At an exclusive Cannes Film Festival event hosted by the Paris Film Region and WIF (Women In Film, Los Angeles), the official launch of a new Women In Film chapter was announced; WIF: India. The initiative, part of the global WIFTI (Women In Film & Television International) network, is committed to advancing gender equity in Indian screen industries, and will be led by Academy Award winner and pioneering Indian producer Guneet Monga Kapoor.
WIF: India aims to bring parity and opportunities for women seeking careers in the screen industries. An advisory council of industry leaders will be assembled with representation from across India to support the programming and advocacy of WIF: India, including research, mentorship, and creative labs for Women Filmmakers. WIF: India is an independent chapter but will collaborate with Los Angeles-based WIF, which is the founding chapter of the WIFTI network.
Guneet Monga Kapoor said, “From being in rooms where male colleagues have had to communicate on my behalf so I’d be taken seriously, to leading International co-productions and studio-scale projects, I’ve seen and been actively involved in the progress over two decades. Yet comprehensive studies like the ‘O Womaniya! The 2023 report’ still suggests a lack of gender diversities across key filmmaking departments. The study of 156 films reported only 12% of head-of-department positions were occupied by women.”
She further adds, “Throughout its 50 years, WIF has worked to transform the culture in Hollywood by helping build the pipeline of emerging women creatives. My hope for WIF: India is to help lower the systemic barriers in accessing these jobs for women, as well as excite a new era of transformation – by offering mentorship, networking, and opening up fellowships, workshops, and an industry helpline to help sustain the careers of those currently in the industry. Women are truly the future and alongside WIF and WIF: India, we hope to tap into that limitless potential, building parity and opportunities for women seeking careers in the screen industries.”
“With an ever-expanding global market and deeper connections between the film industries in India and the U.S., this is a natural next step in the evolution of our gender parity work,” says Kirsten Schaffer, CEO of WIF.
“We realize the immense value in creating community and resources for women filmmakers in India and we’re looking forward to collaborating with Guneet in this initiative.”
Founded in 1973 as Women In Film, Los Angeles, WIF has been fighting for gender equity for more than 50 years. WIF works to dismantle gender bias in the screen industries by building the pipeline, sustaining careers, and advocating for change. Membership is open to all screen industry professionals. WIF is led by Chief Executive Officer Kirsten Schaffer and Chair of the Board of Directors Amy Baer.
