How filmmaker Maria Giese helped spark a federal investigation into Hollywood hiring practices

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Filmmaker Maria Giese's complaint to the ACLU about Hollywood hiring practices helped spark a federal investigation.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is examining the film industry after a complaint from the American Civil Liberties Union.

The issue of under-representation for women filmmakers in Hollywood has taken a dramatic turn.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is investigating hiring practices for women in Hollywood. That investigation began as a complaint to the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU then went to the federal agency on behalf of several women filmmakers.

One of them is Maria Geise. She’s an L.A.-based filmmaker and UCLA film school graduate who says she has struggled to find work in Hollywood throughout her career. Her experience is reflected in numerous studies that show how few women get jobs behind the camera — as directors, screenwriters, producers and many other positions.

When Giese stopped by The Frame today, we began by asking her how the recent studies on women in Hollywood have impacted her campaign.