Every March 8th is International Women’s Day, a U.N.-approved celebration of the accomplishments of women from across world, and Short of the Week is happy partake in the opportunity to trumpet the contributions of female filmmakers to short film.

As we’ve all been slowly made aware of these last few years, the hurdles for women in the film industry are steep, and recognition of both these challenges, and the quality of work that is being produced in spite of them, are necessary to create more equitable opportunity.

As a cultural gatekeeper, Short of the Week is not immune to perpetuating this imbalance, as only 24% of the films we featured in 2017 had a female director. As an influential platform for the discovery of talent, we endeavor to do better—both in nurturing up-and-coming creators, and by inspiring future filmmakers in the audience. Here are a few resources we’ve put together towards that end. Happy #IWD2018!

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WOMEN FILMMAKERS GUIDE: RESOURCES FOR FUNDING, MENTORSHIPS, & FESTIVALS 

A resource guide that former S/W, and current FilmStruck programmer Penelope Bartlett compiled in 2016. Please update us in the comments if there are things to add! 

Short of the Week’s Female Filmmaker’s Channel

Our channel of short films directed by women: over 300 films so far across all disciplines and genres. Submit to us! 

The Best Female Animators Playlist

Way back in 2011 we put together this awesome playlist. 7 years later It’s probably time for a sequel huh? 

Recent Articles From Around the Web

This is Why You Don’t See More Women Behind the Camera: Glamour Magazine

This struck a chord with our writer/curator Chelsea Lupkin, who says it’s the most accurate description she’s found of her personal experience as a female director in the professional space. 

Making Films After #MeToo

The day before the Oscars, 3-time S/W-featured filmmaker Minhal Baig took to the Op/Ed pages of the NyTimes to describe her experience as a filmmaker, and the double standard between male “potential” and female “experience”. 

Annenberg Inclusion Initiative

“Inclusion Rider” became the buzzword of this year’s Oscars, and if you’re looking for solid research on gender in film then Stacey Smith, a professor at USC, and inventor of the idea, is someone to check out. We’ve raptly read her reports over the years for Luna, and the 4-part investigation she did in collaboration with Sundance.