Women Filmmakers Still Grossly Under-represented

MIAMI - Feb. 24, 2022 - PRLog -- A new streaming platform featuring films, movies, television series' and podcasts made by women and for women launches on International Women's Day, March 8, 2022.

According to recent studies conducted by the USC Annenberg Foundation, only 12 percent of the top-grossing films in 2021 were directed by women. This number dropped from 2020 where it had reached an all-time high of 17 percent.

"These numbers are appalling," said Yvonne McCormack Lyons, founder of WIFF-TV. "The fact that this number has decreased from an already extremely low number tells me that we must fight for parity even harder."

Further, the number of Women of Color working in front of and behind the camera is almost nonexistent.  The study looked at 1300 films from 2007-2019 distributed by six major film distributors (Sony, Warner Bros, Paramount, Universal, Disney, Fox) and revealed that only 13 were directed by Women of Color - that's a 92 (white male) to 1 (woman of color) ratio across 13 years!

"In this era where disparities of race and gender are at the forefront of discussions in America, the entertainment industry must do better," added McCormack Lyons.  "This is why having a platform such as WIFF-TV where women's work can be created and presented is so important."

WIFF-TV was created to increase the visibility of films made by women, and to create a hub where women could screen their work, and discuss issues related to them globally.

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"The launch of WIFF-TV allows us to provide a safe place where we can continue the dialogue, discuss women's issues, and empower our visions and voices all year long," said McCormack Lyons.

An avid traveler, McCormack Lyons, who was born in England, raised in Toronto, Canada and whose parents are from the Caribbean, felt the importance of bringing women together worldwide. As such, the films, tv series, and podcasts stem from Europe to Africa to Asia as well as North and South America.

"We surveyed more than 300 women, and the overwhelming result was that they wanted this platform to be international in nature and address issues through live discussions and on-demand content. We're delighted to be able to provide it to them."

Monthly subscriptions to WIFF-TV are $9.99 monthly or $79.99 annually (a 20 percent discount).  All subscriptions include a one-week trial period. In celebration of Women's History Month, viewers receive a 20 percent discount during the month of March ($7.99 monthly for three months).

About WIFF-TV
WIFF-TV is a new on-demand streaming platform showcasing films, television, podcasts, and live events made by women women, with curated content from top female producers and filmmakers around the world.