Eight years ago, filmmaker and editor Daphne Schmon found herself at the Cannes Film Festival, struggling to secure funding for her debut narrative feature The Eye. In a meeting with an executive, she realized how little she knew about the business side of filmmaking.
“We were in a meeting with an executive, and when he asked about the financial plan, it hit us just how much we didn’t understand,” Schmon told Variety while drinking coffee in London. Recalling her time at Wesleyan University’s Film School, she noted, “It’s interesting because graduates from film schools have achieved gender equality — so there is a noticeable shift between film schools and Hollywood.”
This pivotal moment led to the creation of Breaking Through the Lens (BTTL), a nonprofit initiative dedicated to advocating for gender equality in the film industry by providing crucial support during the financing stage. Schmon co-founded the organization with The Eye’s co-writer Emily Carlton and lead actress Elpida Stathatou. Their first event in 2018 successfully connected emerging filmmakers with trusted investors, receiving responses from major film companies like Lionsgate and Sony.
“The demand for this kind of event was clear,” Schmon said. “We realized that the financing stage is a real bottleneck in the industry. Many top investors don’t want to be publicly identified, and they receive hundreds of cold emails, so the need for this connection is critical.”
This year, BTTL’s presence at Cannes was stronger than ever before. The organization’s annual cocktail party featured a conversation between actress-director Kristen Stewart and rock singer Kim Gordon. Stewart’s directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, was premiering in the “Un Certain Regard” section. On Sunday, BTTL hosted an exclusive investor showcase for this year’s selected films, which included five works by non-male filmmakers, judged by a jury that included Diane Kruger.
The filmmakers in the current cohort — Emily Thomas, Olivia Peace, Erin Sayder, Rita Baghdadi, Damiana Acuña, and Isabelle Mecattaf — have already received a €10,000 ($11,000) action grant to help push their films forward. “€10,000 may seem small compared to a feature film’s total budget, but it makes a huge difference when the film is in late-stage development and that’s the only cash funding available,” Schmon explained.
For the first time, BTTL also provided filmmakers with accreditation to the festival and $2,000 to help with travel expenses. Schmon emphasized, “We’re not just about talks or panels; we’re about creating change through action. Filmmakers know how difficult it is to attend festivals, and that can be a barrier itself. This support is unique in the industry.”
BTTL’s reach extends across the “big five” film festivals, having launched at Sundance earlier this year, where the winner of their first action grant, Nadia Fall, premiered her film Brides. Schmon aims for Sundance and Cannes to become the “cornerstones” of BTTL’s programming. The organization has also opened an office in Greece to be eligible for European funding and is discussing potential expansion into Mexico. Despite their global ambitions, Schmon stressed the importance of focusing on American filmmakers, noting that since the U.S. lacks a central government funding body like those in the U.K. or France, BTTL plans to provide grant funding for American independent filmmakers, especially women and marginalized directors.
However, Schmon is clear that true change must come from the top. “We need actions to speak louder than words,” she stated. “There’s a lot of talk, a lot of good intentions, but when you look at the numbers, things aren’t improving. Only 13.5% of the top 100 grossing films in the U.S. in 2024 were directed by women, and even more shockingly, in 97 years of the Academy Awards, only three women have won Best Director. That shows how much work still needs to be done.”
Schmon also noted that change must come from within the industry itself. “There’s still a subconscious bias among many executives, even women. I’ve been in rooms where women executives thought I was an assistant and directed the conversation to my DOP, and I had to repeatedly say, ‘I’m the director,’” Schmon recalled. “I’ve had to examine my own assumptions as well, and I think everyone in the industry needs to reflect on their own behavior.”
In addition to championing women directors, Breaking Through the Lens also supports non-binary and transgender filmmakers. This year, three of the five selected filmmakers identify as queer. Schmon stressed the importance of such representation, stating, “In today’s cultural conversation, this is more important than ever. Our film industry must reflect our culture and society because film has the power to change people’s perspectives.”
The organization’s focus on marginalized voices is central to its mission of achieving true inclusivity and transforming the industry’s approach to gender equality. Schmon’s call for action is clear: the time for change is now, and it requires both institutional support and internal reflection.
Related Topics
- What Makes Sacramento a Film Worth Watching?
- How Does Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Explore Black Art?
- Why Godzilla Minus One is a Groundbreaking Kaiju Film?