NOW
NEXT
LATER
NOW
NEXT
LATER
NOW
NEXT
LATER

Out Takes

5 Jul 2019

Female Representation in Contemporary Cinema

Arts, TV & Film

Female Representation in Contemporary Cinema

This week on Out Takes, we turned our attention to the question of female representation in Western cinema. We’ve noticed a spate of recent films that have put the lives of women front and center: think indie flicks like THE WIFE and GLORIA BELL or box office hits like CAPTAIN MARVEL.

But despite our observations, the statistics paint a disappointing picture. Women are still dramatically underrepresented on the big screen. But why?

To help us explore this vexed question, we welcomed film maker and academic Lisa French back to the Out Takes studio. Lisa French is the author of ‘Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute’ and a member of the Gender Matters task force with Screen Australia. We spoke with Lisa about the lack of gender parity in the Australian Film Industry and the issues affecting the rich representation of women in Western cinema.

We also talked to film maker and WIFT board member Andrea Buck. Andrea has worked as a film producer, writer and development executive in Australia, Hollywood and South Africa.

RECENT PODCAST

Oscars Recap 2026

17 Mar 2026

Oscars Recap 2026

TV & Film

For this Out Takes Extra, we got together 24 hours post-Oscars for a debrief and to see if any of ...

2026 GLAAD Media Awards, A Nice Indian Boy interview encore and our Oscar predictions

17 Mar 2026

2026 GLAAD Media Awards, A Nice Indian Boy interview encore and our Oscar predictions

TV & Film

With Awards season wrapping up for another year, we thought we’d celebrate some of the winners at this year’s GLAAD ...

Melbourne Women in Film Festival 2026, The Moment and A Friend of Dorothy

10 Mar 2026

Melbourne Women in Film Festival 2026, The Moment and A Friend of Dorothy

TV & Film

For this Out Takes, we welcomed the return of the Melbourne Women in Film Festival. Running from March 19–23 across ACMI ...