French culture minister Françoise Nyssen announced on Thursday that the French government would award higher subsidies to French films that hire more women. While the standards for receiving the funds only require hiring all of four whole women into key leadership positions, right now the minister says less than one in six films qualify. The increase is going to be determined using a point system, with one point per female hire into a role such as director or screenwriter. A movie that manages to get eight points, meaning they actually hired eight women, would get the maximum subsidy increase of 15%.
While activists hailed the new incentive as a major step forward in achieving gender parity in film, François Ivernel, a former top French film executive, decided to be that guy. “I don’t know many male producers or directors who want to surround themselves with men,†he told The New York Times. “They’re looking for the most competent people in the field.†So, don’t worry, according to this man, sexism doesn’t even exist to begin with.