Women in TV talk about power, parity, and progress at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival
As part of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival’s Business Content program, a dynamic panel titled “Women in Television” brought together strong female voices from across the audiovisual industry. Moderated by Mathilde Fiquet, Secretary General of CEPI – the European Audiovisual Production Association – the session ignited deep discussion and uncompromising truths about gender parity, power structures, diversity, risk, and resilience in global TV production.
Fiction Jury President Judith Light opened with warm praise for the event itself, expressing how impactful it was to be at a festival that she believed had the ability to be globally important and far reaching. She said the sense she got from everyone present was not only that they were having a glorious time together—“drinking and dancing and eating lots of fabulous food”—but that they were also talking about their creations in a way that was truly expansive and meaningful. “I'm really, really pleased to be here,” she said.
Joining Light on the panel were Shelly Goldstein (writer, Sherlock and Daughter), Marianne Levy (hybrid romcom author, novelist and screenwriter), and Josée Vallée (producer, Sphere Media, Deep Fake, Transplant). Each brought their unique career experiences, laying bare the challenges they’ve faced—and the battles still being fought.
Fiquet started the discussion with hard numbers. She shared data from the European Audiovisual Observatory that found only 27% of professionals in filmmaking or television in Europe were women. When broken down by role, 43% of producers were women, but only 37% of writers, 31% of editors, 27% of directors, and a mere 10% of both composers and cinematographers were female. The trend, she noted, showed that women were more likely to be represented in group-based professions, but where there was a singular leadership role, men were still overwhelmingly dominant.
Josée Vallée responded to the data by highlighting how much harder women have had to work. “Work harder, work all the time, seven days a week,” she said. She noted that while women were often involved in the practical aspects of production, once the stakes were raised to executive decision-making, women almost vanished. “If you’re going higher, like executive producer who’s responsible of financing, head of studio, financier… I think it’s going to be less than 2% that you’re seeing women,” she said. “The decision making has been made by men, not by women.”
Judith Light added that it wasn’t just about working harder, but working smarter—strategically, and with the right team. “Who am I choosing to work with?” she asked. “Is there a woman out there that I really want to work with? Is there a female director that I really want to work with?” She spoke of the importance of creating intimacy and trust among women on set, choosing collaborators who are aligned in values and approach. “That has made a really big difference for me,” she said, emphasizing that the goal wasn’t to exclude men but to build a more unified, dynamic, and interesting production culture.
Marianne Levy spoke about her unique position as a writer of romantic comedies. She explained that for her, romcoms are not just entertainment but political statements about intimacy, identity, and love in all its forms. “The subject that is a passion, I love to talk about intimacy… it’s like a political matter,” she said. She recounted how her voice was often dismissed or underestimated, especially on radio where people assumed she was 12 because of how she sounded. “Being kind is also a fight,” she added.
Judith Light agreed, saying that being kind, as they had discussed in their prep call, was actually powerful and not diminishing in any way. Shelly Goldstein followed that up by calling kindness and respect “a radical act right now,” given how much is rotten in the world. She recounted a personal story that revealed deep-seated industry bias. When Showtime was considering one of her scripts—praised by Coppola as the best he’d read in 15 years—executives seemed shocked that a woman could write male characters so well. “They couldn’t believe a woman could write men that well,” she recalled.
Goldstein said she now takes small but impactful steps to push for diversity by changing default assumptions in her scripts. “In the description of your character, give it another gender, another ethnic group,” she said. “There are many, many ways to open the door.” She stressed that the goal wasn’t only about giving women opportunities, but about embracing shared humanity and storytelling.
Light noted how valuable this festival was in creating opportunities for diverse voices from around the world to connect, collaborate and share new ideas. “This festival is a jumping off place for exactly what you’re talking about, that level of diversity,” she said. Goldstein responded by cautioning against tokenism. “I don’t want to be, okay, you’re the woman, so you write all the woman’s stuff,” she said. “We all have humanity within us… it’s a constant elevation.”
Levy described how male colleagues writing with her on a show she co-created for Netflix had stereotypical ideas of what a Black family in France looked like. “They said, no, no, we don’t eat fried chicken anymore,” she recalled. It wasn’t malice, but ignorance born of inexperience. “It’s the same for being a woman… you have to like, experience things to understand and not to portray a woman as you think a woman is.”
The conversation also turned to ageism in the industry. Light made a powerful case for allowing women to be seen as they age and to accept themselves in the mirror and in their roles. “Do we think we are worthy?” she asked. Goldstein pointed out the industry’s double standard: “A man can be a leading man at 87… In Hollywood, it was wonderful when you were 30, you could play a grandmother. But that never happens to men.”
She celebrated the groundbreaking depiction of older women in the series Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne, where Judith Light herself played one of two aging radicals turned “badass killers.” “They had energy, they had love, they had humor, they looked good, they were not anywhere near done,” Goldstein said. Light added that it was a joy to do because “nobody was looking down at anybody… it was about their humanity, and their real love for one another.”
