The actress and director Voices Anger Over The Film Industry's Regression for Female Professionals
The renowned actress and filmmaker has stated she is “so angry” that progress for women in Hollywood have gone backwards after a short-lived surge of improvement following the MeToo movement.
The Twilight star, who directed the upcoming film The Chronology of Water, gave an emotional address at a female-focused event in LA hosted by the Oscars organization.
“The regression from a brief moment of progress is statistically devastating,” she told the audience. “A disappointingly low figure of films from the previous year have been made by women.”
An annual report that monitors the presence of women directors revealed that 11 of the highest-grossing films of 2024 were helmed by female directors, a decrease from 16 in 2020.
‘Male-Dominated Industry Model’
During her speech, Stewart said: “After the MeToo movement, it appeared likely that stories created by and for females were finally getting their due. That we might be allowed or even supported to share our views and our shared experiences, every aspect of our lives unfiltered.
“But I can now attest to the intense struggle that it requires at each stage when the material is too grim, too taboo, when the frankness with which it presents insights about experiences commonly faced by females, often elicits aversion and dismissal.”
She added: “We can talk about wage gaps and taxes on tampons and quantify the imbalance in lots of quantifiable ways. But the violence of silencing, it’s like we’re not allowed to feel rage. But I can eat this podium with a utensil and sharp tool. I’m furious.”
The guests hearing Stewart’s address included a number of well-known female stars.
Stewart was met with multiple ovations during the duration of her seven-minute speech.
“I appreciate you,” she said. “I am not grateful a male-centric industry framework that pretends to want to hang out with us while draining our assets and belittling our true perspectives. Let’s try and not be tokenised. Let’s start printing our own currency.”
New films from a few women filmmakers are in the running for the next Academy Awards, but the top directing award is once again expected to be male in majority.
