About Us

Réalisatrices Équitables is a non-profit organization founded in 2007. Its members are Québec female professional film directors. RÉ has 300 official members (directors and supporting members) and a network of 1500 male and female sympathizers. RÉ collaborates with women directors in Canada and around the world.

Réalisatrices Équitables strives to attain equity for women directors in Québec’s film industry, and to ensure that public funds earmarked for cinema, television and new media are allocated fairly to female film directors.

Réalisatrices Équitables aspires to a more equitable space for female directors’ concerns, world vision and imagination on all our screens.

Finally, Réalisatrices Équitables is deeply concerned by women’s image in the media. To this end, RÉ seeks to heighten awareness in the media arts community with regards to reducing gender stereotypes by diversifying male and female characters written and brought to life by creators here and abroad.

Since its inception, RÉ has published 3 studies (available free on pdf) on the prominence, career and impact of women directors on the screen. RÉ has written numerous briefs and addressed several elected assemblies and parliamentary committees. RÉ has presented its studies and proposed solutions and incentives for establishing equity for women directors to many elected officials and directors of cultural institutions in Québec and elsewhere in Canada. RÉ has also organized several events to promote and showcase women directors. Some of these include a Mireille Dansereau retrospective, an event dedicated to Italian documentary pioneer Cecilia Mangini, hosting 6 Mexican female directors and presenting their films, the publication of a beautiful book on Québec women feature film directors, a monthly film club, and the creation of the portal, Dames des vues.

RÉ has also programmed films by Québec women directors for various international festivals (Mexico, Créteil, Florac).

What is a female director?

She is a creator. Like her male counterparts, she is an artist in charge of directing all phases of a film or TV show. She translates the screenplay – or research – into images, sound and music. She determines the treatment, rhythm, point of view and approach. She directs the filming, cinematic treatment and all stages of creation and post-production needed to deliver the final copy of the film or TV show.

This person’s tasks are: to choose actors or participants and indicate an acting style. To choose the costumes, sets and locations. To decide on the frame, angle and atmosphere of the image. During the editing process, to choose the best take, the rhythm of the images and the music that will accompany them. In short, she makes all the choices (sensory, visual, sound) that impact how the audience perceives and comprehends the screenplay or subject matter.

In other words, the female director signs the work.