Living Archive: The Celluloid Ceiling Documenting 28 Years of Women’s Employment in U.S. Films
EXCERPT
Since 1998, the annual Celluloid Ceiling study has tracked women’s employment in some of the core crafts of filmmaking, including directing, writing, producing, editing, and cinematography. It is the longest-running and most comprehensive study of women’s behind-the-scenes employment available. The Living Archive compiles the findings from every year of the project in a single reference document. The takeaway from this report is that while most of the percentages of women working in the roles considered have risen over the last quarter century, many of the increases have been meager. For example, the percentage of women cinematographers rose 3 points, from 4% in 1998 to 7% in 2025. The percentage of women directors climbed 4 points from 9% in 1998 to 13% in 2025. The percentage of women working as producers increased 4 points, from 24% in 1998 to 28% in 2025. The percentage of women working as executive producers rose 5 points from 18% in 1998 to 23% in 2025. The percentage of women writers climbed 7 points from 13% in 1998 to 20% in 2025. The percentage of women working as editors on the 250 top grossing films was the same in 2025 (20%) as in 1998. The extended timeline highlighted in this report provides a sobering historical record of the chronic underemployment of women in the mainstream film industry.