Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you so much for participating in all the meetings and discussions dedicated to the status of women in the film industry that were held during this year’s EnergaCAMERIMAGE film festival.
Together with the entire festival team, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for your engagement and openness in sharing experiences and often deeply personal stories.
Through this exchange of perspectives:
- We gained a deeper understanding of the situation of marginalized individuals in the film industry, with particular focus on the challenges faced by women working behind the camera.
- We shared experiences and ideas regarding the need to foster cultural diversity and an inclusive approach within the film community.
- We discussed key issues related to diversity and inclusion policies, analyzing the barriers that exist across different cultures.
- We considered ways to create a welcoming environment for collaboration and integration with regard to festival guests from around the world.
We also hope that the insights shared by festival representatives helped you understand the challenges and issues faced by the festival itself.
In response to the voices of participants of the festival meetings, we conducted a retrospective review of our efforts in connection with this year’s edition of EnergaCAMERIMAGE, focusing on appreciating the work of women in the film industry and recognizing the artistic value of the films made by them.
Statistics regarding women’s participation in the festival and the recognition of the work by female directors and cinematographers
- Film selection process was completed in September 2024. A total of 2,422 films were submitted. An eight-member selection team that featured six women selected 97 films for the nine competitions showcased as part of EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2024.
- Women’s representation in the competitions:
- Main Competition: 25%
- Cinematographers’ Debuts Competition: 75%
- Directors’ Debuts Competition: 45.5%
- TV Series Competition: 40%
- Music Videos Competition: 35.7%
- Polish Films Competition: 28.6%
- Film and Art School Etudes Competition: 35%
- Documentary Features Competition: 42.9%
- Documentary Shorts Competition: 12.5%
Out of the 97 selected films, 36 (37.1%) were created by women.
| Films in competition | Films by women | % of films by women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Competition | 12 | 3 | 25.0 |
| Directors’ Debuts | 11 | 5 | 45.5 |
| Cinematographers’ Debuts | 8 | 6 | 75.0 |
| Documentary Shorts | 8 | 1 | 12.5 |
| Documentary Features | 7 | 3 | 42.9 |
| TV Series | 10 | 4 | 40.0 |
| Music Videos | 14 | 5 | 35.7 |
| Polish Films | 7 | 2 | 28.6 |
| School Etudes | 20 | 7 | 35.0 |
| Total | 97 | 36 | 37.1 |
- Female representation among festival juries: women constituted 30% of all jury members, with four women serving on the seven-member Main Competition jury.
- Festival office team: 75% women.
- Festival volunteers: 70% women.
It is currently estimated that women working behind the camera constitute 14% of the feature film workforce in Europe and merely 6% in the U.S.
Meetings and collaborations
During the festival, in cooperation with the Women in Cinematography initiative, we organized five meetings addressing the unequal treatment of women and the need to expand the festival’s inclusivity towards the arts and issues of culturally marginalized groups. These events were as follows:
- The Year of Brave Women: It Takes a Village: Balancing Parenthood and a Career in Cinematography
- The Year of Brave Women: Finding Visual Language for Intimacy. Cinematography and Intimacy Choreography
- The Year of Brave Women: How to Foster Strong Collaborations and Mutually Beneficial Relationships with Manufacturers
- The Year of Brave Women: “Work Doesn’t Always Speak For Itself” The Role of Film Festivals, Industry Press, Representation, and Self-Management
- EnergaCAMERIMAGE and PSC Meeting: Sharing Voices for the Future
These events brought together over 50 women’s organizations and collectives from around the world, including prestigious associations such as ASC, BSC, BVK, PSC and others.
As a result of these discussions the festival introduced its equality and diversity policy.
The future of the festival
The financial and operational review of this year’s festival edition is currently underway. However, the future of EnergaCAMERIMAGE is uncertain due to the suspension of the second stage of the European Film Center CAMERIMAGE construction by the project organizers. The lack of appropriate festival infrastructure, an issue we have fought to address for years, combined with the rising costs of organizing the festival amid the global economic crisis severely hampering our sponsorship opportunities, all pose significant challenges.
We will inform you of any decisions regarding the festival’s future in due course.
Sincerely Yours,
Marek Żydowicz
EnergaCAMERIMAGE Film Festival Director