The next time you're taking a deep dive into the annals of IMDb trying to figure out just exactly who "that guy with that face from that movie" is, you can keep an eye out for a new factoid. The online database has adopted an "F-Rating" system to highlight significant female contributions to movies.
Initially created by the UK's Bath Film Festival director Holly Tarquini in 2014, the classification gives an "F" to any movie that is directed by a woman, written by a woman or prominently features women on screen.
Since its inception, the "F-Rating" system has been adopted by more than 40 UK cinemas and festivals.
Speaking about IMDb's recent inclusion of the "F" classification, the site's chief executive Col Needham told the BBC: "The F-Rating is a great way to highlight women on screen and behind the camera."
"It's exciting when new organizations decide to join us in shining a light both on the brilliant work women are doing in film and on how far the film industry lags behind most other industries, when it comes to providing equal opportunities to women," Tarquini told the BBC. "But our real goal is to reach the stage when the F-Rating is redundant because 50 percent of the stories we see on screen are told by and about film's unfairly under-represented half of the population — women."
Tarquini claims that to date, 21,800 films have been awarded the new letter grade. Just for reference, there are currently 4,159,263 total titles listed on IMDb.
The rating was partially inspired by the Bechdel Test, which requires films to have at least two named women who talk to each other about something besides a man in order to receive a passing grade.
IMDb's new decision comes just days before International Women's Day; the global event is set to be celebrated on March 8.
Initially created by the UK's Bath Film Festival director Holly Tarquini in 2014, the classification gives an "F" to any movie that is directed by a woman, written by a woman or prominently features women on screen.
Since its inception, the "F-Rating" system has been adopted by more than 40 UK cinemas and festivals.
Speaking about IMDb's recent inclusion of the "F" classification, the site's chief executive Col Needham told the BBC: "The F-Rating is a great way to highlight women on screen and behind the camera."
"It's exciting when new organizations decide to join us in shining a light both on the brilliant work women are doing in film and on how far the film industry lags behind most other industries, when it comes to providing equal opportunities to women," Tarquini told the BBC. "But our real goal is to reach the stage when the F-Rating is redundant because 50 percent of the stories we see on screen are told by and about film's unfairly under-represented half of the population — women."
Tarquini claims that to date, 21,800 films have been awarded the new letter grade. Just for reference, there are currently 4,159,263 total titles listed on IMDb.
The rating was partially inspired by the Bechdel Test, which requires films to have at least two named women who talk to each other about something besides a man in order to receive a passing grade.
IMDb's new decision comes just days before International Women's Day; the global event is set to be celebrated on March 8.
