London Film Festival teams with Geena Davis for gender symposium
- Actress’ Institute works towards improving gender balance in the entertainment industry
The British Film Institute (BFI) London Film Festival has partnered with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media (GDI) and Women in Film and Television (WFTV) to host a global symposium on gender in media on October 8, the day after the festival opens with Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette [+see also:
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Founded by Davis, the Institute is a research-based organisation working within the media and entertainment industry to improve gender balance, reduce stereotyping and create diverse female characters in entertainment. At the symposium, the Institute will present new global research that investigates the influence of international films on diverse film audiences in the UK, India, Nigeria, France and Brazil. Davis said, “Media images have a huge impact on our perceptions, and on our social and cultural beliefs and behaviours. Our new global study, explores how global films may be reinforcing negative gender stereotypes with movie audiences of all ages.”
BFI CEO Amanda Nevill will introduce the first panel and will outline how the BFI is addressing gender equality in film including its ‘three-ticks’ initiative aimed at ensuring BFI-backed films represent the diversity of the UK. The second panel will be introduced by producer Elizabeth Karlsen, Chair of WFTV, and will focus on storytelling from around the world and empowering women and girls through film.
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