Feminists attack Oscar 'sexism'

Feminists attack Oscar 'sexism'

Salma Hayek has spoken out about prejudice

Feminists have launched a campaign to protest at the "white male domination" of the Oscars and the US movie industry.

A group calling themselves the Guerrilla Girls will unveil a billboard in Los Angeles on Saturday comparing the number of women in the US Senate to that in the film industry.

The billboard claims "even the US Senate is more progressive than Hollywood".

It compares the 14 female senators in the 100-member house to the four per cent of Hollywood film directors who are women.

"The stodgy Senate and hip Hollywood have something in common: they both lag behind the rest of US society in numbers of women and people of colour in top positions," the Guerilla Girls said in a statement.

"Even the interim government of Afghanistan is more progressive than Hollywood," they said.

"Six per cent of the interim cabinet members are women."

Open up that boys' club and hire more women and people of colour

The Guerrilla Girls

Only one of the top 100 grossing movies of last year was made by a female cinematographer, the group said.

They added that just eight movies were written by women and only 12 were cut by female editors.

The group also cited a study which claimed no non-white person employed by movie studios had the power to approve movie projects.

"We maintain that in the 21st Century, low, low, low numbers like this have to be the result of discrimination, unconscious, conscious or both," the group said.

'Boys' club'

"There's an easy way to change things: open up that boys' club and hire more women and people of colour.

"It worked in medicine, business and law. It worked in the art world. Now it's Hollywood's turn."

The Guerrilla Girls group has staged an annual protest against alleged inequality in Hollywood since 1999.

Salma Hayek's Oscar nomination this year for her role as Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is being seen as helpful in overcoming racism in Hollywood.

The Latino star has been outspoken on the issue, revealing she nearly gave up her film career because of the prejudice she faced as a struggling young actress.

Last year Halle Berry dedicated her best actress Oscar to "women of colour" in an emotional acceptance speech.