Ladies First? : Women Directors and the Cannes Film Festival

In 2012, the Cannes Film Festival was criticised for not including any feature films directed by women in the coveted Palme d'Or competition. This thesis is a case study of the debate around female representation in the Palme d'Or competition in Cannes 2010-2014. The thesis analyzes how the small amount of women-directed films in the Palme d'Or competition was discussed in the media and in forums within and outside the festival 2010-2014, and how the situation relates to the state of gender equality in the global film industry. The second chapter contains an overview of the history and current situation for women filmmakers, and discusses possible explanations for why female filmmakers are so few compared to male ones.