Where are all the female filmmakers in Hollywood?

The annual Celluloid Ceiling report finds women directed only 7% of the top 250 grossing films in 2014. Male filmmakers, on the other hand, helmed 93% of last year's most successful movies – that's over 230 films. Unbroken director Angelina Jolie was the only female director to crack the top 100 top films. 

In 1998, 9% of the top films were directed by women. That's right: female directors were actually making more films a whopping seventeen years ago. 

So why is this? Are women just less interested in making films? Martha Lauzen, Executive Director for the Study Of Women in Television and Film at San Diego University, the institute that compiles the Celluloid Ceiling report, told the Guardian that the industry is suffering from "gender inertia".

"There is no evidence to suggest that women's employment has improved in key behind-the-scenes roles over the last 16 years," she explained. "People expected Bigelow's (Kathryn, Hurt Locker director) Oscar to have a halo effect on other women. It was a bit of wishful thinking. Attitudes remain a major stumbling block. There are some harsh realities women in the film community are facing."

However, it's not all total doom and gloom. Women make up 25% of the producer roles in the top 250 films of 2014, but the number of women in editing roles has dropped to 17% from 20% last year. In summary, there are way more men than women in high up behind-the-scenes roles in Hollywood.

Are you an aspiring female filmmaker? If so, we'd like to hear from you about your battles breaking into the industry. Here are some of our visionary female filmmakers.

Check out all our coverage of women's rights and feminism here.