Facts & Figures

Gender equality: data on applications and success rates by gender for the year 2021

As part of the Icelandic Film Centre's continuing commitment to gender equality throughout the Icelandic film industry, we offer the following data on the relative percentages of grants awarded by gender of key positions – producer, screenwriter, and director. We would also like to note that increased emphasis on gender equality and representation throughout the industry is now an important component of Iceland's new film policy, which was unveiled by the Minister of Education, Science and Culture last autumn and lays down policy for the next ten years.

As part of our own internal procedures, consultants at the Icelandic Film Centre are instructed, as they read and evaluate projects, to consider the criteria laid down in the Bechdel test and whether the creative content of applications promotes well-rounded, three-dimensional female characters. Applicants, too, are encouraged to apply these same criteria to the content of their work. In addition, both consultants and applicants are committed to tracking the gender of key participants in projects, which provides the entire Icelandic film community with a clearer understanding of participation by gender so that we will be able to address imbalances in a more timely manner.

We should also remember that, relative to our Nordic and European partners, the Icelandic Film Fund is small, as is our industry. On average, we are able to support only three to four narrative features per year, in addition to a handful of documentaries, short films, and TV series. This means that our sample size is also small, and large swings in data from year to year are possible. With this in mind, the data below gives some indication of the larger picture and the positive trends in gender participation in the industry that have been emerging in recent years.

Data for the year 2021 can be seen below. Data for previous years can be found here.

Total applications in 2021

In 2021 the Icelandic Film Fund received a total of 228 applications for various types of grants, plus an additional 7 applications that were part of a special governmental campaign intended to counteract the economic challenges to the film industry brought upon by the coronavirus pandemic.

The 228 normal applications in 2021 were an decrease from 278 the previous year. Of those 228, 138 (or 60%) were awarded grants. Further information on the 7 applications that were part of the special coronavirus campaign can be found below.

Table 1: Here you can see the total number of applications, and the percentage of those awarded grants, by type of grant.

Type of grantApplicationsAwardedSuccess rate
Script grants1217360%
Development grants252288%
Production grants753648%
 Special coronavirus campaign  7 7100%
Total22813860%


Production grants by gender

Table 2: Here you can see the percentage of production or postproduction grants awarded, for different types of projects, by gender of producer.

Narrative featuresApplicationsAwardedSuccess rate
Men14536%
Women7343%
Team of men and women4375%
Total251144%
Documentaries
Men9333%
Women8788%
Team of men and women3267%
Total201260%
Short films
Men4125%
Women11436%
Team of men and women11100%
Total16638%
Narrative TV series
Men4250%
Women11100%
Team of men and women33100%
Total8675%
Postproduction
Men6117%
Women---
Team of men and women---
Total6117%

Table 3: Here you can see the percentage of production or postproduction grants awarded, for different types of projects, by gender of screenwriter.

Narrative featuresApplicationsAwardedSuccess rate
Men20735%
Women33100%
Team of men and women2150%
Total251144%
Documentaries
Men12542%
Women6583%
Team of men and women22100%
Total201260%
Short films
Men6233%
Women9444%
 Team of men and women 00% 
Total16638%
Narrative TV series
Men3133%
Women22100%
Team of men and women33100%
Total8675%
Postproduction
Men6117%
Women---
Team of men and women---
Total6117%

Table 4: Here you can see the percentage of production or postproduction grants awarded, for different types of projects, by gender of director.

Narrative featuresApplicationsAwardedSuccess rate
Men20630%
Women55100%
Team of men and women---
Total251144%
Documentaries
Men14750%
Women44100%
Team of men and women2150%
Total201260%
Short films
Men6233%
Women10440%
Team of men and women---
Total16638%
Narrative TV series
Men6467%
Women11100%
Team of men and women11100%
Total8675%
Postproduction
Men6117%
Women---
Team of men and women---
Total6117%

Development grants by gender

Table 5: Here you can see the percentage of development grants awarded, for different types of projects, by gender of producer.

Narrative featuresApplicationsAwardedSuccess rate
Men33100%
Women22100%
Team of men and women---
Total55100%
Documentaries
Men7571%
Women9889%
Team of men and women33100%
Total191684%
    
 Narrative TV series   
 Men - - -
 Women - - -
 Team of men and women 1 1 100%
 Total 1 1 100%


Table 6: Here you can see the percentage of development grants awarded, for different types of projects, by gender of screenwriter.

Narrative featuresApplicationsAwardedSuccess rate
Men44100%
Women11100%
Team of men and women---
Total55100%
Documentaries
Men121083%
Women6583%
Team of men and women11100%
Total191684%
    
 Narrative TV series   
 Men - - -
 Women - - -
 Team of men and women 1 1 100%
 Total 1 1 100%


Table 7: Here you can see the percentage of development grants awarded, for different types of projects, by gender of director.

Narrative featuresApplicationsAwardedSuccess rate
Men44100%
Women11100%
Team of men and women---
Total55100%
Documentaries
Men121083%
Women6583%
Team of men and women11100%
Total191684%
    
Narrative TV series   
 Men 1 1 100%
 Women - - -
 Team of men and women - -
  1 1 100%

Script grants by gender

Table 8: Here you can see the percentage of script grants awarded, for different types of projects, by gender of screenwriter.

Narrative featuresApplicationsAwardedSuccess rate
Men522752%
Women141179%
Team of men and women---
Total663858%
Documentaries


Men5360%
Women5480%
Team of men and women22100%
Total12975%
Narrative TV series

Men201050%
Women141071%
Team of men and women9667%
Total432660%