This ensures that you will always be labeled as a “female filmmaker” and not just a filmmaker. I’m kidding—sort of. In the opening of one of the tracks on Compton, Dr. Dre’s new album, the rapper samples part of a speech by Interscope Records founder Jimmy Iovine in which Iovine says, “I always felt I had to work harder than the next guy, just to do as well as the next guy.” It might seem like an unlikely place to discover a battle cry for female filmmakers, but I think these sums up exactly the feelings that I and a lot of my female director friends have. As women, or any minority for that matter, the indie film world is much more open to our unique voices. We may even have a better shot at getting into a film festival because of our gender. The perks stop there. According to a recent study conducted by the Sundance Institute and Women In Film, gender corresponds to the types of stories that directors tell. This means that if you choose comedy, drama, and/or romance from the gate, you better want to live in that genre for the rest of your career. “Female directors set out on a course that confirms and triggers a stereotype that may affect the deals they make and the opportunities they are offered,” the study reports. “As such, the choices female directors make early in their careers can have lasting financial consequences.”

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