The Canadian film industry is a fast-growing and important field, allowing for the creation of movies and TV that are uniquely Canadian, highlighting aspects of our culture, community, and beautiful landscapes. However, not every facet of the industry sees the amount of growth or attention that they should. A study published last year by the University of Alberta titled “Re-Framing the Picture: An International Comparative Assessment of Gender Equity Policies in the Film Sector” found that Canada’s film scene is lagging behind other countries in terms of gender equity representation. The study, conducted by Deb Verhoeven, along with collaborators Elizabeth Prommer, Skadi Loist, and Doris Ruth Eikhof, looked at 12,000 films made between 2005 and 2020 from Canada, the U.K. and Germany, focusing on the three main key creative positions on each film: producers, writers and directors. Unfortunately, the results are far from optimal. The U.K. and Germany are expected to reach gender equity in these positions, meaning men occupying 50 percent of them, in 61 and 17 years respectively. Canada, on the other hand, is currently on track to reach this goal in an astounding 190 years.
According to Verhoeven, there is no cut-and-dry explanation for this “glacial progress.” One factor could be a lack of public funding, the main driver for much of Canada’s film output, that is conditional on gender equity or inclusion. While Telefilm Canada has claimed a lower number of all-male film teams in recent years, this may be a non-issue. Verhoeven, speaking with the University of Alberta, said: “the critical problem is not that there are too many all-men teams, but rather too many teams with tokenistic appointments of women and gender minorities. The interventions designed by policy-makers do not seem to be configured to address the specific problems in the Canadian industry.”
Another reason contributing to this disparity is the high turnover rate between film projects. A woman in a key creative role may occupy that role for one project over the course of one to two months, before losing that position on the next project they work on. Verhoeven and her colleagues believe this could be addressed by implementing specific policies that allow for women and gender minorities to keep these higher creative level positions once they have already entered the industry. The study also found that men tend to primarily collaborate with other men, showcasing issues that may arise from professional networks perpetuating male dominance.
When looking for solutions to this disparity, one method may be to look at how other countries have conquered similar disparity. An international study conducted in 2017 by the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) found that while both Canada and the US were far behind in female representation behind the camera, Sweden was leading the charge by a wide margin. Sweden announced its goal of achieving gender parity for directors of publicly funded feature films in 2014 and achieved this goal in just two years in 2016. According to then Swedish Film Institute CEO, Anna Serner, proactivity was their path to success. While in most countries women and men graduate from film school in roughly the same numbers, systemic biases and other issues often prevent women and gender minorities from networking and pushing portfolios. In order to achieve these goals, Swedish filmmakers and funders were educated on these biases and pushed to actively search for non-male creatives, rather than just waiting for those who come to them. Since 2016, the Swedish Film Institute has continued to lead the charge in preventing gender disparity in film, introducing new ways to measure other key creative positions (directors of photography, cinematographers, etc.) as well as the portrayal of women on screen.
Verhoeven points to the widely varying stats between countries that are evident in both her study, as well as the previous study by the CMPA, as a clear indicator that new and unique solutions are required for Canada. “There is no one-size-fits-all, magic bullet solution, we need to develop customized policies in tune with industry contexts,” she says. Studies like Verhoeven’s are the first step in shedding light on these issues, allowing for discussions that can influence new policies. Achieving gender equity in Canadian film is a positive development for everyone, as it will allow for new stories and perspectives to be shared and enjoyed. With more advocacy and voices speaking out on this issue, we will hopefully watch these films much sooner than 2215.
