Kering Foundation focuses on domestic violence awareness in filmmaking contest

French luxury group Kering is returning as a sponsor and partner for a filmmaking competition that supports women in more ways than one.

For the second year, the Kering Foundation is teaming with Modern Films to champion female-identifying filmmakers whose works touch on themes surrounding gender-based violence. Preventing violence against women around the world is at the heart of the Kering Foundation, which was established in 2008.

Feminist filmmaking
The “16 Days, 16 Films” project is a short film contest that coincides with the United Nations Women campaign 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence. Submissions are open through Oct. 8 for the competition, which is in its third year.

For the first time, entries will be accepted from the United States and Mexico, as well as the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Italy. The films must be no longer than 20 minutes, but most importantly, must increase visibility about gender-based violence and inequality.

“It is essential to elevate the voices of female-identifying filmmakers in order to highlight the complexities of the violence that affects one out of three women worldwide,” said Céline Bonnaire, executive director of the Kering Foundation, in a statement. “Through this initiative, we hope that we can mobilize more individuals towards collective action to create change.”

2019 winner Myriam Raja directed a PSA for U.K. Says No More

Sixteen finalists will be selected by an independent jury, with one film being released each day between Nov. 25 and Dec. 10 on Modern Film and the Kering Foundation’s online platforms. Nonprofit organizations, including the U.S.’s National Network to End Domestic Violence and U.K. Says No More, will also share the selected films.

The first-place winner will also have the opportunity to create a public service announcement for U.K. Says No More. Myriam Raja, the 2019 winner for her film The Third Sorrow (see story), helmed a PSA for the group’s #YouAreNotAlone campaign.

Standing with women
Global domestic abuse cases have increased as the coronavirus pandemic forced millions to lockdown in unsafe environments, bringing even more urgency to the issue.

This May, the Kering Foundation and Gucci’s Chime for Change partnered to launch #StandWithWomen, a new campaign to grow funding for nonprofits supporting women and girls worldwide and tackling gender-based violence during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

The campaign is the follow-up from philanthropy by Gucci parent Kering and its foundation in China, Italy, France and the United States, along with Gucci’s $2.2 million donation under the call to action, “We Are All In This Together.” The two organizations have taken a strong stand against gender-based violence at a time when access to health services is limited due to lockdowns and the virus outbreak (see story).

In 2019,Vogue International editor Suzy Menkes and a board director of the Kering Foundation discussed how the luxury industry is bringing awareness to social issues during an intimate conversation at the Condé Nast International Luxury Conference. With a focus on preventing violence against women, the Kering Foundation supports initiatives that help both men and women, according to the director (see story).