Women of Cinematic Arts Speaker Panel

Originally appearing in the School of Cinematic Arts News on March 31, 202 3 by USC Cinematic Arts.

The Women of Cinema Arts (WCA) hosted a screening of Pioneers in Skirts, School of Cinematic Arts alumna Ashley Maria’s documentary about the dire state of gender equity in Entertainment, Tech and other industries.

WCA President Nicole Wisdom reminded the audience of the stark facts of the film industry, including that out of more than 400 Academy Award nominations for best director, only eight have been for a film led by a woman; and only three have won (Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker, Chloe Zhao for Nomadland and Jane Campion (who was nominated twice) for The Power of the Dog).

Following the screening, director Ashley Maria moderated a panel comprised of SCA alumni HIKARI, Iram Parveen Bilal and Martina Lee, joined by filmmaker Brea Grant who worked on Pioneers with Maria. They spoke about their personal journeys to getting projects made, and overcoming the disappointment of stalled projects, intermittent unemployment, and rejection. The event was emblematic of the kinds of work WCA does to promote and progress the work of women filmmakers, particularly those who graduated from SCA.