NYWIFT Blog

What Can We Do About the Under-representation of Women in Screenwriting?

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There has been a very thoughtful and extensive conversation going on over at the The Black Board (community of the Black List and Go Into The Story). It arose from this:

The Nicholl’s website reveals a startling stat: 1 in 4 of their applicants are women.

They’re referring to the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, of course, which is accepting submissions until May 1 (go now and enter your script!).

I like the conversation’s focus on both individual and systematic solutions: mentorship, men acting as allies, blind submissions, being active in an organization (like NYWIFT’s writers group) — even writing under a male pseudonym

What do you think?

—MICHELE DAGLE

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