Cannes celebrates women… but the film industry remains male

This year, the official poster of the Cannes Film Festival honors Thelma & Louise, two heroines who have become symbols of feminism in cinema. On the red carpet, speeches about equality abound, but despite these developments and an increasingly visible female presence, inequalities remain important in the film industry.

Une progression encore lente This year, the question of the place of women in cinema is once again raised at the Cannes Film Festival. This year, there are 5 out of 22 vying for the Palme d’Or: Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet (La Vie d’une femme), Jeanne Herry (Garance), Marie Kreutzer (Gentle Monster), Léa Mysius (Histoires de la nuit), and Valeska Grisebach (L’Aventure rêvée). “Too few,” actress Charlotte Le Bon tells AFP. “We must continue to demand more than just three women who have won the Palme d’Or.” “The numbers show progress, but it’s slow, not enough,” recognizes Thierry Frémaux, head of the Festival. He believes that the place of women in cinema must be the subject of collective debate because inequalities remain structural.

Le reflet d’un déséquilibre plus large Because the problem goes well beyond the Cannes Film Festival. From project financing, female directors often have fewer resources and opportunities than men. As a result, their films also have less chances of reaching major international competitions. According to the National Cinema Center, nearly 70% of key positions in audiovisual productions are still held by men. Budget gaps also remain significant: in 2024, films directed by women had on average budgets 38% lower. Faced with this reality, the CNC now wants to strengthen its measures in favor of gender parity. Starting in January 2027, productions that do not respect gender balance in leadership positions may be penalized. For associations like the Collective 50/50, these advances are important but still too slow. Because beyond the numbers, it’s also a matter of narratives. Who tells the stories? What perspectives are highlighted? Which stories make it to the biggest stages of world cinema?

In Cannes, these discussions are becoming increasingly prominent. The Festival appears as a reflection of the changes, but also the persistent challenges of the entire film industry.