Nicole Kidman champions gender equality at star-studded Cannes party

By Hanna Rantala and Miranda Murray

CANNES, France (Reuters) - Australian actor Nicole Kidman vowed to keep pushing for gender equality in cinema at an exclusive party attended by celebrities like popstar Charli XCX and Irish actor Paul Mescal on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday.

"I'm just an advocate and want to continue to keep moving forward with that, with my pledge from 2017, so it ain't over," said the Oscar-winning actor at the Women in Motion dinner at Cannes, part of a program set up by luxury group Kering in 2015.

Kidman, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in "The Hours" in 2002, has worked with many of the leading male directors of her generation, but she pledged in 2017 to shoot with a female director every 18 months.

She told journalists in the French Riviera resort town earlier on Sunday that in the eight years since, she's worked with 27 female directors, including projects in development.

"Part of it is protecting and surrounding the women with almost like a force field of protection and support," she said.

Other stars at the dinner included Dakota Johnson and Julianne Moore as well as Patrick Schwarzenegger of "The White Lotus." Director Guillermo del Toro was also in attendance.

Brazilian director Marianna Brennand received the initiative's emerging talent award, which includes a grant of 50,000 euros ($55,920.00) to work on a second feature project.

"If you look at the numbers, unfortunately, the numbers, they don't change," said French director Coralie Fargeat, whose Demi Moore-led body horror hit "The Substance" found widespread success after premiering at Cannes last year.

"We really need to keep making huge changes and not cosmetic changes," she said.

According to Women in Motion organisers, the share of women directors increased to only 13.6% from 7.5% among the top 100 box office films in the United States between 2015 and 2024.

Seven out of the 22 films in competition this year were made by women, including an entry from Julia Ducournau, one of only three women to have ever won the Palme d'Or top prize.

($1 = 0.8941 euros)

(Reporting by Hanna Rantala and Miranda Murray; editing by Diane Craft)

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