Women rally for rights in Toronto film festival
Nearly 200 men and women, among them Hollywood stars, rallied Saturday outside the Toronto film festival headquarters to call for equal pay and respect for women in film.
Demonstrators shouted, "Women rock!" as they marched amid growing calls in the industry for more women-led storylines and meaty roles, and in the wake of the #MeToo movement brought into the spotlight by the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
Addressing the crowd, "Thelma and Louise" star Geena Davis spoke of the need to make an early start to eliminate gender bias, for example, by ensuring that there are more female characters in children's television shows and movies. She said she began pushing for this because she felt a need for role models for her own daughter.
Earlier, Toronto International Film Festival boss Cameron Bailey reiterated TIFF's commitment to gender parity in the industry.
