At the Taormina Film Festival, Oscar winners and jury members Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Sandy Powell participated in a panel titled “Women, Not Divas”, addressing gender dynamics in the global film industry. The panel highlighted both the progress and the persistent challenges women face in film.
Randolph, known for her acclaimed role in The Holdovers, expressed optimism about the future, citing the emergence of a supportive sisterhood among women in the industry. “It requires resilience, standing up for yourself, and the power of saying no,” she said. One significant shift, she explained, is the growing transparency around salaries.
Previously, actors often negotiated deals in isolation. Today, Randolph sees a new openness: “Now we reach out to each other during negotiations to compare terms. It breaks down manipulation tactics and empowers us.” She emphasized how sharing details of pay helps prevent exploitation and fosters equity.
Randolph also reflected on the importance of choosing meaningful roles. As a minority woman, she is intentional about avoiding stereotypes and prioritizes roles that represent strong, multidimensional characters. “I’m very clear on the types of stories I want to tell,” she said.
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She added that she often supports female directors even if a project doesn’t fully resonate with her. “Sometimes I’ll accept a role simply because I believe in the director’s vision. I know how hard it is. Supporting her now could mean being part of her major hit in the future. That’s sisterhood.”
Veteran costume designer Sandy Powell brought another layer of insight. She pointed out a stark disparity: although most costume designers are women and handle complex, large-budget responsibilities similar to set designers (a male-dominated field), they are often paid significantly less.
“Costume designers are running huge departments,” Powell noted. “We contribute equally to a film’s success, yet face an unjust pay gap.” She emphasized the solidarity among costume designers and their collective efforts to push for parity with production designers.
From her extensive career, Powell shared that she has designed more clothes for male characters than for female ones — a reflection, she said, of the lack of female-centered stories in mainstream cinema. “What we really need is more stories about women.”
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Iris Knobloch, Cannes Film Festival President and former Warner Bros executive, spoke about the influential role of festivals in shaping narratives and careers. “We must shine light on women and help them build confidence. Film festivals have a duty to support gender balance.” She cited recent Cannes winners such as Justine Triet and Coralie Fargeat as signs of progress, yet noted that the festival itself had to wait 75 years for its first female president.
Despite progress, all three panelists agreed: more work remains to be done. But with growing transparency, active mentorship, and shared purpose, the film industry is slowly transforming into a more inclusive and empowering space for women.
