Study finds films helmed by women and non-white directors ‘plateaued’ in 2024
Despite critical and theatrical success, women of color directors are still underrepresented in the film industry.
If you feel there hasn’t been a noticeable difference in the number of films by Black directors over the last few years, it’s not just your imagination. According to a new study by USC‘s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, the needle barely moved for women and non-white directors in 2024.
The study, per the Hollywood Reporter, found that 13.4 percent of 112 directors in 2024 were by women, barely one unit higher than 2023’s 12.1 percent.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Stacy L. Smith, the initiative’s founder, said, “The film industry has demonstrated that it can increase the percentage of women directors and maintain that progress.”
She continued, “Yet, there is much more room to improve. Women directors are still significantly outnumbered and rarely get multiple opportunities behind the camera. Hollywood cannot be satisfied with the change that has occurred when there is still work to be done.”
The study also found that 5.3 percent of directors were women of color, up from last year’s 3.4 percent when just four women of color directed projects.
What’s more, the study also found that 24.1 percent of directors in 2024 were people of color, just two units above 22.4 percent in 2023.
What adds to the growing concern around these stats is that they remain drastically lower than those in 2021, when the highest number of directors of color, 28.6 percent, were helming projects. According to the report, none of the major studios have released more than ten films by women of color in almost twenty years. With seven films, Universal remains the studio that has released the most films by women of color directors since 2007. Walt Disney is a close second, with six films by women of color directors.
Another metric used in the study was critic reviews. Looking at critic responses over nearly the last twenty years, with the exception of last year, the study found that there was no significant difference in scores for films directed by women and men. Additionally, women of color tended to score higher than other demographics.
“These findings indicate clearly that women of color bring skills and talents to the craft of moviemaking that result in quality output,” Smith said, adding, “Yet, they still receive the fewest opportunities to work behind the camera in top movies. It is only fair to conclude that talent and qualifications are not the primary basis for hiring decisions.”
The director’s chair report has been released just as Hollywood is gearing up for the 82nd Golden Globes, which will air live on Sunday, Jan. 5, on CBS from the Beverly Hills Hilton.
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