15 08 2018 - Media release Gender Matters KPI update and new industry data released Megan Wilding as Mary Ann Bugg in Sheilas / Photo by Ash Berdebes
Screen Australia has released the second instalment of tracking against its Gender Matters target, which reveals in the year 2017/18 the majority of feature film, documentary, television drama and online dramas that received production funding from the agency, had women occupying at least half of the key creative roles. This is the first time that this has occurred across all content types since tracking began in 2015/16.
Screen Australia's Gender Matters target is that by the end of 2018/19, half of the projects that receive production funding will have women occupying at least 50% of key creative roles.
On a three-year average, Screen Australia has met its overall Gender Matters target for the first time since the initiative was launched, with 51% of all projects receiving production funding having at least half of the key creative roles occupied by women. However, while there has been real improvement in female participation, there is still work to be done, particularly in the feature film sector which is a high profile part of the industry.
The entertainment industry is cyclical. You cannot plan for who will have a great idea and when. So whilst we saw a noticeable upswing in titles where women occupy at least half of key creative roles getting production funding in 2017/18, we're already seeing that trend soften in our most recent funding rounds, said Joanna Werner, Screen Australia Board and Gender Matters Taskforce member. Although it's good to see we have hit our Gender Matters target early, it remains to be seen if the trend will hold. Coupled with the fact industry-wide data clearly shows areas of chronic under-utilisation of female talent remain, I would interpret today's Gender Matters tracking data as a sign we are on the right track not by any means at the end of the track.
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Werner added, As we move into the final year of the original Gender Matters plan, both Screen Australia and the members of the Gender Matters Taskforce will be considering where to focus our attention in 2018/19 and beyond to ensure the improvements in female participation are sustained. We know we still have a lot of work to do.
Although the Gender Matters KPI only relates to production funding, Screen Australia has also released an update on all application data (available here), covering both successful and unsuccessful applications across development and production. This data gives a sense of the pipeline of stories that may transition from development into production in the coming years.
What stands out in our recent application data is that women are well represented, with 57%* of all incoming requests for funding being for projects where women occupy at least half of the key creative roles, noted Werner. Furthermore, those projects are typically successful in obtaining funding, with 55%* of all approved applications being for projects where women occupy at least half of the key creative roles.
But we're very aware that television projects are much more likely to include female creatives than feature film, so our top line application numbers need to be read with the understanding that whilst female participation is increasing industry-wide, it is uneven.
Whist we have seen steady improvement in the film figures over the last three financial years, women are still significantly underrepresented in key roles, so our focus is to see much more advancement in this area. To that end, our new development programs will undoubtedly assist a wider group of creators to be able to workshop their projects, which will not only bring new voices into the market, but give concepts the time and resources to incubate.
All Screen Australia funding is based on merit and the Gender Matters initiative does not include a quota.
The next Gender Matters tracking data will be released in August 2019.
*three year average 2015/16 2017/18 inclusive.
INDUSTRY CONTEXT Screen Australia has also released new industry-wide data charting female participation in Australian feature film, documentary and for the first time, television drama. The data reveals women made up less than half of all producers, directors and writers working in each format (2011-2017), except for producing in television drama where women represented 52% of the workforce.
The percentage of female directors working in feature film (16%) has not improved since the previous industry-wide data set was released by Screen Australia in 2015 covering the period July 1970 to June 2014.
However feature film is a smaller sector compared to television drama in terms of the volume of content being produced, so the number of opportunities for creatives to work in feature film are less. For instance, Screen Australia's Drama Report showed that in 2016/17 $321m was spent to make 457 hours of Australian television drama. In the same period, $284m was spent on 41 Australian features.
-- GENDER MATTERS FUNDING In July 2016, $3.7m was distributed to fund the development of 45 female-driven stories (Brilliant Stories) and 13 female-driven businesses (Brilliant Careers).
Three alumni of Brilliant Stories have already proceeded to production, with online comedy Sheilas from Hannah and Eliza Reilly launching later this month (sheilas.tv) and Rachel Griffith's Ride Like a Girl feature film about Michelle Payne's life is currently in post-production. Last month Natalie Erika James' feature Relic received production funding and has just finished shooting in Victoria.
The suite of Brilliant Careers recipients focussed on either slate development or providing career opportunities for individuals, with the aim of creating self-sustaining enterprise. Sophie Hyde and
