Even though Greta Gerwig‘s “Barbie” made a billion dollars at the box office and became the highest grossing film ever directed by a woman, studios are still shying away from hiring female directors to begin with, and statistically aren’t backing women directors or producers nearly as much as their male counterparts. The 2023 Celluloid Ceiling Report from San Diego State University released in January 2024 confirmed that “women remained dramatically underrepresented as directors, accounting for just 16 percent of those working on the 250 top grossing films and 14 percent on the 100 top grossing films.”
To combat this, female filmmakers are turning to self-funded projects within the indie space, where the Sundance Film Festival comes into play. After all: The only path to fostering female filmmakers in Hollywood? Funding their projects.
“Ponyboi” actress Victoria Pedretti was among the stars to speak with Adobe at Sundance 2024 about the importance of greenlighting stories written and directed by and starring women.
“I think the way to make great female roles and have great female filmmakers is to fund their movies so that they can make them,” Pedretti said. “I think we all know how empowering it is to see our experiences depicted onscreen.”
As singer Andra Day, who starred in “Exhibiting Forgiveness,” added, “Where we can improve is more opportunities, more budgets, for those types of films. Because the truth is, it’s life. Life is not one group of people. It’s an entire array of people and their stories. Our movies and our entertainment should reflect that.”
“Being in a community with women too is so important,” 2023 Sundance Women to Watch x Adobe Fellow Gabriela Ortega, who helmed “Border Hopper,” said.
“In the Summers” actress Leslie Grace agreed, adding, “There aren’t as many allowances for complicated, layered, complex stories for women of color.” Grace was set to lead Max’s shelved “Batgirl” which was canceled by Warner Bros. Discovery, leading to a backlash against the massive studio for not releasing a superhero film starring a woman of a color and made by BIPOC filmmakers.
“Tendaberry” director Haley Elizabeth Anderson explained that it’s not just female-fronted stories that matter, but the specific content of the films themselves.
“I value authenticity and I think people are really hungry for that,” Anderson said.
Take a look at the full sizzle reel of full interviews above. For more of Adobe at Sundance 2024, check out the interviews and conversations here.
Adobe — with a mission to enable creativity for all — is committed to supporting, elevating and amplifying underrepresented creators, so the world can see, learn and benefit from diverse perspectives. Learn more at Adobe.com.
