New Database to Hire Women in Film Launched at Cannes

During the Cannes Festival, “Downtown Abbey” actress Victoria Emslie announced the launch of Primetime, a new database which “spotlights women from all over the world working above the line and below the line in film”. 

Emslie stated, “At Primetime we hope our mission will be met with a united front and desire to drive towards better work culture and hiring practices, in addition to hiring some pretty badass women.” 

Women who wish to be included in the database must have at least three credits from IMDb, major theater companies, or APA-registered companies. Emslie, who is a part of Time’s Up U.K., says that the database will be open to “all those who experience oppression as women, including non-binary and gender non-conforming people, and all those who identify as women.

At last year’s Cannes Film Festival, a group of 82 women, led by late filmmaker Agnes Varda, held a protest on the festival’s red carpet, calling for better gender representation in the film industry and for more accountability against sexual abusers. The 82 women represented the 82 female directors who had their films screened at Cannes since the festival’s inception, compared to 1,688 male directors.