To ask why there seem to be so few female film directors

[caravanette]

Was thinking about this today

Or at least film directors well known on the mainstream iyswim

Same reason there are less women in most high powered positions! As a society we still have a long, long way to go sadly

Many women MPs for example but this is a category where I couldn't think of one famous female film director

It’s a hard industry to break into and although things are improving women still make up a small percentage in comparison to male directors. Women aren’t often as ‘trusted’ to make financial returns on big studio productions despite the fact that their films often do make decent amounts.

Here are some articles on it

www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/entertainment/a21264167/why-there-are-so-few-female-directors-working-in-hollywood/

www.huffpost.com/entry/why-are-there-so-few-wome_2_b_9901980

www.bbc.com/culture/story/20181029-why-are-women-directors-excluded-from-cinema-history

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47312896

There definitely aren’t enough, but Olivia Wilde, Lynne Ramsay and Kathryn Bigelow spring to mind.

There are some great female directors who have managed it though - Ava Duvernay, Bigelow, Sofia Coppola, Greta gerwig, Lynne Ramsey, Olivia Wilde, Sam Taylor Johnson,

Thanks for the links Sparklesocks. out of all those the only one I've heard of is Sofia Coppola

Because women usually do best in highly structured workplaces where promotion is on the basis of competence that can be proven (they thrive in teaching and medicine and science) and strangely not so well in networking / not-what-you-can-do-but-who-you-know boys' own club. So not many women directors.

Sexism.

I don't think this is hard to work out, is it?

I worked in a very male dominated industry. In 20 years I only ever met one other woman who worked in it. I would say that I was hired exactly because I was a woman. They loved the difference I could bring to sets.

The route to being a film director is usually runner, third assistant, second assistant, first assistant, etc.

That's a long career starting at 21 and working on and up to at least 40.

It usually involves extremely long and antisocial hours, an unpredictable salary (because you are self employed) and working overseas for months at a time when you are lucky enough to have a job.

I know many people who got to second or third assistant director stage (male and female) who gave up their jobs when they became parents.

The ones left are the people who can work whenever they like without having to step up for family commitments at home.

Same old story in the world of work, whatever industry.

I think the tides are changing. Look at some independent film festivals and you will find quite a great number of female directors especially in short movie section. Hope they all make it to the big movies!
It is tough job though.

Jennifer Lee... Frozen anyone....
Drew Barrymore
Elizebeth Banks
Natalie Portman
The Soska Sisters
Asia Argento
Izzy Lee
Jennifer Lynch
Greta Gerwig
Ava DuVernay
Patty Jenkins
Dee Rees
Famke Janssen
Amber Tamblyn
Heather Graham
Olivia Wilde
Katharine O'Brien

@Nextphonewontbesamsung is right. A friend of mine was a camera assistant but the long hours, constant travel, rootlessness etc caused her to quit and do something else. She also did encounter some sexism (comments etc) but I think it was more the instability that got her. It's extremely difficult to manage once you have kids I imagine.