Penthouse Offers Alternative to Hollywood's Snubbed Female Directors

CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Making hay once again with the mainstream news cycle, Penthouse Global Media is reaching out to top female directors and cinematographers to make them an offer they hopefully can't refuse. On the heels of yet another year where the Academy Awards has snubbed female filmmakers, Penthouse CEO Kelly Holland spoke out. “The mainstream film industry prides itself on telling the truth about the human condition,” Holland said. “But when it comes to sex—the most fundamental human condition—they pull down their petticoat and scamper away like a shamed Victorian debutante.” She continued, “It’s disappointing that the largest demographic on Earth is professionally overlooked by movie studios and awards ceremonies.” Demonstrating their strong desire to do more than just talk, Penthouse is offering mainstream female filmmakers the chance to work on its major adult releases that will be viewed by millions each month. Penthouse broadcasts content over 10 channels in more than 100 countries around the globe, reaching an audience it pegs at being significantly larger than many Hollywood studios capture. “To all of you talented women out there,” Holland announced, “not only do we have work for you, but we also offer equal pay. At Penthouse, we like to think everyone has XXX chromosomes, which explains why equality is so deeply embedded in our brand DNA.”  According to a recent report by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, the percentage of female directors working on the 250 highest-grossing new releases from Hollywood actually declined from a paltry 9 percent in 2015 to 7 percent in 2016. And it gets worse from there. The number of female producers working on the top 250 films is down 2 percent, while the number of editors declined 5 percent as well. In fact, only 4 percent of the year’s top films employed a female cinematographer. This in an industry where the majority of consumers are women. “The fact that 40 percent of the adult films nominated for industry awards last year were directed by women says a lot about the disparity between what we do and what the mainstream is up to,” Holland added. “There is no longer an argument about whether or not adult entertainment is more balanced than Hollywood. It’s statistically proven.”   In a press release, Penthouse pointed out its history of disrupting the mainstream entertainment space. In 1979, Bob Guccione produced Caligula, an X-rated film written by Gore Vidal and starring Helen Mirren, Sir John Gielgud, Peter O’Toole and Sir Malcolm McDowell. Interested directors can email [email protected]/* */ or call (310) 280-1900.