Cannes 2024: GenXX Initiative Empowers Female Directors in Global Film Market with Susan Dynner, Maria Burton, Monique Sorgen, Nandi Bowe
GenXX Female Filmmakers headed to Cannes 2024
Having come up in a Hollywood climate of open, unabashed discrimination and disregard for women, now, despite each of their many accomplishments, Gen X women directors are still being overlooked due to ageism.
GenXX’s mission is to normalize women of all ages and races directing.
Collectively, the founders have directed numerous projects, won countless awards, and participated in programs including ABC/Disney, CBS, SONY, Ryan Murphy’s HALF, ProjectHER, Sundance, Black Magic Collective, DGA’s DDI, Film Independent, and have premiered and/or won festivals including Sundance, SXSW, Cannes, etc.
And there are so many other skilled women like them who are ready to work at the studio level, and have been for a long time.
GenXX has been meeting with film/studio/network executives to bring awareness to the initiative and the fact that there is an unconscious bias that mid-career people would be further along “if they were any good,” which doesn’t take into account the systemic lack of opportunity this demographic has faced.
As a result, festivals like Festival de Cannes has consistently struggled to program films by women directors, even though there are many experienced independent directors ready to step in if the financing would properly support them.
GenXX has fiscal sponsorship through Film Independent and you can support them here.
GenXX founders will be at Cannes this year to meet with any parties interested in contributing to their cause.
Please email [email protected] to set up a meeting.
If you identify as a GenX woman director and would like to know more or become a member of GenXX, please sign up at website here and/or join the GenXX facebook page.
