WOMEN IN FILM INITIATIVES
As a film festival we’re committed to providing opportunities for women filmmakers as well as igniting conversations around the portrayal of women in stories and on screen.
A simple, albeit imperfect test to look at whether films have realistic female characters is the Bechdel Test, popularised by cartoonist Alison Bechdel. To pass the Bechdel Test, a film:
- Has to have at least two named women in it
- Who have a conversation with each other
- About something other than a man
It’s important to note that the Bechdel Test is not a measure of how great a film is, nor does it tell you if the film has a woman writer or director.
But it will make you think about how women are portrayed on screen. For the last three years, all films in our program have noted whether they pass or fail the Bechdel Test.
We also have a commitment to ensure there is gender parity in the number of men and women you see speaking across the festival, be it moderators, guest speakers or panellists.
One of the major barriers for women the film industry is reliable child care – for working and attending professional development opportunities. To help remove this barrier for filmmakers and emerging filmmakers to attend GCFF, we offer free on-site childcare for select industry panels and films during the festival.
#FEMALEFILMMAKERFRIDAY
The hashtag launched by Aline Brosh McKenna in January 2018, to highlight women working behind-the-scenes and inspire the next generation, was our inspiration to curate a day during the 2018 Festival that celebrated women in film.
Friday 20th April featured:
- Four international films helmed by female directors – Summer 1993, Zama, Pop Aye and I Am Not A Witch
- Screening of Dancing The Invisible, a documentary and Q&A with Jill Billcock – one of Australia’s leading film creatives
- Launch of WIFT Australia
- Free childcare covering three panels and two films
FREE CHILDCARE
One of the major barriers for women in the film industry is reliable child care – for working and attending professional development opportunities.
To help remove this barrier for filmmakers and emerging filmmakers to attend GCFF, we offered free on-site childcare for five industry panels and four films during the 2018 Festival.
These childcare sessions were completely booked out in 2018.