The making of a woman feature filmmaker: Gender and cultural production in a Montreal-based film school

In Canada, women have made significant inroads in television, web series, documentaries, and experimental films. But few women directors and screenwriters participate in big-budget feature film production. This study explores the marginalization of women in the feature film industry through the lens of film production training. As previous studies have shown, film education can shape student filmmakers’ professional identity and aesthetic repertoires. Situated in a Montreal-based film education center, my project will analyze socio-structural arrangements that influence women student filmmakers’ subject formation, career choices, and artistic approaches. Also, this study will explore the strategies that women students employ to succeed in the film school and in the job market. Using qualitative research methods, such as participatory photography, interview, focus group, and on-site observation, this study will generate new insights to promote a gender-sensitive approach to film education.

Faculty Supervisor:

Catherine Russell

Student:

Tracy Zhang

Partner:

Femmes du cinéma, de la télévision et des médias numériques

Discipline:

Journalism / Media studies and communication

Sector:

Education

University:

Concordia University