Funds for women filmmakers: Film industry welcomes move, calls for proper implementation

After the actress assault case shook Mollywood a few years ago, the industry has been in an image makeover mode. From the formation of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) to numerous discussions on safe work spaces for women, many initiatives have been bringing women issues to the fore, like never before.
A few days ago, when the State budget for the year was presented, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac lauded the efforts of WCC for gender equality.And what’s more, he even announced something that triggered immense hope among the fraternity of female filmmakers. “Kerala Budget provides for a special scheme to financially support women filmmakers (sic),” said the minister, and it received a hearty applause. Though not a lot about the plan has been revealed yet, what are the possibilities the fund opens before our women? In conversation with a few from the film industry, we explore the same:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Emergence of a women collective has been an important turning point in the struggle for gender equality in Malayalam film world. Kerala budget provides for a special scheme to financially support women film makers.</p>— Thomas Isaac (@drthomasisaac) <a href="https://twitter.com/drthomasisaac/status/1093580689822216192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The scheme is still in the nascent stage, but it is introduced to encourage our women filmmakers, says a Finance Ministry official. “We need to increase the presence of women in the industry. So, to support and encourage them, the government will allot Rs. 3 crore for movies taken within that budget, by women. The procedures for the same, however, are yet to be planned,” explains the official.

It might not work wonders as far as the attitude towards women in the industry are concerned, but it can help in many other ways, says film critic C S Venkiteswaran. He explains, “So far, we haven’t pondered much on the presence of women in our industry. Now on, we need more discourses on it. Screening of curated female-oriented film packages across Kerala can be organised. They can focus on the neglection faced by our women. They are important to counter the kind of misogynistic films that are still being released.” According to him, we need to create audience who would reject such movies, for the same. “Exposure to sensitive films can ensure this, though can be a time-taking process. It should become part of the curriculum in schools, colleges, media education and even film festivals. The government should also make ICC (Internal Complaints Committee) compulsory in every shooting location so that a safe workplace is ensured for women in cinema,” says Venkiteswaran.
Filmmaker Aneez K Mappila, who had bagged the National Award last year for the best anthropological documentary, feels that the fund should not be confined to feature films or certain filmmakers, but it should support women documentary filmmakers and short filmmakers as well. “There are only a very few funding agencies for documentary and short filmmakers such as the Film's Division and Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT). All of those are national level agencies. We need such helping hands in our State as well,” he explains.
He quotes the example of Priya Thoovasserry, a Malayali filmmaker who has been making documentaries with the support of PSBT. “Her latest documentary is titled Coral Women. Such funding from State Level can make a big difference in the lives of women filmmakers,” says Aneez.
The fund can definitely increase opportunities for women and improve their visibility, says Kerala Chalachitra Academy Vice President and WCC founding member Bina Paul. “It is a path-breaking move,” says an excited Bina, adding, “No other State has done this ever before. But, the modus operandi needs to be planned. We will be giving some suggestions to the planning board and finance ministry on the same. We have to identify an organisation, the vision of the fund, monetary mechanism, whom to give it to and how to handle the returns of the funds. We are hoping it won’t be carelessly handled. We want it to be done with gravity. This can help a lot more women to be in the industry and this is only a beginning,” she says.
WCC member and scribe Deedi Damodaran hopes the assurance doesn’t remain just a statement. She adds that the subsidies should also benefit those films that that have at least 75 per cent women as their crew members. “If so, if a woman technician isn’t free, the crew will try to find another woman as replacement. That can ensure better female inclusion.”

She also says that the State is undergoing a revival and this move is, thus, an important one. “It acknowledges the existence and contributions of those women, who work in the creative side of films. I have heard a few comments against it, saying what we should rather focus on the post-flood restorations. I believe that we are facing floods even in our cultural spheres and this is a rescue operation.” She also states WCC wouldn’t make any taller claims for its introduction. “Nevertheless, we consider it a recognition for our efforts, as our collective’s aim in itself has been respectful recognition of women in cinema,” she says.