It’s no secret that the movie business is dominated by white men but a new report from the Writers Guild of America for films made during 2020 shows some progress when it comes to screenwriters.
The report, released Friday, showed that there was a 3% overall increase in hiring screenwriters from underrepresented groups– women, people of color, LGBTQ, disabled writers and those over 55– from the previous year.
While that is good news, the study shows that they are still significantly underrepresented in the feature film world.
“This trend, while encouraging, should not be cited as proof that discrimination is vanishing or no longer exists,” the report states, noting that “significant disparities persist, and writers from underrepresented groups continue to face systemic barriers to equitable employment.”
The Guild also called out pervasive sexism in hiring. “79% of women respondents reported experiencing discrimination, bullying, and/or harassment based on their gender – and 35% reported being asked about marital status or childcare while interviewing for Guild-covered work.”
Similar obstacles were faced by BIPOC writers, who reported experiencing discrimination, bullying, and/or harassment based on their race/color in their professional careers.
It doesn’t stop there. Ageism is also a significant issue. “Writers over 55 comprise the next largest group of disadvantaged writers, after women and people of color. Despite making up 29% of the U.S. population, only 18% of screenwriters employed in 2020 were over 55.”
The report went on to say that “It is worth noting that ageism in the entertainment industry does not affect all writers equally. While a small group of highly successful screenwriters continue working long after age 55, many more see diminished opportunities – or a complete lack of opportunity – as they age. Screenwriter employment data does not adequately distinguish between these groups. However, the data that is available on ageism is troubling. In the WGAW’s 2021 Screen Survey, 84% of writers over 55 reported experiencing discrimination, bullying, and/or harassment due to their age.”
For years, the Guild has called attention to the lack of diversity, equity and inclusion in the entertainment industry and these annual reports are part of an effort to shine a light on the situation.
Next up, a report on how the television business is doing when it comes to inclusion.
