Cannes 2012: 700 Protesters Sign Petition Demanding More Women Directors

A growing chorus of critics are attacking the Cannes Film Festival for this year's all-male lineup of directors.

On May 16, a group of 250 people including producer Darla K. Anderson (Toy Story 3), director Gillian Armstrong, actress/director Rachel Ward and feminist icon Gloria Steinem signed a petition sent to Cannes officials, headlined, "Where Are the Women Directors?" By May 17, the petition on Change.org had about 700 signatories. The effort is the brainchild of Melissa Silverstein, founder of a blog called Women and Hollywood and cofounder of New York's Athena Film Festival.

"Each signature generates an email [to Cannes officials]," says Silverstein, whose protest was inspired by La Barbe's barbed feminist manifesto in Le Monde last week protesting the fest's all-male 2012 lineup and acidly noting, "Men love depth in women, but only in their cleavage."

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