While the film industry has come miles in improving representations of women, it is a fact that the majority of movies are made by men with male leading characters.
Inspired by these issues, the renowned Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is introducing a new rating system.
The 'F-rating' was invented by Bath Film Festival director Holly Tarquini in 2014 and, before being adapted by IMDb, it was picked up by more than 40 cinemas and festivals across the UK.
“The F-Rating is a great way to highlight women on screen and behind the camera,” IMDb founder and CEO Col Needham said. 21,800 films have been tagged with an F-rating so far.
The criteria for the rating are any film which is either:
- Directed by a woman
- Written by a woman
- Features significant women on screen in their own right
It is inspired by the Bechdel test, which requires a movie to have at least two women in it who talk to each other about something besides a man. It will also allow the public to examine the percentage of movies which are written, directed and starred in by women.
Movies that tick all three of the criteria are awarded a 'triple rating', which so far has been rewarded to films such as Frozen, American Honey and Bridget Jones's Baby. Other F-rated films include Metropolis, Kung Fu Panda 2, The Girl on the Train, Freaky Friday, Animal Farm and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
