A new study from the Directors Guild of America has found that diversity amongst feature film directors remains disappointingly low. The study analysed over 651 theatrically released films from 2017 and found that for films earning over $250,000 at the box office only 12% of directors were women and 10% were people of colour.
The report also looked at the smaller end of the film industry (films earning less than $250,000) and found the diversity problem isn’t limited to big Hollywood pictures. Even limited release micro-budget projects feature majority white or male directors. Directors Guild president Thomas Schlamme told Variety, “There is a misconception that things are better in the smaller, indie film world, but that’s simply not the case. From financing and hiring, to distribution and agent representation — every aspect of the entire system disadvantages women and people of colour.”
2017 featured many wins for diversity in the film industry, like the runaway success of Jordan Peele’s Get Out and the huge box office numbers for Patty Jenkin’s Wonder Woman. When it came to awards season we saw 2017 films like Lady Bird, Mudbound and Get Out get the attention they deserved. Unfortunately it seems like this success didn’t speak for the industry as a whole.