One female director in running at film festival

The upcoming Venice Film Festival has come under fire for its competition line-up, with only one female director in the running.

Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale is the only competition entry directed by a woman on the 21-strong list, which includes Damien Chazelle’s First Man, which will open the festival on 29 August, Mike Leigh’s Peterloo and Paul Greengrass’s 22 July.

Australian director Kent is best known for her work on horror film The Babadook.

There are also new films from the Coen brothers, Alfonso Cuaron, Yorgos Lanthimos and Luca Guadagnino on the bill.

Out of 60 entries in the official selection for the festival, 0 Jennifer Kent: The only female director in Venice

only eight are helmed by a female filmmaker.

Australian director Briony Kidd said the “seriously depressing” list shows how little things have changed.

Melissa Silverstein, the founder of Women And Hollywood, wrote on Twitter: “Only ONE film from a female director. Speechless.”