THE NFB’S COMMITMENT TO GENDER PARITY: IN YEAR FOUR, CONTINUED STRONG RESULTS IN FILMS DIRECTED BY WOMEN—WITH NET IMPROVEMENTS IN KEY CREATIVE POSITIONS
PRESS RELEASE
04/03/2020
March 4, 2020 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
On the eve of International Women’s Day, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has announced that it continues to meet its gender-parity goals, both for the number of productions directed by women and for production budgets allocated to women—four years after making its initial commitment.
It also surpassed its goals for gender parity in two of four key creative functions, screenwriting (61%) and editing (55%), with net progress in cinematography and music composition. The NFB expanded its gender-parity commitment to these areas in 2017.
2019–2020 results*:
For works directed by women:
- 46% of NFB works were directed by women (40% by men and 14% by mixed teams)
- 44% of the NFB production budget was allocated to works created by women (42% for works by men and 14% for works by mixed teams)
For women in key creative positions:
- 61% of NFB works were written by women (35% by men and 4% by mixed teams)
- 55% of NFB works were edited by women (41% by men and 4% by mixed teams)
- 22% of NFB works have cinematography by women (72% by men and 6% by mixed teams)
- 19% of NFB works have music scores composed by women (73% by men and 5% by mixed teams)
*Preliminary data as of March 1, 2020, for works in all phases of production during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020.
Quote:
“I want to pay tribute to all the creative women from every background who bring their talent and vision to the NFB. The progress we’ve made to date is due to these women as well as to the dedication of our entire NFB team, at all levels, especially at our production studios. Knowing that there is still work to do, these latest results show what hard work and determination can achieve.”
– Claude Joli-Coeur, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB
At a glance:
GENDER PARITY AT THE NFB
A COMPARATIVE SUMMARY OF RESULTS
| ONGOING PROJECTS |
2019-2020
|
2015-2016
Launch of gender-parity initiative |
| Women |
46% |
45% |
| Men |
40% |
47% |
| Mixed |
14% |
7% |
| EXPENDITURES OF ONGOING PROJECTS |
2019-2020
|
2015-2016
Launch of gender-parity initiative |
| Women |
44% |
44% |
| Men |
42% |
39% |
| Mixed |
14% |
14% |
CREATIVE POSITIONS
| SCREENWRITING |
2019-2020 |
2016-2017
Launch of commitment for creative positions |
| Women |
61% |
27% |
| Men |
35% |
45% |
| Mixed |
4% |
21% |
| EDITING |
2019-2020 |
2016-2017
Launch of commitment for creative positions |
| Women |
55% |
24% |
| Men |
41% |
61% |
| Mixed |
4% |
2% |
| CINEMATOGRAPHY |
2019-2020 |
2016-2017
Launch of commitment for creative positions |
| Women |
22% |
12% |
| Men |
72% |
80% |
| Mixed |
6% |
5% |
| MUSIC |
2019-2020 |
2016-2017
Launch of commitment for creative positions |
| Women |
19% |
13% |
| Men |
73% |
67% |
| Mixed |
5% |
2% |
| Uncoded |
3% |
|
– 30 –
Associated Links
International Women’s Day
English press release in PDF.
French press release here: PDF and link
Media Relations
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About the NFB
Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.