Fernanda Torres Urges Women to Produce at Taormina

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- Fernanda Torres said women must start producing to achieve parity, citing her mother Fernanda Montenegro’s self‑produced career as a model.
- Fernanda Torres recalled a conversation with Lauren Bacall about her mother working constantly and producing her own projects, emphasizing that waiting for invitations limits progress.
- Sue Kroll highlighted that Amazon Studios now has senior women in leadership, including a female Head of Production in the U.S. and a female Head of International, and noted a programming shift toward women of all ages.
- Jane Campion said she keeps at least 50% women on her sets and advocates sharing power between men and women rather than polarizing the industry.
- Taormina Film Festival hosted the panel, organized by director Tiziana Rocca and featuring jury president Jane Campion, jury members Holly Hunter, Miyako Bellizzi, Francine Maisler, and Amazon MGM Studios head Sue Kroll.
Why it matters: Women in film gain a concrete strategy—producing—to break the male‑dominated financing loop, while studios like Amazon benefit from diversified leadership and content that appeals to broader female audiences, potentially reshaping hiring and green‑lighting practices across the industry. This shift also challenges entrenched power structures, forcing traditional gatekeepers to adapt or risk marginalization.




