A Snippet About Women And The Academy Awards

Clearly, there is a reason we keep seeing much of the same kinds of movies being recognized at the Academy Awards.

The voting population of the Academy is 94% white, 77% male, and 62 is the average age.

In 84 years, only 4 women have been nominated for a best directing Oscar.

1 has won.

In 2011, only 5% of the top grossing films in Hollywood were directed by women. The number has decreased since 2008.

[Lina Wertmüller in 1976 for Seven Beauties, Jane Campion in 1993 for The Piano, Sofia Coppola in 2003 for Lost in Translation, Kathryn Bigelow in 2009 for The Hurt Locker]

By role, women accounted for 5 percent of directors, 14 percent of writers, 18 percent of executive producers, 25 percent of producers, 20 percent of editors, and 4 percent of cinematographers last year. – Women’s Media Center

Only 2 out of the 9 films nominated for Best Picture pass the Bechdel Test.

What is the Bechdel Test? A movie has to have all three of these happen in just ONE scene in the entire movie (not a high bar to reach):

1. It has to have at least two women in it,
2. Who talk to each other,
3. About something other than a man.

For more information on women in media, visit Women’s Media Center.

image via AMPAS

Tagged as: 2012 academy awards, bechdel test, movies, oscars, women directors, women in film, women in movies