Only 19% of top Hollywood behind-the-scenes roles filled by women

Percentage of female directors rises - to 9%.

by Jennie Kermode

Pitch Perfect 2, directed by Elizabeth Banks
Pitch Perfect 2, directed by Elizabeth Banks

The number of female producers, directors, writers, editors and cinematographers working on top Hollywood films hasn't improved in five years, it was revealed today. Research by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University found that just 19% of production team and crew members who worked on the 500 top domestic-grossing films in the US in 2015 were women.

Over the seven years since the Celluloid Ceiling study began, the number of female producers and cinematographers has grown but the number of female writers has fallen. More women directed successful films in 2015 than in 2014, reaching 9%, but this is the same figure as in 1998. The researchers found that a film being directed by a woman was a good indicator that there would be a higher than average number of women working on it in other roles. "When women are in a gateway role, such as director, they may open the door to opportunities for other women," said the report's leading author, Dr Martha Lauzen.

The report comes just two days after Kate Winslet, receiving a Golden Globe for her work in Steve Jobs, described 2015 as a good year for women in film.

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