At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Oscar-winning Australian actress Nicole Kidman revisited a landmark vow she made in 2017: to work with a female director at least every 18 months. Speaking on Kering’s Women in Motion stage, Kidman revealed that she has fulfilled that promise by collaborating with 27 women filmmakers over eight years—yet she stressed that the industry still has “a long way to go” before gender parity behind the camera becomes reality.
A Pledge Born of Disparity
Kidman recalls the moment she decided to act
“I was at a point where there was such a disparity in terms of choice,” Kidman told an audience of peers and festivalgoers perched beneath the Palais des Festivals marquee. “You’d ask, ‘Could a woman direct this?’ and there weren’t enough names to even consider.” Frustrated by the reluctance to entrust women with big-budget projects—often dismissed as “their first time” or “too risky”—she vowed publicly to use her star power to create opportunities. “I was going to make it possible,” she said simply, “and give them the support and protection they need to do their best work.”
Progress Measured in Numbers and Stories
From 4 percent to 13 percent—but still far too low
When Kidman first made her pledge, women directed only 4 percent of the year’s top-grossing films. Though that figure had climbed to just over 13 percent by 2024, Kidman emphasized that “it still seems incredibly low.” She described how she and her producing partners “built a force field” around emerging female directors—mentoring them, shielding them from late-stage interference and reassuring studios that the investment would pay creative and financial dividends. “A lot of it is saying, ‘You get more than one shot,’” she explained. “Because too often, women are given just one opportunity, and if it doesn’t succeed, they’re cast aside.”
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High-Profile Collaborations and Emerging Talent
A diverse roster of directors
Over the past eight years, Kidman has worked with a roster of female talents spanning every genre: from acclaimed indie voices to first-time feature directors. Among them are Jane Campion, with whom Kidman reunited for the western series Top of the World; Rose Glass, who made her feature debut with Love Lies Bleeding; and Gina Prince-Bythewood, director of the Netflix thriller The Woman King. Kidman credits each collaboration with expanding her own craft and opening doors for the next generation. “Every woman I’ve worked with has changed me as an actor,” she said. “They bring fresh perspectives that challenge me to take risks.”
Rejecting the Director’s Chair
Why Kidman prefers producing to directing
Despite her advocacy, Kidman firmly ruled out transitioning into a traditional director’s role. “I find it incredibly fulfilling supporting filmmakers in a producer capacity,” she said. “As an actor, I love the intimacy of being in someone else’s hands—surrendering, allowing them to shape me. That vulnerability is my salvation.” She acknowledged the recent trend of actors “trying their hand” behind the camera but emphasized that her passion lies in collaboration rather than command. “I don’t want to be the one clamouring for the megaphone,” she quipped. “I want to be in the creative trenches, championing voices that might otherwise go unheard.”
Looking Ahead: “I Want to Experiment”
Hints at future roles and creative directions
When asked about her next acting projects, Kidman offered only tantalizing hints: “I’m looking to experiment. I don’t want to be contained. I don’t want to be safe.” She described her ideal roles as ones that “scare me a little”—characters that defy expectations and push her into uncharted emotional territory. Though she declined to name specific films or series, insiders say she is in talks for a psychological thriller and a period drama directed by a rising woman filmmaker who has not yet helmed a major studio feature. “There are scripts I’m reading that make me want to get on a plane tomorrow,” she said, her eyes alight with excitement.
Addressing Ageism in Hollywood
Championing second and third chapters for veteran actors
Kidman also confronted the industry’s age bias—particularly against female actors in their 40s and beyond. “You make a great film in your 20s, get lauded, then hit your 40s and no one offers you the follow-up,” she said. “Suddenly, you’re not ‘the cool person’ anymore.” She urged studios to resist discarding experienced performers who bring “a wealth of knowledge and nuance” to their roles. “There can be a second or third chapter,” she insisted. “We need stories about women at every stage of life, not just the ones chasing glory or gripped by crisis.”
Honoured at the Women in Motion Gala
Recognition for leadership beyond the screen
Later that evening, Kidman received a special award at the Women in Motion gala, celebrating her ongoing commitment to female representation in cinema. Accepting her accolade in a minimalist black Balenciaga ensemble, she dedicated it to “every woman who dared to step behind the camera when no one believed she could.” The event’s host, actress Marion Cotillard, praised Kidman’s “relentless spirit” and “willingness to use her platform for others’ uplift.”
Industry Impact and Future Challenges
Can Hollywood maintain momentum?
Experts note that while high-profile pledges like Kidman’s can spark change, systemic reform requires sustained effort from studios, financiers and audiences. Dr. Maria Gonzales, a film studies professor at UCLA, commented: “Nicole Kidman’s leadership has inspired many women, but we need parallel commitments from executives who green-light and fund projects. It’s not enough to have one star; the entire pipeline—from script to screen—must embrace gender equity.”
Box Office and Awards as Catalysts
Tracking the success of women-directed films
Kidman highlighted the recent box-office and awards success of films directed by women—such as Barbie, Greta Gerwig’s record-breaking comedy, and Nomadland, Chloe Zhao’s Oscar-winner—as proof points. “When these films succeed, it reinforces the case for hiring more women,” she said. “We need to celebrate those wins and study what made them resonate—then replicate that environment across genres.”
A Personal Mission with Global Reverberations
Kidman’s Australian roots and global vision
Throughout the discussion, Kidman referenced her origins in Honolulu, where she was born to Australian parents, and her upbringing in Sydney. She spoke fondly of Australian film institutions—like the Australian Film Television and Radio School—and urged her compatriots to support local female directors. “We have an incredible pool of talent down under,” she said. “Let’s give them the same platform Hollywood enjoys.”
Conclusion: A Call to Collective Action
Sustaining progress beyond Cannes
Nicole Kidman’s candid Cannes conversation underscores both how far the industry has progressed—and how far it must still go—to achieve genuine gender parity. Her personal pledge, now more than eight years old, has yielded tangible results: 27 collaborations, dozens of mentees and a growing awareness of women’s directorial talents. But Kidman’s message extends beyond individual commitments: it is a call for collective action.
“Inclusion can’t rest on any one person,” she concluded. “We need an ecosystem that nurtures and protects female voices—from interns and writers to producers and cinematographers. If we build that ecosystem, our films will be richer, our audiences more engaged and our industry stronger. That’s the vision I’m dedicated to, on and off the screen.”
As the Cannes lights dim and the Women in Motion gala attendees disperse, Kidman’s words echo as both a celebration of progress and a challenge to every stakeholder in the filmmaking world: keep the momentum, broaden the circle, and never settle for safety when daring innovation awaits
