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As reported by the blog Women and Hollywood, and drawing information from The Hollywood Reporter, the lineup for NYFF has been released and only four, or 13% of the films, are directed by women. This is a step down from last year, where 32% of the films (eight in total) were women-helmed. This is a sad reminder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s study that showed exactly how much we are failing women and other marginalized identities behind the camera, as well as in front of it.

This is not even the first time this year that studies have been released that talk about the lack of female filmmakers represented at film festivals. IndieWire released an article earlier this year on women being represented at indie film festivals, stating that on average 16 narrative films made by men are screened as compared to six by women; for documentaries, women fared a little better with the average is 13 to 8.

The article went on to talk about how women accounted for 29% of directors and other behind the camera positions in indie films screened at festivals between 2017-2018. That’s a disheartening number when we think about how many male filmmakers who get chance after chance while still not delivering excellent product. Women are, on the whole, being shut out of these festivals and therefore being deprived of more chances to get their work screened to the industry and possibly get wide distribution.

This is not to say that all the male filmmakers being screened at NYFF, or at any major or small film festival, are undeserving of their slot. We should still judge on quality of film. However, there have to be as many films that are made by women that also deserve a spot at major festivals. It’s telling that women-helmed films, which often feature more women in other off-camera roles, tend to be shut out of these festivals.

What needs to happen is more festivals need to have diversity initiatives to encourage, mentor, and screen films by female filmmakers. Festivals are a great way to get industry buzz, and without them female filmmakers will continue to struggle for funding and distribution while male filmmakers continue to climb higher and higher. Diversity initiatives such as the ones present at Sundance, or pledges such as the gender parity pledge signed at Cannes, will help continue to allow female filmmakers the chance to shine. Otherwise, we will continue to see a lack of diversity behind the scenes.

The filmmaking world needs to see real, lasting change, and the only way to do so is to encourage marginalized directors and allow their work to be seen by the world. How many talented filmmakers have had their visions stifled by lack of support or an inability to submit their films to festivals? By crafting diversity initiatives, we can allow more filmmakers to share their films and uplift their voices, which in turn will create a better and more inclusive Hollywood. It’s up to festivals to create these movements and to share their platforms. Hopefully, we’ll see a change soon; if not, we’ll keep demanding change until we see it.

(Source: Women and Hollywood; Image: Getty Images)

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Russell Simmons is taking legal action against of the women who accused him of rape. According to E! News, the music mogul is suing a woman, whose name was not revealed, for $35,000.

Even though the $10 million lawsuit …

The geniuses at Marvel have gone and done it again. Over the past few years, fans have been able to experience MCU marathons at their local theater. Sometimes it’s a double or triple feature. Other times it can be up to six movies at once. This past April, Nerdist hosted a 31-hour MCU marathon leading up to Avengers: Infinity War. The end of August will see another marathon event, and this time it’s going to be the most accessible yet for any MCU fan.

Marvel is teaming with IMAX to bring ALL TWENTY Marvel movies back to the big screen to help celebrate its 10th anniversary. The good news is that you will be able to get some rest and even see your loved ones in between the films. Rather than going back to back, IMAX will show four movies a day starting on August 30th and run through September 6th. Here is a handy break down of the entire schedule.

As you can see, September 6th is “TBD.” That’s because IMAX is letting YOU decide what the last two movies will be. Here’s their Tweet where you can vote between Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, and Black Panther.

Only 2 films can close out the final day of our #MarvelStudios10FilmFest. And we’re giving YOU the power to choose.

— IMAX (@IMAX) August 10, 2018

If you are wondering where the MCU is going to be playing in your area, you can head here to IMAX’s site to procure tickets for your local theater. For Regal theaters, they have fifty dollar pass that lets you attend all 20 movies, and if you are a member of AMC’s A-List, you can use it towards a ticket to any movie as well.

So what do you think? Which of these movies are you excited to see on the big screen again? Let us know on Facebook or sound off in the comments below.

Images: Marvel/Disney/IMAX