Women and Film: a resource of relevance, for all
womenandfilm.com, is an online resource which is inspiring, educational, as well as immensely entertaining. Women and Film label themselves as being a film community, whose mission is ‘to further the discussion and implement action surrounding the image and representation of women on screen and in media’.
While the website’s content is largely directed at female-identifying individuals, I believe that the issues explored and discussed on the site are relevant and valuable to anyone seeking to use film as a means of activism. This is due to the issues raised on the site, from the representation of females in film to the role of the female film critic in the industry, being important to all members of the film community (regardless of gender).
The issues discussed, through the articles posted on the site, can be viewed as a form of activism, in the sense that the authors are vocalising their opinions and placing them on a public platform, encouraging discourse. Additionally, the site’s female crew list, allows females to connect and work together on upcoming projects. As a form of resource, this crew list illustrates to those seeking to use film for activism, that there are opportunities for them within the industry, as well as communities that exist (often facilitated through the internet) that are passionate about using film as a means of activism, exploring interesting and often taboo subject matter.
The site exemplifies the existence of supportive film communities, who can empower and give guidance to up-and-coming film activists (directors, writers, producers, actors), as well as giving explicit direction as to how to access these resources.