Directors Sadat and Maksimović Detail Funding Barriers for Women in Film

Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat stated at a Tokyo International Film Festival event that women face a built-in disadvantage in the film industry due to a lack of funding and institutional ignorance. The comments came during a talk on the future of women's cinema held at the TIFF Lounge in Tokyo Midtown Hibiya.

Sadat, who served on the competition jury at this year's Venice Film Festival, identified the development stage as the root of the problem. She noted that the disparity in the number of films by women selected for competition did not begin at the festival level. Instead, she argued the discrimination starts when filmmakers are deciding whether to proceed with a project.

The session, moderated by film scholar Takasaki Ikuko, also featured Serbian director Jelena Maksimović. Her film, "Until the Day Ends," screened in the Orizzonti section in Venice. Sadat’s latest feature, "No Good Men," opened the 76th Berlinale before its Tokyo screening. The two filmmakers discussed the practical financial hurdles that limit the production of films directed by women.

Maksimović described the situation in Serbia, noting that the country was once considered progressive yet still had a predominantly male directorate. She said the balance began to shift after the Yugoslav Wars, not because of the conflict itself, but as the region moved into more progressive times. However, she highlighted recent political interference in arts funding.

The outgoing Serbian government cut funding to the Film Center Serbia entirely in retaliation for filmmakers supporting student anti-corruption protests. That student movement, which began with the 2024 collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad, won the country's snap parliamentary election on Oct. 25. President Aleksandar Vučić had resigned in September. Maksimović said the previous regime’s damage will take time to repair, even though the new government is in place.

She explained that even when the film center operated normally, the budget for Serbian films was small, and finding co-production partners was difficult. Male filmmakers in the country enjoyed a privilege that women did not have. Maksimović added that independent filmmakers often avoid applying for major funds because they expect to be rejected, creating a separate bubble away from large-scale financing.

Sadat discussed the specific challenges of making films in Afghanistan, referring to a "cultural mafia" of older men who control access. She said women must often submit or compromise to enter the local cinema network. Alternatively, they connect to foreign systems, such as European filmmaking. She argued that European funds also carry fundamental discrimination, even if it is not as extreme as in Afghanistan.

Sadat pointed to the Venice competition as evidence of unequal standards. Only one of the 20 films in the main competition was directed by a woman: May el-Toukhy’s "Woman Unknown." That film won the Golden Lion. Sadat recalled that Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera told Variety in July that it was the only female-directed film of adequate quality to compete internationally.

During the talk, an audience member noted that only about four films in the Tokyo festival selection were made by women. Sadat responded by referencing her experience at Venice, where she observed that male directors were allowed to submit weaker films without the same scrutiny. She said women are held to a standard of perfection where any flaw is punished. She urged for changes to start with funding committees and development support.

Maksimović said she does not want her work to be viewed as a token gesture. She asked if current efforts are truly changing the system or just categorizing films into boxes. Sadat concluded by noting that filmmakers in war-affected countries often focus on survival rather than the future. She said change happens gradually over a long period, starting with small steps rather than waiting for major overhauls.