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Washington film crew puts spotlight on gender equality

'East of the Mountains' is currently filming in Washington state. The film's producer is proud that the crew is more than 50% female.

SEATTLE — A movie being made in Washington state is already achieving success in one area where a study says the film industry is struggling.

The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film found women comprised of 20% of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers working on the top 250 domestic grossing films during a study last year. A breakdown of the behind-the-scenes employment of women in the film industry is available in the Celluloid Ceiling.

Jane Charles, the producer of "East of the Mountains," is proud that the film's crew is more than 50% female.

"We are also looking forward to the day when we don't have to be proud of that, when it is just a given that there are as many women on set as men," Charles said.

Monday night, the movie was filming a scene at Picolino's restaurant in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. 

"The novel, "East of the Mountains," written by David Guterson, who is a Bainbridge Island writer, is all about a doctor who goes back to his roots in Eastern Washington to end his life on his own terms, but he finds out that he maybe has a lot more to live for," said director SJ Chiro is the director. "We have our star, Mira Sorvino joining us, and she plays Tom Skerritt’s daughter."

Behind the scenes, with women at the helm, there is a push to bring change.

"I think females are seen as sometimes not being able to take charge or being able to run the set as well, and that is just not true," Charles said.

"I have to be optimistic and say that it is in the process of changing," Chiro said of the film industry. "But they have to push harder and you know more women have to be hired and more people of color need to be hired."

Charles hopes to be an example for women coming up in the industry.

"You can do anything you want to in this industry. You just have to do it. Don't wait for someone to tell you that you can. Just do it," Charles said.

Washington Filmworks is helping to fund this production through an incentive program that is reserved for local projects.

The movie will be released next year.

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