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Called "Action: The Academy Women's
Initiative," the program will include a one-year fellowship for
women filmmakers and executives, a lunch that will bring
together women across the industry, and a directory aimed at
improving female networking and hiring opportunities.
The announcement by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences follows pressure from women in the movie industry for
stronger voices, better pay and more jobs behind and in front of
the camera.
"As we continue to advocate for inclusion, we are honored to
bring Academy members and the filmmaking community together to
support women in all stages of their careers," Academy Chief
Executive Dawn Hudson said in a statement.
The Women of the Academy lunch will take place in London and Los
Angeles later this month. The one-year fellowship will be
awarded to an emerging woman filmmaker in the United States, and
in Britain.
The Academy, whose 8,000 members vote on the annual Oscars, has
made efforts in the past two years to diversify its mostly
white, old, and male-dominated ranks by inviting hundreds of
women and people of color to join its ranks.
In 2016, the Academy vowed to double its number of women and
diverse members by 2020.
According to a June report by the Directors Guild of America,
only 16 percent of the 651 movies released in the United States
in 2017 were directed by women.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Tom Brown)
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