- info_outlineAbout
- filter_9_plusThe Numbers
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Like a River: Hideko Takamine
Though she claimed she had “no special characteristic,” the veteran star was one of the defining figures of classic Japanese cinema
The Smile of Setsuko Hara
Japan’s “Eternal Virgin” contained multitudes beneath her serene surface
Kinuyo Tanaka: Fragility and Resilience
Perhaps the greatest actress in classic Japanese cinema, Mizoguchi’s muse was also one of the country’s only female directors
The Mask of Monica Vitti
Durga Chew-Bose on the haunting visage of Antonioni's muse
TIFF Long Take - Ep. 73: Debra Granik on how to direct a breakout role
The director of Winter’s Bone and Leave No Trace breaks down her remarkable talent for spotting — and directing — the “next big thing”
For Indian audiences, Sridevi will never die
TIFF's tribute to the tragically departed Indian superstar begins this weekend
Viola Desmond Becomes the First Canadian Woman to Grace the $10 Bill
It happened at the movies
TIFF Long Take - Ep. 71: Is the Future of TV not on TV?
Ghost BFF creator and star Vanessa Matsui tells us why so many creators are choosing web series
Molly Haskell on Lauren Bacall and “the Hawksian Woman”
The pioneering film critic and feminist explains why she still loves the heroines of director Howard Hawks
TIFF Long Take - Ep. 69: The Perks of Working at Pixar
Animator Domee Shi tells us how she went from studying at Sheridan College to directing her first Pixar short in less than 10 years
TIFF Long Take - Ep. 68: How to Build a Career in Documentary Filmmaking
Director Sarah Burns tells us why she decided to stay in the family business
Elaine May is “a punk-f*****ing-rocker”
How the former “funny girl” and fearless filmmaker became the scourge of Hollywood suits
"Sometimes you have to be a high-flying bitch"
Sophie Fiennes' documentary, Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami, returns to TIFF
The Double Life of Juliette Binoche
Sofia Bohdanowicz on how the French icon influenced the making of her first feature
The Radical, Radiant, and Revelatory Cinema of Agnès Varda
Celebrating a half-century of the French film legend’s marvellous “pictures with words”
Lillian Gish: Mama with a Shotgun
Before she packed heat in The Night of the Hunter, the screen legend helped give birth to the movies as we know them
Forever "The Girl from God's Country"
Nell Shipman gave Canadian cinema its first action heroine, movie mogul — and nude scene
From Musidora to Maggie Cheung: Celebrating a century of Irma Vep
The legacy of French film’s first screen supervillainess
Love, Lulu
Sifting through TIFF’s cache of correspondence from legendary silent-screen siren Louise Brooks
Dorothy Arzner's Working Girls
Classic Hollywood's leading female director was also a fiery feminist and queer pioneer
When Lois Met Anna
The silent epic The Dumb Girl of Portici put a dance legend on screen for the first and only time — and brought together two of the greatest female artists of the era
TIFF has made a five-year commitment to increasing participation, skills, and opportunities for women behind and in front of the camera. We will prioritize gender parity with a focus on mentorship, skills development, media literacy, and activity for young people.
Join the movement today to receive the exclusive updates and event information! For a list of films directed by women at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, click here.
Unfortunately, there is a considerable lack of incredible female storytellers in key creative and decision-making roles in the film industry:
- Of the top 250 films of 2018, only 20% employed women directors, writers, producers, editors and cinematographers.
- Of the top 250 films of 2018, 25% featured zero or one woman in behind-the-scenes jobs, 58% of films employed two to five women, and 16% employed six to nine women.
- In 2018, just 1% of films employed 10 or more women, while 74% of films employed 10 or more men.
- In 2018, films with a femail director had substantially higher percentages of female employees than films with a male director.
This hasn’t gone unnoticed at TIFF.
The Plan
This work comes at a cost that cannot be supported by current revenue streams. To make this ambitious movement a reality, we need the support of film lovers like you.
Our goal is to raise $3 million. We are delighted to announce that, as of January 2019, we have raised $2.2 million to jumpstart the following initiatives:
- The Micki Moore Residency, a 10-week mentorship programme for emerging female screenwriters — Canadian writer Nikki Saltz has been announced as the inaugural Micki Moore Resident for her feature comedy screenplay, Work It;
- The RBC Female Creator Initiative, which will help female creators grow their careers by fostering artistic skills development, mentorship, and year-round networking opportunities through the new TIFF Producer Accelerator Programme, female participation in TIFF Filmmaker Lab, and access to TIFF Industry programming;
- Presentation of the Heggie Family Speaker Series to spark conversations on gender equity and gender identities in film;
- Design comprehensive resources for educators to enhance the curriculum and support classroom discussions about women and gender in cinema;
- Use industry data to track career trajectories and improve outcomes for women in film;
- Champion diversity of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and physical and cognitive ability within gender equity initiatives.
2018 highlights
- 78 complimentary and discounted passes for emerging female filmmakers to the Canada’s Top Ten, TIFF Kids, and Toronto International Film Festival Industry Forums.
- A TIFF Kids Forum keynote from award-winning filmmaker Genevieve Clay-Smith
- The first participant in the Micki Moore Residency, Nikki Saltz, began her residency
- A full day of female-focused programming at TIFF Bell Lightbox on International Women’s Day, including screenings and panel discussions
- Retrospectives on the films of feminist French filmmaker Agnès Varda, Argentine genius Lucrecia Martel, Hollywood script doctor Elaine May, Brazilian artist Ana Vaz, and Norwegian master Liv Ullmann
- An intimate conversation with actor, author, and activist Amber Tamblyn on her new novel, Any Man
- 15 women gained access to Breakfast at TIFF events, forums for discussion and debate on topical subjects in the industry featuring provocative or timely speakers
- Champion diversity of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and physical and cognitive ability within gender equity initiatives.
