It was only a year ago that filmmaker Jennifer Kent experienced firsthand the negativity that can follow being a female filmmaker at a major festival. Debuting her sophomore effort, “The Nightingale,” at last year’s Venice Film Festival, everyone was expecting Kent to have a triumphant premiere. However, the press screening for the film featured someone yelling out “whore!” and other sexist remarks. Compounded with the fact that Kent was the only female filmmaker in the main competition, and you can see why the issues of representation hit home for her.
Speaking to The Wrap, the filmmaker discussed coming back to Venice in 2019, now as a member of the jury and why she’s saddened to see that the gender disparity that was present in 2018 hasn’t truly been addressed.
When the lineup for the 2019 Venice Film Festival competition was announced, it was revealed that there were only two films with female filmmakers chosen, out of 21 selections. Sure, a step up from Kent being the only one last year, but not a great improvement, by any stretch. And that fact isn’t lost on the filmmaker.
“I think it’s an issue,” Kent said. “I hoped there would be more. I really did.”
She added, “There are some incredible women out there making films, and we need to see them, and they need to be in festivals, A-list festivals, and have the opportunity that men are having. All I can do from my perspective is keep making films, no matter how hard it is.”
For her part, Kent said that she thinks it’s important to have a female voice on the jury and is happy that she is able to help judge the competition. And she has some advice for those women out there that are trying to tell their stories and make films.
She said, “And in terms of encouraging, I cannot encourage younger women enough to have faith in their voice and trust that their films can get made and that people will want to see them. We need you.”
The Venice Film Festival begins on August 28.
