Gerwig talks ‘Little Women’ for academy’s women initiative

New York- With a new awards season underway, Acemy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences hosted a luncheon Wednesday supporting female filmmakers and celebrating women behind Greta Gerwig’s upcoming “Little Women.”

An elite event

event, held at Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room, drew much of New York’s filmmaking elite and many of faces likely to be seen throughout coming season, including actors Constance Wu (“Hustlers”), Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”) and Meg Ryan; producers Christine Vachon (“Dark Waters”) and Jane Rosenthal (“ Irishman”); documentarians Barbara Kopple and Laura Poitras; and “Honey Boy” director Alma Har’el.

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Gerwig, actor Laura Dern, and producer Amy Pascal , all collaborators on “Little Women” discussed hardships and joys of getting a female-led production me in an industry that has me improvements in parity but still lags woefully behind inequality. Pascal, former Sony Pictures chief, ted that today re are just as many women running studios (one, Universal’s Donna Langley) as re were when she took over Sony two deces ago.

“thing’s ever any different,” said Pascal. “So how do you get a movie me like this? Everybody says . You ask everyone else again and y say . n you just beg someone and make it impossible for m to say because you have a script that is so spectacular and is so accessible and is so different and modern, and a director who just me most amazing first film.”

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Gerwig’s Ly Bird

Gerwig’s acclaimed first solo writing-directing effort, 2017’s “Ly Bird,” ultimately led to her becoming just fifth woman ever minated for best director at Acemy Awards. But ne of that h happened when Gerwig first met with Pascal on “Little Women.”

“Greta came to us and said ’I’m only one who can do this,” recalled Pascal. “She said, ‘It’s all about money and women and freedom.’ That’s it.’ “I just imagine when I go meet with people who have power to get things done, I say, ‘What’s worst that can happen? y say ,’” said Gerwig. “So I tell m I’m best.”

Wednesday’s event, part of a women’s initiative by acemy began last year, was a moment, amid sparkling heights of Rainbow Room, for encourment, inspiration and female solidarity. “I look around and I think: We are unstoppable,” said Dawn Hudson, chief executive of acemy.

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Since 2015, acemy has grown its female membership from 25% to 32%. Earlier this year, its new class of inductees reached parity for first time. In 10 of 17 branches _ including directing, writing and producing _ more women were invited than men.

But studies have also shown industry isn’t changing so much. Last year, just 8% of top 250 films at domestic box office were directed by women, a decrease of 3% from year before, and below even levels of 1998.

To help urge on a new generation of filmmakers, acemy has been giving fellowships to young women aspiring to Hollywood. On Wednesday, Hudson awarded fourth such fellowship, which includes a $35,000 grant, to Eliana Pipes, a Columbia University gruate currently studying ater at Boston University. In London on Friday, she will hand out fifth fellowship.

Researching “Little Women,” Gerwig said, me her realize that difficulties of being a woman getting a film me today aren’t so different from those Louisa May Alcott faced publishing her vel in 19th century New England. “What was astonishing to me was how parallel Louisa May Alcott’s experience was to experience of trying to get a film about women off ground today. Her publisher didn’t kw that it was any good. And she didn’t really think it was any good,” said Gerwig.

“It took or women saying y were interested in it, and I think that happens today in all offices.” Dern was still buzzing from seeing “Little Women” (to be released Dec. 25) just day before. She said production was plainly different than most.

“As we’re longing for change in all se areas, to show up on set, to show up in rehearsals and see that you created was t only incredibly embracing and collaborative and safe, but I saw women everywhere,” said Dern, who plays Marmee March. “I saw choices you were making each day to lift up and support or female artists, collaborators, crew.”

Gerwig said those cast and crew decisions weren’t based on anything but talent. “Female filmmakers, female storytellers, female collaborators, you hire m because y’re best ones,” said Gerwig. “That’s why you hire m.” male perspective of industry, y collectively agreed, has given rise to some absurd myths about women, among m “difficult” actress, “emotional” director or “infighting”-prone females.

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“Have you ever been on a movie set with a bunch of men? y’re fighting all time,” said Gerwig to laughter and applause. “But when women display any emotion at anything at all, y’re like, ‘She’s crazy.’ If women have an argument on film set, it’s different than men having an argument on a film set.”

Oscar-winning filmmaker and journalist Sharmeen Obaid-Chiy concluded afteron with rousing remarks drawing on her hard-fought experiences in her native Pakistan. “I see every single day that young women are changing way y see mselves,” said Obaid-Chiy. “And film is empowering m to do that.”