Even before Women and Hollywood was a glimmer in my eye, I had an affinity for Australian women directors. I find it very interesting that most of the seminal American movies of the late ’70s and ’80s with kick-ass feminist characters — films like “Norma Rae,” “Julia,” “An Unmarried Woman,” and “Silkwood” — were all directed by men, but when you look at some of the similarly influential titles to come out of Australia at that time, they are directed by women. “My Brilliant Career” and “High Tide” directed by Gillian Armstrong, and “Sweetie” and “An Angel at My Table” by Jane Campion, for example (I realize Campion is from New Zealand, but she studied in Australia.) Those movies made me believe that there was something special in the water over on that side of the world.

Creating Women and Hollywood has afforded me opportunities to connect with people all across the globe, and last week I added a trip to Australia to my itinerary after a planned event in Japan. I was able to participate in a wonderful panel sponsored by the Screen Vixens and Film Fatales Sydney called “Diversity in Action.” It was a discussion that took us past the typical conversation on diversity and was honestly one of the most inclusive panels I have ever been on. There were transgender women; women with disabilities; women of different ethnicities; women of different ages and areas of focus. A truly wonderful conversation with truly wonderful participants.

Doing so much of Women and Hollywood’s work online has led to building virtual connections with people from around the world. Rachel Ward is someone I’ve been in communication with for a number of years. Formerly an actress, Rachel has been directing over the last several years. She agreed to host an event at her gorgeous Sydney home for women who work in the industry. It was an exciting evening and helped me understand the global effect of the work of Women and Hollywood. I wanted to share with you the generous words that Rachel had to say:

Melissa runs the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College, a festival dedicated to films promoting women in leadership roles. She started the blog Women and Hollywood which has now been running for eight years and which I have followed for many. She is also the author of the book ‘In Her Voice: Women Directors Talk Directing.’

Melissa has consistently been the watchdog of our industry internationally. She was writing about these issues way before they became popular. Her blog created the foundation for the conversations that are happening all across the globe today. When the blog started, no one talked about this topic. Now, as we know and experience the impact of our own initiatives like Gender Matters, it has gone mainstream.

Melissa is not a practitioner in the industry. She has nothing to gain by being an advocate for us, but she dedicates herself to making sure women’s voices in film are heard and to making it as uncomfortable as possible for those like the selectors of Cannes Film Festival and the Hollywood machine who continue to ignore and exclude us.

I find her commitment to us not only vital in bringing this issue into the mainstream and forcing the changes we are beginning to see. I find her passion and selflessness in working for our promotion very moving. It is with great appreciation that I give this little party for Melissa, welcome her to Australia, and thank her for all she does for us in the international area.

I then headed down to Melbourne as a guest of the Natalie Miller Fellowship. The fellowship is named for one of the pioneer producers in the Australian film industry. The Fellowship is so cool: it is focused on leadership, gives funding to the next generation of female leaders in the Australian screen community, and encourages them to reach the very top of their fields. It was a wonderful evening and I was so inspired by everyone I met there.

I gave a lecture titled “Why Gender Diversity Matters in Hollywood.” I will be able to share the full lecture with you shortly.