A handful of female Hollywood directors took to Twitter on Friday for #FemaleFilmmakerFriday, a hashtag launched to highlight women working behind-the-scenes and inspire the next generation.
Aline Brosh McKenna, co-creator and showrunner of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” tweeted a photo of herself on set, writing “We were planning this for 2/2 but people were excited, so let’s go for it! My friend Tamra Davis recently posted a photo of herself directing and it inspired me, so I invited some women to do the same.”
“It’s hard to become what you do not see,” added McKenna, who also wrote “The Devil Wears Prada” and “27 Dresses.”
We were planning this for 2/2 but people were excited, so let's go for it! My friend Tamra Davis recently posted a photo of herself directing and it inspired me, so I invited some women to do the same. It's hard to become what you do not see. #femalefilmmakerfriday pic.twitter.com/be9w7qh10A
— Aline Brosh McKenna (@alinebmckenna) January 26, 2018
A number of other female directors joined on the hashtag, including Ava DuVernay, who tweeted photos from the set of her upcoming film “A Wrinkle in Time.”
“Happy #FemaleFilmmakerFriday. I love seeing all the images of women helmers doing their work. We are a small, but might tribe,” she wrote.
Happy #FemaleFilmmakerFriday. I love seeing all the images of women helmers doing their work. We are a small, but mighty tribe. A few pix with my boys on #WrinkleinTime. pic.twitter.com/tWUawlkGVt
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) January 26, 2018
Lesli Linka Glatter, who has directed “Homeland,” “Mad Men” and “Pretty Little Liars,” posted, “It shouldn’t be harder for our daughters to direct than for our sons. It should be an equal playing field. It’s time that this is no longer an issue, the time is NOW!!!”
#femalefilmmakerfriday It shouldn’t be harder for our daughters to direct than for our sons, it should be an equal playing field. It’s time that this is no longer an issue, the time is NOW!!!@SHO_Homeland pic.twitter.com/lsiruQNJlI
— Lesli Linka Glatter (@LeslilinkaG) January 26, 2018
Julie Plec, executive producer of “The Vampire Diaries,” and Kat Candler, a director for “13 Reasons Why” and “Hellion,” also added to the online discussion with their own photos.
It’s #femalefilmmakerfriday. I’m proud I took the plunge and started directing. Don’t let anything stop you from being the kind of storyteller you want to be. pic.twitter.com/s7k41mDQxg
— Julie Plec (@julieplec) January 26, 2018
For the next generation of young women to see themselves doing what they ❤️ and realize it's possible. On the set of my feature film Hellion. #femalefilmmakerfriday pic.twitter.com/vVhuwTJSZl
— Kat Candler (@katcandler) January 26, 2018
Later on Friday, America Ferrera, who has directed for her show “Superstore,” tweeted photos from her directorial debut, a 2008 short film called “Parental Guidance.”
“I made so many mistakes but I learned 2 important things: that I love directing & I have good instincts! If I can do it, YOU CAN DO IT! Learn from your mistakes & keep doing it!,” she posted.
#FemaleFilmmakerFriday My first time directing in 2008 on a short film called PARENTAL GUIDANCE. I made so many mistakes but I learned 2 important things: that I love directing & I have good instincts! If I can do it, YOU CAN DO IT! Learn from your mistakes & keep doing it! pic.twitter.com/TAI4FVPP17
— America Ferrera (@AmericaFerrera) January 26, 2018
The #FemaleFilmmakerFriday statement comes in the wake of the Time’s Up movement, which is calling for an end to sexual abuse in the workplace, as well as the entertainment industry being comprised of 50 percent women by the year 2020. Women directors in particular have been a focus recently, with the Golden Globes failing to recognize any female filmmakers with its nominations, and “Lady Bird’s” Greta Gerwig becoming just the fifth woman ever to be nominated for a best director Oscar.
