LOS ANGELES, USA — On the night of the Academy Awards, WIF and Fred & Farid Los Angeles launched an eye-opening campaign to raise awareness of the persistent gender disparities faced by women and also women of color, in below-the-line roles within the Hollywood film industry. Leveraging insights from a comprehensive gender equity study conducted by ReFrame, the gender equity coalition founded by WIF and Sundance Institute, the campaign seeks to spark meaningful dialogue and inspire tangible change in the industry.
The centerpiece of the campaign is a powerful short film created by Fred & Farid Los Angeles, which poignantly uses the end credit format of films to display the vast gender disparity that exists between men and women as well as men and women of color in the film industry. The film uses a custom-created soundtrack to highlight the statistics of women-to-men ratios in behind-the-scenes film positions, escalating from surprising to unbelievable as the statistics of women of color to men fill the screen.
“For 50 years, WIF has fought for gender equity in the screen industries. We’ve seen incredible progress on these issues since our efforts began in 1973, but it’s clear there is still so much more work to be done,” said Kirsten Schaffer, CEO of WIF. “We are thrilled for the women nominees and winners of this year’s Academy Awards. However, there are still categories that have never had a woman, nonbinary, or transgender winners. We continue to advocate for underrepresented talent to be hired into the positions that make our favorite films a reality.”
The campaign launched on the night of the Academy Awards with a social post, collaborating with crucial WIF supporters, including Angela Bassett, Eva Longoria, Lake Bell, the Geena Davis Institute, and ReFrame. The campaign will also be displayed on generously donated digital OOH placements provided by JCDecaux throughout New York, as well as digital online publications. The campaign will also be supported by pre-roll online video to expand visibility and reach.
“We believe that storytelling has the power to effectuate change, and we are proud to collaborate with WIF to spotlight this critical issue. Our hope is that this film will serve as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue and inspire industry stakeholders to take concrete steps toward greater equality and inclusion with WIF’s Action50 program,” said Chelsea Steiger, Creative Director, and Eileen Zhao, Strategy Director at FRED & FARID Los Angeles.
