‘Free The Bid’ Makes Its Australian Debut

‘Free The Bid’ Makes Its Australian Debut
Larissa Meikle
By Larissa Meikle



Based on the successful US gender equality awareness campaign, Free The Bid has now launched in Australia, headed up by award-winning director Jasmin Tarasin.

A non-profit initiative advocating on behalf of female directors for equal opportunities to bid on jobs in the film and TV industry, Free The Bid calls on ad agencies, brands, production companies and broadcasters to take a pledge and commit to including at least one female director’s bid on every job.

To view the Free The Bid Australia website visit: https://freethebid.com.au/

With support from leading Australian production companies including Photoplay, The Sweet Shop, Eight, Curious, Jungle, Taxi, Otto, In The Thicket, Airbag, Tazer, Guilty, The Producers, Fiction and Truce, the first stage has seen Tarasin launch the Australian based website.

The second stage of the initiative will see the creation of a searchable database showcasing the work of 100-plus female directors, signed to a production company or working independently, to give producers easy access to female directors. This stage is being crowd funded by Tarasin with the aim to launch by the end of the year.

Says Tarasin: “I feel that people are unconscious when it comes to gender inequality in the industry so Free the Bid is a ray of light for any female director working in the film and television industry.

“Free the Bid works well to wake up the industry and to make an effort to end gender inequality. I think as women we tend to take inequality personally, which is why it’s important to group together and present a wall of talent and creativity that cannot be ignored. It’s exciting!”

Free the Bid US ambassador Gillian Armstrong adds: “Free the Bid is a simple, direct, real action to break the appalling cycle that has been keeping women directors out of the film and TV industry. One female bid for every job will certainly help make that unconscious gender bias more visible.”




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