Cannes Film Festival announces Guneet Monga to lead WIF India

By: WE Staff | Friday, 17 May 2024

The Cannes Film Festival announced that the Oscar-winning producer, Guneet Monga Kapoor, will lead Women In Film (WIF) India. WIF, Los Angeles revealed its plans to launch an India chapter. India's Women In Film & Television International (WIFTI) initiative aims to promote gender equity in Indian screen industries, with industry leaders supporting research, mentorship, and creative labs for women filmmakers.

WIF: India will collaborate with Los Angeles-based WIF, marking a significant milestone for India at Cannes in 2024, with Payal Kapadia's "All We Imagine as Light" being the first Indian film in competition in three decades. WIF CEO Kirsten Schaffer and Guneet Monga Kapoor are collaborating to create a community and resources for women filmmakers in India, aiming to lower systemic barriers and build parity in the screen industries. The collaborative initiative will offer mentorship, networking, fellowships, workshops, and an industry helpline to sustain existing careers. She believes women are the future and with WIF and WIF: India, they can harness limitless potential, promoting equality and opportunities in the screen industries.

Guneet Monga mentioned, "From being in rooms where male colleagues have had to communicate on my behalf so I'd be taken seriously, to leading international co-productions and studio-scale projects, I've seen and been actively involved in the progress over two decades. Yet comprehensive studies like the 'O Womaniya! The 2023 Report' still suggests a lack of gender diversities across key filmmaking departments. The study of 156 films reported only 12% of head-of-department positions were occupied by women."