Why Documentary?

Documentaries enable us to share experiences, question our world and imagine alternatives.

Unlike news reportage and social media, long-form documentary takes the time to explore its subject matter and immerse the audience fully in the situation of others. In the current political climate, the production of great documentaries is essential.

The world of documentary is also alive and resurgent right now. Significant investment from online channels has brought documentary to a whole new audience, and what is being made is more vibrant, exciting and more relevant than ever.

Why Women?

Since the first film was shown, stories have been presented to us through a male lens.

Our perception of the world around us has been set in the context of the male mind.

This campaign was first initiated in response to only 16% of creative feature documentaries in Scotland being directed by women. In 2021 it was 30% and currently this has risen to 48% in 2024. It remains true that with a gender balance in documentary filmmaking, women and other marginalised perspectives will be more visible and their voices amplified through film.  

The campaign widened its definition of what it means to be a woman. We work hand in hand with the film community to stimulate informed debate and remember the women who have gone before us. Our understanding of ourselves and our society is enriched by this new perspective.

Why SDI?

The term ‘documentary’ was first coined in the 1920’s by a Scot – John Grierson. He and his sisters, Ruby and Marion Grierson, went on to create ground-breaking films and practices which defined the genre. Scotland therefore has a rich history of documentary filmmaking.

Scottish Documentary Institute, established in 2004, is Scotland’s only dedicated documentary talent development organisation. We specialise in documentary training, production and distribution and are ideally placed to deliver this campaign.

SDI‘s mission is to connect Scotland’s documentary filmmakers to the international industry scene and to develop and grow an inclusive community of filmmakers who reflect the diversity of people living and working in Scotland. It has been very successful in both respects, but women continue to experience specific barriers to progression in the industry, which require a special focus and a tailored approach from organisations like SDI. We launched the 50|50+ Women Direct campaign in 2019, to help women overcome these barriers.

Now in the fourth year of the campaign, we look towards a more intersectional approach that considers concurrent barriers that may be faced by women and marginalised filmmakers.

Learn more about SDI

What the campaign has achieved so far:

Back when 50|50+ Women Direct was launched in 2019, the aims of the campaign were focused on three key priorities: to support our current talent, grow the next generation and change the industry.

  • We have some amazing talent that can take the next step and we wanted to do our best to help them. Because women support and champion other women, our first priority was to establish a new mentoring and development programme where some of Scotland’s best female filmmakers could pass on their knowledge to emerging talent. In response to this, The New Voices Talent Development programme was launched in July 2020 and a second edition ran in October 2021. The programme has been very successful in building the confidence, contacts and industry knowledge of our female documentary filmmakers. Some of the outcomes for the 19 New Voices participants include: 

    • 12 meetings lined up with commissioners and funders
    • 5 directors going on to have successful funding bids
    • 9 directors received a new short film or TV commission 
    • 8 directors went on to develop a new feature length project 
    • 7 directors received award nominations or wins 
    • 4 directors went on to be accepted on to other high profile training opportunities 

     

    In April 2021, the Women Direct(ory) was also established, with the aim to build a talent pool of Scotland's female identifying documentary filmmakers of all disciplines and levels of experience seeking paid work. The self-generated, open access database continues to grow with 150 members currently signed up, providing the opportunity for peer-to-peer connection and to raise the visibility of female talent in the sector to broadcasters, funders and commissioners. Upon its launch, documentary filmmaker Hannah Currie wrote about the importance and objectives of the Women Direct(ory). Read the full article on the Women in Film and Television website.

    In 2021, the campaign saw the launch of a women-only Doc Film Club in partnership with Audacious Women Festival. This initiative provided a safe space to gather, showcase new Scottish documentaries by women and for peer connection with other female filmmakers and nonfiction enthusiasts. During Autumn of 2021 (and still in Covid-era), three separate events were held online and in-person events in Inverness and Edinburgh followed as part of Phenomenal Women.

  • We committed to a targeted and co-ordinated PR and marketing campaign with the view to address industry bias, and raise the profile of Scottish Documentary makers across the world. Our campaign toolbox includes a standalone website with a regularly updated news and events page, a powerful campaign video featuring testimonies from women directors, strong communications strategies and digital assets for social media presence via Scottish Documentary institute (#MoreWomenDirectors #MakeWomenVisible, #OurStoriesTold, #SDI5050). 


    Access to funding was an important factor for the campaign. Unpredictable income and low film budgets stop women training, meeting caring costs and getting their films made. In 2022, Screen Scotland adopted the BFIs Diversity Standards for all applications to their development and production funding and the aims of the campaign are also embedded in the Scottish Documentary Institute’s wider year round programmes. Our WRITE NOW fund launched in 2023 offering grants up to £3,000 and tailored support for the crucial early development and writing phase of a director’s first or second feature-length documentary. 80% of filmmakers supported were women or marginalised gender.

  • The impact of the New Voices programme on emerging directors can be seen through the resulting feedback from participants, all of whom agreed that the initiative provided them with better and ongoing access to advice and support from experienced practitioners. 84% of the participants also said the scheme had increased their industry contacts and all were in agreement that being part of the group was extremely valuable and that they would work or consider working with other participants in the future.  

     

    “The personal growth is immeasurable, there is no other singular thing in my life that has ever had such a positive effect I don't think.”

    “I am working on a feature doc as a local producer, which has the potential to become a co-production - which would be my first. This wasn't on the cards before New Voices, and I could credit it for helping me grab the opportunity.”

    “With the help of my mentor I was able to pitch and get a producer for it, made an application for development funding and received it. I now have been working on the first rough cut.”

    “A project I'm working on has been selected for InEdit festival, also selected by kickstarter as one of eight docs they will launch and support through crowdfunding. I've been working for a few years on this feature doc [ ].. It's no coincidence that this project has progressed more in the past six months than in the previous 2-3 years combined, I believe the momentum is significantly attributable to New Voices…”

Why is the campaign called 50|50+ and who is included in this campaign?

Scottish Documentary Institute is committed to, and champions, inclusion and diversity.

The Campaign is called 50|50+ Women Direct because the ‘50+’ that we want to achieve includes women (including trans women) and other marginalised genders. 

Our aim is to achieve better representation for anyone impacted by gender bias or discrimination. We are mindful that not all experiences of gender-bias are the same and such existing benchmarks for considering gender 'balance' may be imperfect. The next phase of this work involves listening and learning together with the independent documentary community to reflect on what gender equity looks like for our sector, and always through an intersectional lens.