Women in Film: The Changing Landscape

The Trailblazing Women On and Off Screen event series, hosted by Women in Screen and Research and Enterprise in the School of Arts and Creative Industries at London South Bank University, continues to make a significant impact in promoting gender balance, inclusion, and reducing negative stereotyping in family entertainment media. In its fourth year, the series celebrated the 30th anniversary of the UK release of the iconic film Thelma & Louise, in association with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.

Keynote speaker Madeline Di Nonno, President and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute, presented the Institute's strategic direction, fundraising, D&I programs, research, financial, and operational activities. The Geena Davis Institute, founded in 2004 by Academy Award-winning actor Geena Davis, is the only research-based organization working collaboratively within the entertainment industry. It strives to create gender balance, foster inclusion, and reduce negative stereotyping in family entertainment media.

In the session, two recent studies were highlighted, including the Ageless Test, the first global study to systematically analyze representations of older adults, with a specific focus on women aged 50+ in entertainment media. Additionally, the Black Women in Hollywood study examined the intersectional depictions of Black girls and women in Hollywood, a topic on which there is limited research.

The panel featured esteemed experts in the industry, including
- Melanie Hoyes: BFI / Europe Council Chair GDIGM
- Louisa Phung: Director and Writer
- Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini, Award-winning playwright and screenwriter
- Helen O'hara - Film Journalist and author
- Lucy Brown - LSBU's Head of Film and Founder of Women in Screen and Trailblazing Women on & off Screen

The event series continues to make a significant impact in promoting gender balance, inclusion, and reducing negative stereotyping in family entertainment media.