There was a slight rise in films made by women and non-binary people released in the UK in 2023 compared to 2022, according to the annual review from Reclaim The Frame, the UK’s gender equality in cinema charity,
But progress is not consistent and not coming quickly enough, said the organisation which marked its 20th anniversary year in 2023.
The number of films made by women and non-binary people and released in the UK rose slightly in 2023 to 27%, or 157 out of 588 films - the same percentage as 2019. In 2022 it was 24%, a 6% drop on the year before. For a film to qualify in Reclaim The Frame’s research it must be directed or co-directed and/or written or co-written (with at least 50% film credit) by a woman on non-binary individual.
“There has thus not been any consistent progress since we started tracking UK releases back in 2017, and before we can begin to consider the annual share to be meaningful, it needs to exceed the all-time high of 30% in 2021,” said the review.
The number of films written by female and non-binary individuals has remained around the same level as five years ago. After three years of female and non-binary directors accounting for 20% of UK releases, this figure has risen to 21%.
The percentage of UK releases directed by female and non-binary Black, indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) filmmakers remains unfortunately small, however it increased from 4% in 2021 to 6.1% in 2022, and then down slightly to 5.7% this year. For BIPOC writers of marginalised genders, the figure is moving in the opposite direction, down to around 5% in the last two years after the all-time high of 6.7% in 2021.
Top 2023 performing titles (as of December 15)
Greta Gergwig’s Barbie was the best-performing film at the UK box office this year, grossing over £90m*. But beyond the stunning success of Barbie, the top 100 remains overwhelmingly skewed towards male-directed titles. Of the top 100 highest-grossing films at the UK box office in 2023, just 13 were directed by women, with two additional female co-directors credit.
In 2022, 11 of the top performers were directed by women, with an additional two receiving co-director credits. Don’t Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde, was the strongest title last year, reaching number 26 on the chart, grossing £9.3m.
After Barbie, the next best performer this year comes in at number 23, Emma Tammi’s horror Friday Nights At Freddy’s, that took around £10m.
This was followed by Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (released December 26 2022) at number 38, taking £7.6m this year, directed by Kasi Lemmons.
Also in the top 100 was Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels (£7m), Fawn Veerasunthorn’s Wish – co-directed with Chris Buck – (£6m), Elizabeth Banks’ Cocaine Bear (£5.3m), Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn (£4m), Hettie Macdonald’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry (£3.4m), Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken co-directed by Faryn Pearl (£2.5m), Celine Song’s Past Lives (£2.4m), Beyoncé’s Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (£1.5m), Coky Giedroyc’s Greatest Days (£1.5m), Nia Vardalos’ My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (£1.4m), Raine Allen-Miller’s Rye Lane (£1.2m) and Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall (£1.1m).
Films still to be released this year from female directors are Yan-chi Mo Lai’s Band Four; Julie Cohen’s Every Body; and Meg Ryan’s What Happens Later.
*All box office figures via Box Office Mojo, correct at time of writing
No comments yet