Founded in 1995 by Maidy Teitelbaum, a Montreal entrepreneur and self-taught cinephile, CINEMANIA has always been deeply committed to ensuring fair and equitable representation of women in the world of cinema.
For over 30 years, our organization has served as a major platform for the promotion of international Francophone cinema in North America. Aware of the ongoing imbalances in the film industry, the festival has structured its commitment to gender equality around three key areas: programming, governance, and professional development.
This commitment is part of a long-term vision aimed at fostering fair representation and increasing the visibility of filmmakers, directors, and women working professionally in cinema.
Our team maintains ongoing monitoring and is dedicated to updating and sharing data on gender parity and the fair representation of women in every new edition of the festival. This is reflected in our annual selection, juries, professional activities, and mentorship initiatives.
This approach aligns with a broader vision of supporting diverse perspectives and career paths within contemporary Francophone cinematographies.
Beyond programming and public initiatives, this vision is also evident in the structure of the organization itself: leadership and decision-making positions at CINEMANIA are predominantly held by women, with over 75% of the team being female, demonstrating sustainable female cultural leadership.
CINEMANIA conducts an annual review of women's representation across its activities. While the 50% representation target is not always fully met, it remains the minimum goal to achieve each year.
Year | % films directed by women | % in official competitions | % Quebec films directed by women | % of European films directed by women |
2023 | 42 % | 53,8 % | 59 % | 41 % |
2024 | 37 % | 27,6 % | 50 % | 36 % |
2025 | 46 % | 44,2 % | 50 % | 45 % |
Year | % of women on juries | % of women invited (masterclass, panels) |
2023 | 66,7 % | 60 % |
2024 | 63,6 % | 65 % |
2025 | 57,7 % | 62 % |
(These data are compiled and analyzed annually to ensure continuous progress.)
Since 2023, CINEMANIA has presented the Best Female Director Award each year, recognizing the artistic excellence of Francophone women directors.
The first recipient, Belgian filmmaker Paloma Sermon-Daï for Il pleut dans la maison, received the award from French actress Emmanuelle Béart, then co-president of the Visages de la Francophonie Jury. Elle Québec, a media outlet deeply committed to supporting women since its founding in 1989, was a partner for the award.
In 2025, French filmmaker Hafsia Herzi won the award for La petite dernière, presented in partnership with Bank of Africa, a Moroccan financial group dedicated to promoting women entrepreneurs across the African continent.
The CINEMANIA d'honneur (CINEMANIA Honor Award), presented in partnership with Embryolisse, is given each year exclusively to Quebec women who, through their contributions to the world of cinema, help showcase Quebec on the international stage.
In 2024, the award was presented to Quebec actress Anne Dorval, followed in 2025 by filmmaker and actress Monia Chokri.
On the occasion of its 30th anniversary edition, the CINEMANIA international jury (Visages de la Francophonie Competition) was chaired by an all-female duo, consisting of French actress and producer Julie Gayet and Quebec actress Julie Le Breton, demonstrating a strong commitment to women representation.
Since 2021, this jury has consistently been chaired by a duo maintaining strict gender parity : director Catherine Corsini and actor Rémy Girard in 2021; actress Pascale Bussières and filmmaker Cédric Klapisch in 2022; actress Emmanuelle Béart and filmmaker Philippe Falardeau in 2023; and actress Anne Dorval and actor Niels Schneider in 2025.
In the interest of equity, the Films of Quebec Competition jury is chaired by a woman every other year. Gender parity is also pursued in the composition of the Short Films and Documentaries juries, with one exception in 2024 when the jury was constituted exclusively of young female professionals.
At the last edition, the 31st Gala featured a film directed by a woman and starring an all-female cast, demonstrating a commitment to placing women’s visibility at the heart of flagship events. The film, Où vont les âmes, directed by Brigitte Poupart, also inspired the official visual for the 31st edition, featuring the silhouette of rising Quebec actress Sarah Montpetit.
Over the past 30 years, CINEMANIA has prioritized having a greater number of women present awards and honorary prizes: Maïwenn (2011), Sandrine Bonnaire (2012), Anouk Aimée (2013), Julie Gayet (2015), Françoise Fabian(2016), Nicole Garcia (2016), Catherine Corsini (2021), Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette (2022), Léa Pool (2023), Juliette Binoche (2025).
CINEMANIA actively contributes to discussions on equality in the industry :
1.Regular roundtables placing women at the heart of industry discussions :
2. Masterclasses and discussions with major figures such as Juliette Binoche and Béatrice Dalle.
3. Thematic professional delegations, for example a group of women filmmakers from Senegal (2024), or the creation of a thematic exhibition on female creators in the Moroccan animation film sector at the Cinémathèque québécoise (2025).
These initiatives promote visibility, knowledge sharing, and inspiration for new generations.
CINEMANIA has recently adopted an official Policy on Equality, Inclusion, and Harassment Prevention, applicable to :
This policy includes :
CINEMANIA is committed to :