Highest Grossing Female Films in 2017: a Year in Review for Women in Film and the Work Still to be Done

Hello! And welcome to Girls On Film, a critique blog run by two female film geeks. We love film and believe it is vital to our culture, but we want a more intersectional and inclusive industry for women in this industry. Yes, we’re going there. We’ll discuss representation, both negative and positive, review and analyze films from a feminist standpoint, and generally put what we feel would be beneficial to women in film on this blog. We look forward to publishing our thoughts on the bizz in an age where the internet is becoming a bigger platform than written word. Our views and contribution to the film industry is just as important as any male critic. While we don’t know what our career paths may lead us to, we know we have a passion for film and want to channel our feminist identities and views through film critique. First, let’s introduce ourselves.

Hey! My name is Katia. I’m a high school student with a love for fashion, art, comics, and of course film. I’m one of the blog admins of Girls on Film. My love of film started at a young age. I think all of us are exposed to the moving image at a young age and it is an important aspect of entertainment to all of us, but I had a very odd yet comforting connection to it. I’ve grown up with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder, for those who don’t know) and as a young child, my mind always wandered off when I was given something to pay attention to, but not usually a movie. For some reason, I never dazed off or zoned out while watching a movie. Film has always been something I can hyper focus on. Watching a movie was never something that frustrated me as a child, and I think that’s a factor as of why I resonate with film so deeply today. It’s something that I can enjoy, analyze and understand. As I’ve grown older, I think I understand film more than I did when I was six (because, obviously). I’ll never forget when I opened my Letterboxd account, I felt so cool and professional (this was like a year ago, so I’m still a nerd, bear with me). Even when I was writing shitty reviews in my early days of Letterboxd (I’d like to think my reviews have improved since then), I wanted my voice to be louder within the film community, especially considering the fact that I’m a woman. It is no secret women are rare in the film industry. Sure, the generic white girl low rate action film star is easy to find, but are these shitty action stars even being empowered in the films they do star in? How often is it you see Megan Fox being treated by the media respectfully, and not like some sexual object at the butt of every perverted joke. My point is while the amount of women in the film industry is fairly good, the amount of content in the film industry made for women and by women is lacking entirely. The film industry is predominantly male, I say that with full confidence, but this needs to change. With some recent progression in the film industry, we are seeing female directors and writers making films and getting it right, because when we allow women to tell their own stories, a broader understanding and message is made to the film industry. Another aspect we hold close to the message of this blog is intersectionality. We feel it is so important to emphasize that film is for ALL WOMEN. Women of Color, LGBT Women, Disabled Women, Young Women and however you state yourself, your voice is welcomed, accepted, and heard on this blog. We hope to include and empower all women on this blog, even though we may not be of their identity. Being a part of the LGBT community myself, I will do my best to do my community proud and sharing our thoughts on this blog. I am so excited to begin sharing my voice on this platform, and can’t wait to hear everyone’s feedback on what we have to offer!

Hi there! My name is Emily, I am a highschooler,  and I have embarrassingly been obsessed with film and filmmaking since I was gifted a flip video camera in 5th grade. Throughout my early childhood and middle school I became infatuated with the stories and characters presented to me in movies. Lacking any acting ability, my interest was naturally drawn to the process behind a movies final cut including screenwriting, directing, casting, and producing. I was dedicated to creating new storylines and short films using Windows Movie Maker and iMovie, as well as adapting my favorite novels into screenplays. With this drive I enrolled in a local filmmaking class in the 6th grade, in which to my surprise there were only around five female students. The class was heavily populated by boys, taught by two male teachers, and the film icons and movies we studied were heavily casted and produced by white men in this industry. Looking back on this memory now, it is fair to say that I am less involved with filmmaking as a whole, but more interested in discussing and understanding the disparities between men and women in the film industry. So that is why I am co creating this blog! To echo what Katia wrote, this platform is a space where intersectionality amongst women in the film industry can be discussed and critiqued. It is further a place to bring attention to female producers and directors as well as support their endeavors. This blog is finally a place for anyone to discuss films from a feminist standpoint while continuing our knowledge about the topic and some bad ass movies! I hope you guys enjoy this blog and we can not wait to hear everyone's feedback.

Please keep in mind that we are high school students, so our schedules are very busy. Even with our schedules, we want to post as much as we can. Stay tuned for cool content and hey, while you’re at it, follow us on twitter!! @girlsonfilm_