Lifetime Networks is shooting to change the role of women in the film industry with its second competition for aspiring female directors.
“Every Woman’s Film Competition” will have a panel of celebrity judges reviewing short film submissions of three to five minutes in length. Contestants in the competition must upload their movies to Lifetime’s online community site, myLifetime.com. Visitors can view and rate the entries until June 15, with winners to be revealed in October.
The competition is co-sponsored by Lifetime, Women in Film, the William Morris Agency and the Hollywood Reporter.
The winner will receive a cash prize of $5,000 with the runner-up receiving $2,500. Three honorable mention winners, and a favorite filmmaker chosen by the myLifetime audience, will win $1,000 each. All six contestants get a shot at having their films screened on Lifetime Movie Networks. They’ll also win trips to networking events and film festivals.
“This incredible access and visibility will dramatically increase their odds of success. And for all those who enter but do not win, the competition will allow them to open their eyes to possibility, find their voice and motivate them to continue to work hard to fulfill a dream to make movies,” said Louise Henry Bryson, executive vice president and general manager of Lifetime Movie Networks, in a statement.
Lifetime restricted last year’s competition to student directors, and fielded 70 submissions. This year, Lifetime is opening the competition to all amateur female film directors.
Bryson notes that only 15% of feature films produced in 2006 were directed, edited or produced by women. She said Lifetime wants to redress that imbalance: “The ‘Every Woman’s Film Competition’ is designed to help change that statistic by giving all women the chance to tap into their creativity and talent,” she said.
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