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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 4 January 2020
Study finds 2019 was a 'banner year' for female filmmakers

By JAKE COYLE by USC Annenberg Inclu- ative officer of Walt Disney
Associated Press sion Initiative. That percent- Animation Studios.
NEW YORK (AP) — Lulu age of female filmmakers, Other notable films includ-
Wang, Lorene Scafaria, 10.6%, is greater than re- ed Kasi Lemmons' "Harriet,"
Melina Matsoukas and Gre- searchers have recorded Tina Gordon's "Little" and Jill
ta Gerwig led Hollywood to before, suggesting that Culton's "Abominable."
a record year for women in some measure of change USC researchers singled
the director's chair. In 2019, is finally coming to a film out Universal Pictures,
women directed more of industry where inequality which put forward a slate
the most popular movies behind the camera has re- of films with 26% directed
than any year before. mained stubbornly persis- by women. Universal is the
Women directed 12 of tent. only major studio with a fe-
2019's top 100-grossing It's the most meaningful in- male studio chief, Donna
films in 2019, according to crease in several decades Langley.
a study released Thursday for female directors. De- Netflix also fared well.
This image released by Sony Pictures shows, writer-director While the streaming com-
Greta Gerwig, left, and actress Meryl Streep on the set of "Little pany's films largely bypass
Women." theaters — leaving them
Associated Press outside the study's param-
spite mounting outcry, the The high-profile success of eters — 20% of Netflix's 2019
rate of female directors several films had already movies were directed by
helming Hollywood's top made 2019 a historic one women.
productions has long been for women. Those include Paramount Pictures, how-
largely stagnant. The pre- Wang's "The Farewell," one ever, hasn't released a
vious high in USC's annual of the year's most popular movie directed by a wom-
study was 8%, in 2008. In indie releases, Scafaria's an in the last five years.
2018, only 4.5% of the year's acclaimed "Hustlers" ($105 Four women of color di-
top films were directed by million domestically), Mat- rected one of the top 100
women. soukas' "Queen & Slim" movies in 2019, though
"This is the first time we have ($40.7 million) and Ger- the overall statistics for un-
seen a shift in hiring prac- wig's "Little Women," which derrepresented directors
tices for female film direc- last week opened strongly dipped. Underrepresented
tors in 13 years," said Stacy with $29 million in its first five filmmakers were behind
L. Smith, one of the study's days of release. 16.8% of films in 2019, a de-
authors. "One notable rea- "Frozen II," with $1.2 billion cline from last year's 21.4%,
son for this jump in 2019 was in worldwide ticket sales, is a record.
that Universal Pictures had close to setting a new box- "While 2019 is a banner
five films with women direc- office record for a movie year for women, we will not
tors at the helm in the top directed by a woman. Jen- be able to say there is true
100 movies. Yet there is still nifer Lee, who co-directed change until all women
much more progress need- the film, set the record with have access and oppor-
ed to reach parity for wom- the first "Frozen" film. In 2018, tunity to work at this level,"
en behind the camera." Lee became the chief cre- said Smith.q

Justin Bieber to launch docu-series

on YouTube in January

By The Associated Press ed, YouTube provided
Justin Bieber is launch- me a platform and a
ing a docu-series about community where I could
creating his new album share music, experiences
on YouTube, the platform and moments with my
where the singer originally fans," Bieber said in a
got his start in music over statement. "It feels great
a decade ago. to partner with YouTube
YouTube announced for this original documen-
Tuesday that "Justin tary series. I want my fans
Bieber: Seasons" will de- to be part of this journey."
but Jan. 27. The 10-epi- Bieber, 25, will release a
sode series will follow the new song, "Yummy," on
pop star while he records Friday. His most recent al-
his first new album since bum was "Purpose," which
2015. Before releasing features the hits "Sorry,"
his debut song in 2009, "Love Yourself," "What Do
Bieber gained popularity You Mean?" and "Where This Nov. 22, 2015 file photo
from posting his perfor- Are U Now," a collabora- shows Justin Bieber at the
mances of cover songs tion with Diplo and Skrillex American Music Awards in
on YouTube. which won Bieber his first- Los Angeles. Associated Press
"When I was getting start- ever Grammy Award. q