Indie Women: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women in U.S. Independent Film, 2023-24
EXCERPT
This year’s Indie Women study tracked the employment of behind-the-scenes women working on independently and domestically produced feature-length documentaries and narrative films screening and/or streaming at 20 high-profile film festivals in the U.S. While these fests continue to stream/screen more narrative films with male than female directors, for the first time they selected more documentaries with female than male directors in 2023-24. The festivals streamed/screened an average of 11 narrative films directed exclusively by men and 7 directed by women. However, the festivals screened/streamed an average of 9 documentaries directed by at least one woman and 8 directed exclusively by men. Women achieved historic highs working as directors (45%) and writers (45%) on documentaries, while the percentages of women working on narrative features declined in every role considered in 2023-24. Higher percentages of women worked as directors, writers, executive producers, producers, editors, and cinematographers on documentaries than on narrative features. Overall, women accounted for 44% of these behind-the-scenes individuals working on documentaries, even with 2022-23, and 32% of those working on narrative features, down from 35% in 2022-23. The study also reports on women working as composers on independent films. Women comprised 18% and men 82% of composers on independent features (narrative and documentary films). Composers, who happen to be women, fared better on documentaries (24%) than on narrative features (15%).