Vallée returned to the systemic issue of underrepresentation in technical roles. “We don’t have enough directors and director photography. I think I can count on in Canada, like five female DPs,” she said. She stressed the need to introduce young women to these professions early. “You can do gripping… if you like. You can be like, best boy, too.”
Judith Light offered an example of women helping women in action. On her recent project (The Terror for AMC), director Karen Kusama brought her female AD with her, insisting, “I will do this with her, and that’s how it will be.”
The panel also tackled the hot-button issue of pay parity. “How do I feel about it? I’m not for it,” Shelly Goldstein said bluntly. “It’s so ludicrous at this point… Stop already.” Judith Light shared a recent story of a woman told she would earn less because her male co-star had already accepted a lower rate. “I said, ‘Tell them it is inappropriate… You don’t have to be the mouse in the corner,’” she recalled. “Look at what happened to Scarlett Johansson. She had to go and do a lawsuit in order to get parity of pay. That’s absurd.”
Goldstein agreed, saying that when superstars like Scarlett or Judith herself aren’t paid fairly, it’s indefensible. “No one should be downplaying what you’re worth in your role.”
As the session moved toward conclusion, the focus shifted to risk, rejection, and resilience. “I believe in the power of NOs,” said Marianne Levy. “It defines yourself as an artist… You have to speak up for yourself and for the other ones.” Light responded, “Saying NO is really about having the faith that there will be something else.”
Josée Vallée told women to take their rightful space. “Take your place. You’re a producer. You’re not the second assistant… you need to assume your position.”
On the topic of failure, Light quoted Buckminster Fuller, who believed that those who fail the most are the ones who learn the most. “Let yourself be uncomfortable,” she urged. “If you don’t ever do that…” Goldstein interjected with her characteristic wit: “You don’t want to spend your whole life on the diving board… I fail fantastically. I’m a brilliant failure… I have failures that people would dream about.”
She pointed out the industry’s hypocrisy, noting that if a zombie movie loses hundreds of millions, no one questions the genre. “But if a romantic comedy… doesn’t absolutely set the box office on fire—‘Oh, that’s a woman’s picture.’” Levy added that failure is personal and unpredictable: “Some people would love to have items… Failure is everything and nothing.”
In one of the final exchanges, Vallée reminded the audience that it’s okay to be vulnerable. “It’s okay to cry… We’re human.” Light jokingly added, “Because you’re going through menopause. Surprise!” Marianne laughed, adding, “Sometimes you have success with something you’ve written… it’s not your best work… and so sometimes you can’t predict. If you knew, it would be of no interest being an artist.”
As the final question asked each panelist to offer one word of advice to the next generation of women in TV, Josée Vallée responded with the word that had anchored the entire conversation: “Sisterhood.” Judith Light nodded. “You said it.”
The message of the panel was clear: this isn’t just about getting in the door—it’s about holding it open, together.
Joining Light on the panel were Shelly Goldstein (writer, Sherlock and Daughter), Marianne Levy (hybrid romcom author, novelist and screenwriter), and Josée Vallée (producer, Sphere Media, Deep Fake, Transplant). Each brought their unique career experiences, laying bare the challenges they’ve faced—and the battles still being fought.
Fiquet started the discussion with hard numbers. She shared data from the European Audiovisual Observatory that found only 27% of professionals in filmmaking or television in Europe were women. When broken down by role, 43% of producers were women, but only 37% of writers, 31% of editors, 27% of directors, and a mere 10% of both composers and cinematographers were female. The trend, she noted, showed that women were more likely to be represented in group-based professions, but where there was a singular leadership role, men were still overwhelmingly dominant.
Josée Vallée responded to the data by highlighting how much harder women have had to work. “Work harder, work all the time, seven days a week,” she said. She noted that while women were often involved in the practical aspects of production, once the stakes were raised to executive decision-making, women almost vanished. “If you’re going higher, like executive producer who’s responsible of financing, head of studio, financier… I think it’s going to be less than 2% that you’re seeing women,” she said. “The decision making has been made by men, not by women.”
Judith Light added that it wasn’t just about working harder, but working smarter—strategically, and with the right team. “Who am I choosing to work with?” she asked. “Is there a woman out there that I really want to work with? Is there a female director that I really want to work with?” She spoke of the importance of creating intimacy and trust among women on set, choosing collaborators who are aligned in values and approach. “That has made a really big difference for me,” she said, emphasizing that the goal wasn’t to exclude men but to build a more unified, dynamic, and interesting production culture.
Marianne Levy spoke about her unique position as a writer of romantic comedies. She explained that for her, romcoms are not just entertainment but political statements about intimacy, identity, and love in all its forms. “The subject that is a passion, I love to talk about intimacy… it’s like a political matter,” she said. She recounted how her voice was often dismissed or underestimated, especially on radio where people assumed she was 12 because of how she sounded. “Being kind is also a fight,” she added.
