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Two workshops organized by SheSays, a global creative network for women

Sex objects and love interests: The portrayal of women in the media

For far too long, the majority of female characters in film have merely supported male leads as sex objects or love interests, without worthy motivations of their own. Unfortunately the same can be said about advertising. Given the positive impact on awards, audiences and box office sales, Hollywood is finally starting to recognise the importance of realistic female characters and that female creatives are necessary to create, produce and direct them. It seems the advertising industry is – slowly but surely – learning by example. In this talk, we explore the way women are portrayed in the media, the impact this has on the world we live in, and how things are changing for the better.

Marcie MacLellan is Head of Content & Production at Incontext Productions, a London-based digital content agency established in 2001. Since producing her first documentary about the rise of feminist activism, she has been passionate about changing the way women are portrayed on screen. Marcie is Content Director for SheSays, a global creative network for women, lead producer for APOSTASY, a feature film backed by BBC, BFI and Creative England, and an active public speaker in Canada, the UK and Europe.

Sharing the spotlight: Changing the media landscape

Marcie's talk will be followed by a a panel discussion with experts from the world of film, advertising and journalism. They will discuss the objectification and characterisation of women in the wider media and ask how much responsibility lies with the content makers. As consumers, viewers and readers, we will also debate the impact we can have on the outcome.