IMDb’s New “F-Rating” Recognizes Women in Film

by Meghan McKenna March 10, 2017

For film fanatics, IMDb is like the Bible. It’s where you go to check viewer ratings, browse cast lists and search for spoilers. Now, the industry archive has introduced one more reason to use its database for your weekend movie selection.

Say hello to the F rating: your new go-to tool for finding feminist films. Created by the Bath Film Festival’s Holly Tarquini, the F rating was designed to support woman-centric film projects and highlight gender inequality in entertainment. Badges of honour are awarded to films across three criteria: written by a woman, directed by a woman and/or showing “significant women on screen in their own right,” according to the official F Rated website.

With blockbusters like Bridesmaids and Ghost Busters rocking the box office, it might seem like women in Hollywood are better off than ever before. But the most recent report from the Centre for the Study of Women in Television & Film showed that little progress has been made for women in film over the past decade. In fact, in some cases we’re moving backward. The study showed that only 7 per cent of the 250 films considered were directed by women in 2016—a 2 per cent drop from the 2015 list.

The F-rating system is taking us one step closer to changing these stats. The feminist guide was first introduced in 2014 and is now used to classify films at theatres and festivals across the United Kingdom. IMDb’s adoption of the F rating brings the system to the masses, making it easier than ever for moviegoers to support women on the big screen.

There’s more good news: This announcement just so happens to be perfectly timed with Women’s History Month. So round up your lady friends and grab a bottle of Pinot, because here are all the triple-F-rated films you should be watching this March.