This week, Los Angeles-based film and TV production company, Queen Bee Film Hive, announced the launch of Queen B’s Agents, a talent agency division geared at above the line female talent for film and TV. This includes writers, directors and producers.
According to a recent study by Celluloid Ceiling, women comprised 23% of all directors, writers, executive producers, producers, editors, and cinematographers working on the top 250 films of 2020.
This represents an increase of two percentage points from 21% in 2019 and a recent historic high. It also represents an increase of only 6 percentage points since 1998.
Women fared best as producers (30%), followed by editors (22%), executive producers (21%), directors (18%), writers (17%), and cinematographers (6%).
The new agency is the brainchild of writer, director, and producer Bessy Adut. The multitalented Turkish immigrant founded Queen Bee Film Hive in 2015. Since then, Adut wrote, directed and produced the acclaimed short film Escape Room as well as developing her feature-length documentary Searching for God(dess…).
Seeing a need to support women in the industry, Adut decided to team with talent agent Leah Wasylik, manager Erin LeeAnn Watson and Jessica Foster.
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According to Adut the new talent agency embodies the spirit of the Queen Bee Film Hive promoting female leadership, teamwork, and great film projects.
She tells Reel 360, “Queen Bee Film Hive was made to be like a hive, very productive, filled with creative and hard-working individuals producing all sorts of film projects that leave a sweet taste in your mouth.”
Adut adds, “It has not been an easy journey. I have frequently encountered discrimination based on my gender and foreign accent. After reaching out to other women in the film industry, I realized I was not alone. Almost all of them expressed their frustration at the lack of representation for women and minorities. It’s time for a change.”
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Currently, the agency’s talent roster boasts two directors and ten writers. To submit to Queen B’s Agents, click here.
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on Twitter at @colinthewriter1
