2019 saw the highest number of female filmmakers in 13 years, but there’s still a ways to go before reaching parity, according to a new study reported by The New York Times.
In total, 10% of the directors of last year’s top films were women, the study found, according to the Times. This was twice the amount of female directors in 2018, and just over twice the amount that has been the average since 2007.
What’s more, two of 2019’s five most successful films were co-directed by women, according to Entertainment Weekly. “Captain Marvel” was directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, while “Frozen II” was directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck.
However, there have been other notable films produced by women in 2019, including Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women,” Marielle Heller’s “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” and Kasi Lemmons’ “Harriet,” according to EW.
“We’re finally seeing some traction,” Stacy L. Smith, one of the study’s authors, said in a statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “A confluence of factors have led to a real moment in 2019.”
However, the authors of the study acknowledged that, while progress is being made, there are other areas that need improvement.
For example, women of color are underrepresented in directorial roles more dramatically than women in general, according to EW.
The percentage of directors who are women of color decreased from 2018 to 2019, and in the course of the 13-year study, less than 1% of all directors were women of color, Smith told EW.
“While 2019 is a banner year for women, we will not be able to say there is true change until all women have access and opportunity to work at this level,” said Smith, according to EW.
The study analyzed film scores from Metacritic and found that the highest median and average scores were for films from women of color, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Yet, women of color are least likely to work as directors across the top 100 films each year,” Smith told The Hollywood Reporter. “These findings suggest that when companies seek to hire ‘the best person for the job,’ they are not relying on objective criteria, but on a subjective view of storytellers.”
Several significant movies helmed by female filmmakers will come to theaters in 2020, and a poll from Fandango found that the most anticipated films of the year are coming from women directors, according to the Times.
These anticipated films include “Wonder Woman 1984,” directed by Patty Jenkins; “Black Widow,” directed by Cate Shortland; and “Birds of Prey,” directed by Cathy Yan, the Times reported.