Directors Digest — Thursday 17 May 2018

With Cannes the Film Festival approaching its end, there was no shortage of news and views from the Riviera.

But that’s not all: there’s BAFTA TV Awards, Croisette-ready cameras, out-of-London programmes and breakout female filmmakers. Read all about it in today’s Directors Digest. 

Film

The chiefs of Cannes Film Festival signed a pledge aiming for gender parity at international film festivals. (Screen International)

However, the New York Times described a festival atmosphere that still had some way to go. 

Indiewire invited cinematographers to look at the cameras and lenses used on 32 different Cannes-hosted films. 

LGBT audiences are seeing themselves more on screen — but finding sometimes remains an issue, Variety reports.

Harper’s Bazaar profiles five breakout female directors of 2018 — including Directors UK member Deborah Haywood. 

Television

On Sunday the 2018 BAFTA TV Awards were announced — congratulations to all of this year’s winners and nominees. (Guardian)

Meanwhile, an article in Broadcast argues that it’s TV’s turn to follow film in taking steps towards a gender equal industry.

The BBC has partnered with UKTV and Fremantle Media on a Planet Earth-style documentary series. (Deadline)

Televisual reports that STV is to close STV2. 

PACT has rejigged its stance on what constitutes an out-of-London programme, following split internal opinions on the issue. (Broadcast)

And finally, former Directors UK Chair Beryl Richards has been nominated for an award for her Contribution to the Creative Industries by the University of Westminster. You can cast your vote in the category here — even if you did not attend the University of Westminster yourself. 

Are you a member with an opinion on one of these stories? Is there an issue affecting directors that you think isn’t getting enough attention in the media? Why not write for us and make yourself heard — email [email protected] with your article idea.