A non-profit advocating for gender equality in film by providing vital support at the financing stage. Our program offers action grants, fiscal sponsorship, curated meetings and industry mentorship.
BTTL RETURNS TO SUNDANCE 2026
Facts
Women make up over
half off cinema
audiences
Only 12% of directors are
women
In 96 years, women have
received only 3 oscars
for best director
We’re on a mission to make equality in film non-negotiable.
These statistics are drawn from a Celluloid Ceiling report conducted by the Center for the Study of Women in
Television and Film at San Diego State University.
Enough Talk.
It’s Time for Action.
Access to funding should not depend on gender or proximity to power.
In 2018, eighty-two women stood together on the Palais steps at the Cannes Film Festival in an unprecedented protest for gender equality in the film industry. Among them were Cate Blanchett, Kristen Stewart, Ava DuVernay, Léa Seydoux, and Salma Hayek. They represented the 82 female directors, compared to 1,866 men, to have ever competed for the Palme d’Or in the festival’s 71 year history.
Breaking Through The Lens (BTTL) was founded that same year, as a direct response to this call.
We have identified the financing stage as the most critical barrier, and believe change will only happen through action, not rhetoric.