- 11 female participants in our Talent Development programmes were awarded fellowships thanks to to the generous support of Sara and Graeme Thomson, the Temerty Family Foundation, Julian Francis and Sue Edwards, Aurora, and Anne-Marie Canning
- The second year of the Share Her Journey Shorts Programme, featuring the films of Amanda Strong, Theresa Traoré Dahlberg, Reena Sengupta, Gökçe Erdem, Olivia Kastebring, Julia Gumpert, and Ulrika Bandeira
Festival 2018
- TIFF Artistic Director and Co-Head Cameron Bailey signed the 50/50 by 2020 Pledge, vowing to program 50% films by female directors by 2020
- 11 national and international female participants in TIFF Filmmaker Lab
- Two HFPA Residencies awarded, which included trips to Los Angeles to work with mentors and attend the Golden Globes
- The Worth It Show by L’Oréal Paris: a panel with Andie MacDowell, Amber Heard, and Share Her Journey Ambassador Shohreh Aghdashloo on the importance of women in the film industry
- The Heggie Family Speaker Series presented the groundbreaking Industry keynote “Diversity of Film Criticism with Dr. Stacy L. Smith”
- Share Her Journey Rally
- Featuring nine incredible speakers: Geena Davis, Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Amanda Brugel, Keri Putnam, Mia Kirshner, Amma Asante, Cathy Schulman, Nandita Das, and Zavia Forrest
- 22,000 filmmakers, film lovers, and allies participated in person and online
2017 highlights
- Donors Betty-Ann Heggie and Anne-Marie Canning matched donations to the 2017 Share Her Journey fundraising campaign, providing incomparable support and generosity. Thank you Betty-Ann and Anne-Marie!
- A consultation with industry stakeholders to inform planning for Share Her Journey-supported activity in 2018 and beyond;
- The Share Her Journey Shorts Programme – a presentation of short films from some of the world’s most exciting emerging female voices;
- Sofia Coppola: A Name of Her Own – a complete retrospective on the work of the Oscar-winning filmmaker;
- Breakfast at TIFF: Confronting Sexual Harassment in the Canadian Screen Industry – a panel discussion with filmmakers and industry representatives on driving cultural change to help create a safer working environment for people in the film sector.
"Achieving gender parity within the film industry is vital. But, more than anything, I’d love to see the cultivation and celebration of female auteurs – women exercising their unique authorial voices in their own ways is where I see radical changes brimming in cinema."
—Ashley McKenzie, award-winning filmmaker
Meet the Ambassadors
The Share Her Journey Ambassadors have joined a movement to champion female storytellers, supporting TIFF's commitment to increase participation, skills, and opportunities for women behind and in front of the camera.
Rima Das
Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor, Filmmaker
Bulbul Can Sing, Village Rockstars, Man with the Binoculars: Antardrishti
Mira Nair
Director, Producer
Queen of Katwe, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Amelia, The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding, Mississippi Masala, Salaam Bombay!
Sarah Rafferty
Actress
Suits, All Things Valentine, Small Beautifully Moving Parts
Carmel Winters
Director, Writer
Float Like a Butterfly, Snap, Limbo
Ellen Wong
Actress
GLOW, Condor, Dark Matter, The Carrie Diaries, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Jennifer Podemski
Actress, producer, director
Mocassin Flats, Cardinal, Future History, Empire of Dirt, Blackstone
Joyce Wong
Director, producer, writer
Wexford Plaza, Sunbathing, Power of Love (Celine Dion Fans in Kenya)
Shohreh Aghdashloo
Actress, producer
The House of Sand and Fog, Star Trek Beyond, The Expanse, 24, The Stoning of Soraya M.
Priyanka Chopra
Actor, producer, and activist
Fashion, What’s Your Raashee?, Mary Kom, Quantico
Erika J. Olde
Producer; President and Founder of Black Bicycle Entertainment
Home Again, Woman Walks Ahead, November Criminals, The Female Brain, A Tale of Love and Darkness
Jill Soloway
Writer, director, and creator
Transparent, Afternoon Delight, Six Feet Under
Deepa Mehta
Documentary filmmaker, writer, director
Anatomy of Violence, Beeba Boys, Midnight's Children, Heaven on Earth, The Elements Trilogy (Water, Earth, Fire)
Stella Meghie
Writer, director, producer
Everything Everything, Jean of the Joneses, Recovering Undercover Over Lover
Ann Marie Fleming
Writer, director, animator
Window Horses, Stories Sarah Tells, Big Trees, Seven Sins: Gluttony,* I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors*
Molly McGlynn
Writer, director
Mary Goes Round, 3-way (Not Calling), Dawn, Stasis, Given Your History, I Am Not a Weird Person
Amma Asante
Writer, director
Where Hands Touch, A United Kingdom, Belle, A Way of Life
Prefer to make a donation by phone? Please call us at 1-888-599-TIFF (8433).
Charitable Registration No. 11930 4541 RR0001. Tax receipts are issued for all donations $10 or more.
Are you an industry professional who would like to stay informed or submit an idea for the programme? Let us know!
Want to join the movement and share the message? Download the Share Her Journey social media kit (zip) here.