On the first day of the Sundance Film Festival, Vimeo decided to take a strong stance on gender equality in the entertainment industry by moving the needle forward itself. The company announced via blog post that the video platform would spend the year investing in female-led projects, workshops, interviews and other content through its new ‘Share the Screen’ initiative.
Vimeo Director of Production & Community Andrea Allen articulated the need for ‘Share the Screen’ and its role in filling obvious holes in representation of women in film:
Gender inequality in filmmaking isn’t simply a woman’s problem: it’s everyone’s problem. When diverse voices are given equal consideration and weight, more informed artistic decisions are made, better stories are told — and it’s also the right thing to do as human beings.
The company will kick off this program with a special premiere of Vimeo Originals short film ‘Darby Forever,’ starring SNL comedian Aidy Bryant and including actresses like Natasha Lyonne (‘Orange is the New Black’) and Retta (‘Parks and Recreation’). The film is currently available for pre-order for $2.99 through Vimeo. Additionally, the company will begin its women-focused content starting tomorrow with filmmaker and Sundance entrant Penny Lane.
The move coincides with Vimeo’s effort to produce more original programming and content, creating an online distribution platform for indie filmmakers to get their start. Given the dearth of women in the industry — just 13 percent of directors are female — Vimeo might benefit from highlighting unique perspectives that often don’t gain visibility through conventional methods.
➤ Share the Screen: our pledge to support female filmmakers [Vimeo]
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