Women, film and independence in the 21st century: A public forum’

What are the issues and factors that impact on the shape of women’s independent filmmaking today? What does “independence” mean both in and for women’s screen production today? On 22 February 2018, The Melbourne Women in Film Festival and Monash University presented a public forum at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) on women, film and independence. The forum brought together a number of filmmakers, academics and industry representatives to reflect on the meaning of independence for women working in Australian screen industries. Guest panellists were: Santilla Chingaipe (Journalist/Filmmaker); Professor Lisa French (RMIT); Margot Nash (UTS, Screenwriter/Director); Dr Claire Perkins (Monash) and Kristy Matheson (Senior Film Programmer, ACMI). The forum was co-convened by Associate Professor Therese Davis (Monash University) and Dr Sian Mitchell (MWFF Festival Director) and facilitated by Dr Jodi Brooks (University of New South Wales). “Women, Film & Independence in the 21st Century” is an edited transcript of this forum.