Last year, we saw a large shift in the film industry with some exciting firsts that have shown us how far women have come. Greta Gerwig made history with Barbie, becoming the first solely female-directed film to bank a billion dollars at the box office. This showed us truly how much an audience wants to see stories told from a woman’s point of view. I mean, who wouldn’t?
At the same time, Michelle Yeoh became the first East Asian woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress at the Oscars for her outstanding performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Yeoh’s victory was a reminder that women of color have been overlooked for way too long, and her success opened doors for other talented underrepresented actresses to be seen and praised.
Saltburn, directed by Emerald Fennel certainly turned my stomach upside down, striking new conversations with others about wealth, power, and identity. This wasn’t her only success, she also received an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay with Promising Young Woman back in 2021. Her Oscar awarded film featuring Carey Mulligan brought a much needed attention to issues surrounding sexual assault and the ugly consequences of victim blaming.
These incredible achievements aren’t just one-time events, they’re part of a larger change in Hollywood. As women like Gerwig, Yeoh, and Fennel breakdown old fences and demonstrate what women can do, I’m left here thinking; what’s next for women in film? Will we see more female directed films? Will we see more diversity within the female film community, representing different cultures and backgrounds? What does the future hold and how can we continue to push for further progress?
While Gerwig, Yeoh, and Fennel demonstrated a leap forward, there are still so many stories to be told from multiple perspectives and communities. Stories from Black, Latina, Indigenous, Asian women, and those within the community of LGBTQ+ community. It is solely the film industry’s job to ensure that women from all backgrounds have access to the same opportunities as their peers. Women in recent years have showed us the power of representation, so crucially, that progress must continue further.
Perhaps, more importantly, we need to strengthen the systems that allow women to thrive and succeed in. Making history and celebrating big achievements isn’t enough. The importance of diverse representation cannot be overstated. Creating a sustainable future where women don’t just reach the top once, but remain there is the key to building a legacy for future generations of women in film.
The next step is pretty clear to me. We need to keep pushing for more female representation at all levels, in front of and behind the camera, and more inclusive opportunities for women to have access to their own creative visions. As an audience, we have the power to support female led projects. The future of female film should not be determined by single victories, but an ongoing, collective effort to foster diversity. We are at a turning point, and although the road ahead looks rocky, it requires effort.
As we look into the future, there is no guarantee the future of film will be shaped by female voices, but we must demand change, celebrate success, and support the women who are shaping the future of cinema.
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