Clare Macdonald

There is no one female voice. Women in the industry bring diverse perspectives and their experiences vary widely.

“Regional production companies don’t put female directors forward for jobs spontaneously. The industry doesn’t just need to give equal opportunity to women, it needs to open itself to more diverse voices, different energies, different points of view. I don’t wish to be regarded as a female director. I don’t make female-only films,” says Lara Saba, a freelance director.

“Free the Bid is an important step and part of a journey we should all be working towards globally,” says Nez Gebreel, CEO of Milleworld. “This is in our DNA. Enabling talent from the region is key, as they are our legacy.”

First movers will find benefits from their forward- thinking approach, not least scooping up top talent, and being part of a dynamic momentum for change in an industry where creativity and taking leadership is key.

“The industry needs diversity. Diversity is the key, not just women,” says Dalia Penzik, executive pro- ducer at Wild Media. “Wild Media is the first and only Middle East production company to pledge to Free the Bid. As part of this we are starting an internship programme for young female creatives to get production experience and will be hosting masterclasses and workshops later this year. We have also launched Wild Talent, our talent agency representing directors, directors of photography and photographers. We are looking for female regional talent to represent and are putting a call out for this too.”

Wild Media, in partnership with Free the Bid, is the first and only production house in the Middle East to take the #FreetheBid pledge, launching a boutique talent agency to find and mentor female talent. Wild Media finds itself in great company with forward-looking brands including Visa, Twitter, Airbnb, Hewlett Packard, eBay, film director and Viceland co-president Spike Jonze, and top global agencies such as BBDO, JWT and M&C Saatchi joining the march. Clare Macdonald is a writer and creative consultant for Wild Media