Bumble Announces Shortlist For Its Female Film Force Competition

We all know there are two few female film-makers (only one woman has ever won the Best Director Oscar, and only five have ever been nominated). And in the wake of Me Too, Time’s Up, and the fall of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, the need for more women in Hollywood has never felt more urgent.

That’s why Bumble, the dating app, launched a new fund, Bumble Presents… The Female Film Force earlier this year, offering five female writers, directors or producers £20,000 each to make a short film, with each embodying Bumble’s values of ‘female empowerment, equality and kindness.’

After receiving over 1,100 pitches from female filmmakers, Bumble have now announced the 10 filmmakers that will make it through to the competition’s final round.

According to a statement from the app, the finalists ‘embody a group of diverse, driven women whose ideas are centred around Bumble’s core values of kindness, respect, empowerment and equality.’

Alexandra Blue, Christine Hartland, Daisy Stenham, Emma Moffat, Emma Wall, Georgina Yukiko Donovan, Helena Sutcliffe, Karen Turner, Oluwaseun ‘Shey’ Osibowale and Pratyusha Gupta will progress to the final stage. The final five filmmakers will be announced early August; then, they’ll produce their short films and premier them at an event in January 2019

The judging panel includes Edith Bowman, the actor and activist Ophelia Lovibond and Grazia’s own Features Director Emily Phillips, as well as Kate Kinninmont of Women in Film and TV. She told Grazia, ‘The fund is a chance to level the playing field, and will offer women of all backgrounds the opportunity to make short films to the best possible standard.’

‘Only one woman has ever won a Best Director Oscar,’ added Kate. ‘But it’s not because we aren’t capable of directing. The women who are chosen might be the next big feature film directors.’

We can't wait to see what these talented women come up with....