New Essay Collection: Women in the Irish Film Industry: Stories and storytellers edited by Susan Liddy, Cork University Press

Women in Irish Film: Stories and Storytellers is an interdisciplinary collection that critically explores the contribution of women to the Irish film industry as creators of culture – screenwriters, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, animators, film festival programmers and educators. This book will explore the experiences and reflections of Irish women practitioners and, across a range of chapters, will situate them within a very specific historical, social and cultural context and further position them within a male-dominated film industry.

In an accessible style, it rigorously teases out the myriad of ways that gender impacts on who has the power to speak and be heard in the Irish film industry. What factors lie behind women’s marginalization and what steps can be taken, and are being taken, to reconfigure the landscape? The collection is concerned with women’s presence and absence. The absence of women has implications for the kinds of stories being told, the diversity of characters on our screens and for employment and creative opportunities.

An exclusive focus on women in the Irish film industry has been notably absent from publications to date. This book is long overdue and builds a nuanced picture of both the contribution of, and underrepresentation of, women in the Irish film industry. Importantly, it is anticipated that this collection will put a solid research foundation in place and forge a pathway for future scholarship.

February 2020 | 9781782053736 | €39 £35| Hardback |234 x 156mm | 360 pages

Praise for Women in Irish Film: Stories and Storytellers

This is a very timely examination of women’s contribution to the Irish film industry. It sets current developments in historical context and offers important insights into current challenges and opportunities. It provides an overview of individual careers, policy impact, the importance of documentary and animation. It offers a unique map of the strength and range of women’s work as directors, producers, cinematographers, animators, actors and festival programmers.
— Gerardine Meaney: Professor of Cultural Theory in the School of English, Drama and Film, University College Dublin

This is an extremely original contribution to the field of Irish film studies, most obviously in the manner in which it addresses the often excluded topic of women filmmakers and their experience in the Irish film industry. However, it also offers a widening of the conceptual framework of how we think about Irish film as an object of study, broadening discussion to focus on questions of production process, funding, distribution etc and connecting these aspects of the wider filmmaking landscape to issues of gender representation. The extensive original research contained within this collection makes it a significant contribution to the existing data within this field of study.
—– Conn Holohan, Huston School of Film, National University of Ireland, Galway

Susan Liddy lectures in the Department of Media and Communications Studies, Mary Immaculate College Limerick.

https://www.corkuniversitypress.com/Women-in-the-Irish-Film-Industry-p/9781782053736.htm