The European Women’s Audiovisual Network Campaigns to Highlight Women in Film

The EWA network, or European Women’s Audiovisual Network, has initiated a campaign to emphasize the importance of women in film and to help ensure that some great film projects are started in Europe, with female directors and producers.  The EWA is collecting 1 minute videos by women in film about why they love and participate in the field.  They kicked this project off in February with Isabel Coixet, the well-regarded spanish director who is heading the project, described on the EWA Website as “Isabel Coixet’s Challenge.”

The video project welcomes all women and girls in film to submit a 60 second portait revolving around their love of film, and aims at

ensur[ing] that women’s voices in audiovisual content are heard. Only 1 in every 10 box office hits in Europe is directed by a woman even though film school is 50/50. This needs to change to ensure that half of society gets a voice

Donations from the project are aimed at supporting multiple projects, including a prize for women in film to work with the Torino Film Lab to develop scripts, as well as festivals featuring women in film and featuring events such as

“speed dating” between women, “inspiration moments” – where experienced successful female industry figures speak at events, and panels e.g. one on “women in horror films” at the Sitges film festival,

and other events.  The EWA network is an association open to men and women and emphasizes giving women in film a voice in Europe, and worldwide.

Possibly the most exciting part about this project is that it welcomes “women and girls everywhere,” giving younger filmmakers the opportunity to participate with and be heard by award winning directors like Coixet.  Donations for the project go to giving women in film a voice, and the videos do as well.  Based on Coixet’s video, I’d love to see what other directors and filmmakers have to say.  Plus, the project will no doubt yield some creative and unusual results, given that it serves, to a certain extent, as a challenge to participants to stand out and define their love of film through film.  Coixet kicks off the event and describes how she fell in love with film as a child in the first of hopefully many fascinating videos, which you can view below.

(via The Hollywood Reporter, Women’s Audiovisual Network)

Previously in Women in Film

• Amy Pascal on Female Directors in Hollywood
• Why There Are So Few Women in Film, From Women in Film
• Hellen Mirren Pushes For More Women in Film

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