Judith Light agreed, saying that being kind, as they had discussed in their prep call, was actually powerful and not diminishing in any way. Shelly Goldstein followed that up by calling kindness and respect “a radical act right now,” given how much is rotten in the world. She recounted a personal story that revealed deep-seated industry bias. When Showtime was considering one of her scripts—praised by Coppola as the best he’d read in 15 years—executives seemed shocked that a woman could write male characters so well. “They couldn’t believe a woman could write men that well,” she recalled.
Goldstein said she now takes small but impactful steps to push for diversity by changing default assumptions in her scripts. “In the description of your character, give it another gender, another ethnic group,” she said. “There are many, many ways to open the door.” She stressed that the goal wasn’t only about giving women opportunities, but about embracing shared humanity and storytelling.
Light noted how valuable this festival was in creating opportunities for diverse voices from around the world to connect, collaborate and share new ideas. “This festival is a jumping off place for exactly what you’re talking about, that level of diversity,” she said. Goldstein responded by cautioning against tokenism. “I don’t want to be, okay, you’re the woman, so you write all the woman’s stuff,” she said. “We all have humanity within us… it’s a constant elevation.”
Levy described how male colleagues writing with her on a show she co-created for Netflix had stereotypical ideas of what a Black family in France looked like. “They said, no, no, we don’t eat fried chicken anymore,” she recalled. It wasn’t malice, but ignorance born of inexperience. “It’s the same for being a woman… you have to like, experience things to understand and not to portray a woman as you think a woman is.”
The conversation also turned to ageism in the industry. Light made a powerful case for allowing women to be seen as they age and to accept themselves in the mirror and in their roles. “Do we think we are worthy?” she asked. Goldstein pointed out the industry’s double standard: “A man can be a leading man at 87… In Hollywood, it was wonderful when you were 30, you could play a grandmother. But that never happens to men.”
She celebrated the groundbreaking depiction of older women in the series Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne, where Judith Light herself played one of two aging radicals turned “badass killers.” “They had energy, they had love, they had humor, they looked good, they were not anywhere near done,” Goldstein said. Light added that it was a joy to do because “nobody was looking down at anybody… it was about their humanity, and their real love for one another.”
Vallée returned to the systemic issue of underrepresentation in technical roles. “We don’t have enough directors and director photography. I think I can count on in Canada, like five female DPs,” she said. She stressed the need to introduce young women to these professions early. “You can do gripping… if you like. You can be like, best boy, too.”
Judith Light offered an example of women helping women in action. On her recent project (The Terror for AMC), director Karen Kusama brought her female AD with her, insisting, “I will do this with her, and that’s how it will be.”
The panel also tackled the hot-button issue of pay parity. “How do I feel about it? I’m not for it,” Shelly Goldstein said bluntly. “It’s so ludicrous at this point… Stop already.” Judith Light shared a recent story of a woman told she would earn less because her male co-star had already accepted a lower rate. “I said, ‘Tell them it is inappropriate… You don’t have to be the mouse in the corner,’” she recalled. “Look at what happened to Scarlett Johansson. She had to go and do a lawsuit in order to get parity of pay. That’s absurd.”
Goldstein agreed, saying that when superstars like Scarlett or Judith herself aren’t paid fairly, it’s indefensible. “No one should be downplaying what you’re worth in your role.”
As the session moved toward conclusion, the focus shifted to risk, rejection, and resilience. “I believe in the power of NOs,” said Marianne Levy. “It defines yourself as an artist… You have to speak up for yourself and for the other ones.” Light responded, “Saying NO is really about having the faith that there will be something else.”
Josée Vallée told women to take their rightful space. “Take your place. You’re a producer. You’re not the second assistant… you need to assume your position.”
On the topic of failure, Light quoted Buckminster Fuller, who believed that those who fail the most are the ones who learn the most. “Let yourself be uncomfortable,” she urged. “If you don’t ever do that…” Goldstein interjected with her characteristic wit: “You don’t want to spend your whole life on the diving board… I fail fantastically. I’m a brilliant failure… I have failures that people would dream about.”
She pointed out the industry’s hypocrisy, noting that if a zombie movie loses hundreds of millions, no one questions the genre. “But if a romantic comedy… doesn’t absolutely set the box office on fire—‘Oh, that’s a woman’s picture.’” Levy added that failure is personal and unpredictable: “Some people would love to have items… Failure is everything and nothing.”
In one of the final exchanges, Vallée reminded the audience that it’s okay to be vulnerable. “It’s okay to cry… We’re human.” Light jokingly added, “Because you’re going through menopause. Surprise!” Marianne laughed, adding, “Sometimes you have success with something you’ve written… it’s not your best work… and so sometimes you can’t predict. If you knew, it would be of no interest being an artist.”
As the final question asked each panelist to offer one word of advice to the next generation of women in TV, Josée Vallée responded with the word that had anchored the entire conversation: “Sisterhood.” Judith Light nodded. “You said it.”
The message of the panel was clear: this isn’t just about getting in the door—it’s about holding it open, together.
