The 'Sorochkinsky Readings' took place in Moscow

On November 24, 2023, Xenia Leontyeva, a research assistant at the Laboratory of Social and Cognitive Informatics of the Higher School of Economics and an associate professor at the Department of film producing at the St. Petersburg Institute of Cinema and Television, spoke at the "Sorochkinsky Readings 23" conference at the State Institute of Art Studies of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

Within the session "Film Economics," Xenia presented the results of the analysis of the film makers' network in Russian film production and discussed the situation of women in this field:

• Their representation does not exceed 25-30% in positions such as producers, directors, and screenwriters (although it has been gradually increasing in recent years).
• Entering the industry is easier for them in documentary filmmaking and more challenging in animation.
• There is horizontal segregation of professions within the production crew, and "female-dominated" professions are paid less.
• Entry into the film industry is hindered by nepotism and a small-world structure, which somewhat weakened during and after the pandemic: new producers have emerged who collaborate with emerging directors and screenwriters.