It’s hard not to ask why, in an era when Australia boasts some of the world’s best visual-effects artists, actors, technicians and production teams, we are seeing such staggeringly unimaginative and dated misogyny.
Academic Deb Verhoeven’s research shows that the majority of Australian films are produced by men who consistently decline to work with women in the key creative roles of producer, writer, director. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that of the producers in competition for the 2018 best feature Aacta award, 66% are male. It’s an issue Screen Australia is attempting to address via its Gender Matters strategy.
This week’s announcement that all Australian films selected for the Sundance film festival revolve around female characters, and half are directed by women, show that change is coming, though in an industry this vast, change is always slow.
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