Sundance Institute and Women in Film expand study, support of female filmmakers

PARK CITY, Utah – A study commissioned by the Sundance Institute and Women in Film Los Angeles finds that female filmmakers who participate in the institute’s feature and documentary development labs succeed in equal numbers to men.

The executive director of the Sundance Institute and the president of Women in Film Los Angeles presented the findings Monday at a private event during the Sundance Film Festival.

The study examined participation in Sundance’s film-development labs and found that gender had no impact on the likelihood of a film’s completion. About 41 per cent of all lab projects by male and female filmmakers are finished, and 80 per cent of those go on to play at major film festivals.

The study was conducted by the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California.