Copyright © 2006 by Guerrilla Girls
BELOW IS OUR 2012 UPDATE OF THE BILLBOARD, WITH EVEN WORSE STATISTICS.
Copyright © 2012 by Guerrilla Girls. You can see this version in the March, 2012 issue of Interview magazine.
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The 500-pound gorilla in Hollywood isn't King Kong—it's discrimination against women directors!
THE GUERRILLA GIRLS AND MOVIES BY WOMEN UNVEIL A NEW BILLBOARD AT SUNSET
AND CAHUENGA IN HOLLYWOOD, FEB 1-MARCH 5, 2006
We took Kong, gave him a sex change and a designer gown, and set her up in
Hollywood, just a few blocks from where the Oscars will be awarded March 5,
2006.
Why? To reveal the sordid but True Hollywood Story about the lack of women
and people of color behind the scenes in the film industry:
Only 7% of 2005’s 200 top-grossing films were directed by women.
Only 3 women have ever been nominated for an Oscar for Direction (Lina Wertmuller
(1976), Jane Campion (1982,) and Sofia Coppola (2003). None has won.
More embarrassing Hollywood statistics:
Of 2004”s top-grossing films:*
5% had female directors
12% had female writers
3% had female cinematographers 16% had female editors
Only 8 people of color have ever been nominated for an Oscar for Direction.
None has won.
Hollywood guilds are 80 to 90 % white.
Only 3% of the Oscars for acting have been won by people of color.
In the 21st century, low, low, low numbers like this HAVE to be the result
of discrimination, unconscious, conscious or both. Hollywood likes to think
of itself as cool, edgy and ahead of its time, but it actually lags way behind
the rest of society in employing women and people of color in top positions.
There may be women heading studios these days, but what are they doing for
women and people of color? Why do they keep the white male film director stereotype
alive? Here’s an easy way to change things: open up that boys' club
and hire more women and people of color. It worked in medicine, business and
law. It worked in the art world. Now it's Hollywood's turn. Rattle that cage,
break those chains! LET WOMEN DIRECT!
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS BILLBOARD, INCLUDING LOTS OF INDIVIDUALS
AND THE FOLLOWING ORGS:
MoviesByWomen.com
Guerrilla Girls
New York Women in Film and Television and all of their supporters
Alliance of Women Directors
Women Make Movies
Women in Film
The Fund for Women Artists
Films42.com
In the Trenches Productions
WITASWAN
CineWomen - L.A.
CineWomenNY
Bitch Magazine
The Edit Studio Flaming Angel Films