reading this article who are in the field of filmmaking or entertainment, entering the field, or who have big dreams of becoming the next Academy Award Winner, by no means feel discouraged.
“There’s a big community of women out there that support you and want you to succeed. Know that you, and your story, are valuable. Make your own opportunities. Create your own content. Write out your story. And I would say that the biggest thing is to know it’s possible, that you can do it,” Ellis said.