Kermode & Mayo’s Take Celebrating Women in Film with Vanguard
Mar 2, 2026
A lively International Women’s Day special celebrating women filmmakers past and present. They revisit interviews with directors, editors and actors-turned-directors. Discussion covers research on industry representation, memorable career highlights, and the challenges of booking and championing female talent. Lists of standout films and creatives round out the celebration.
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Calling the Shots Revealed A Deep Gender Gap
- UK film production between 2003 and 2015 showed severe gender imbalance in key roles. 14% of directors and 7% of cinematographers were women, with women of colour vastly underrepresented.
Guest Booking Shows Top Female Talent Gets Less Exposure
- Heather Dempsey describes the practical difficulty of booking female guests due to fewer high-profile, wide-release films by women. She says top-level female talent still lacks equal exposure compared with men.
Memorable Female Guests Heather Proudly Booked
- Heather names standout female guests she booked, including Kate Winslet, Maxine Peake, Catherine Bigelow and Cate Blanchett. She recalls being personally thrilled to secure those high-profile interviews.