{
  "id": 5067559,
  "title": "REEL SUCCESS STORIES: Calling a wrap on the gender gap: Mentoring makes movie magic for women in TV",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/reel-success-stories-calling-a-wrap-on-the-gender-gap-mentoring-makes",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-02T10:54:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-02-calling-a-wrap-on-the-gender-gap-mentoring-makes-movie-magic-for-women-in-tv/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent reports, such as Gender Matters in the SA Film Industry by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), have shed light on the persistent challenges of gender inequality in South Africa's film and television industry. Despite the global trend of women being underrepresented in film and television behind-the-scenes roles, South Africa's situation is particularly alarming. Women hold major credits at Netflix and Showmax, yet only 11% of South African feature films released nationally had female directors, and only 16% were written by women.\n\nHarriet Gavshon, an award-winning female founder-owner of South Africa's leading film and television production company, Quizzical Pictures, has been at the forefront of addressing this issue. After 28 years of leadership, she has transitioned from founder-owner to creative director. Gavshon attributes the underrepresentation of women in the director's chair to the lack of opportunities for women in the industry. She believes that despite initiatives like the NFVF Female Filmmaker Slate, which has increased the number of indie and short films featuring female directors, women remain vastly underrepresented in high-budget commercial cinema and prime-time telenovela directing.\n\nGavshon attributes her company's success to an active program of mentorship and internship, which has provided opportunities for 100 individuals to start their careers in the industry and become experts in their respective fields. She emphasizes the importance of such programs, stating that they give young people the chance to gain experience in a safe and nurturing environment. Gavshon's mentor, who first offered her an internship at Quizzical Pictures, has been a significant role model and inspiration in her career.",
  "summary": "Hands-on internships prove mentorship works: women now hold major Netflix and Showmax credits, yet South Africa still records only 11% female directors.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}