ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the foundational comparative perspectives that inform the book’s chapters, examining the history and evolution of Canadian and Swedish welfare state, gender equality, and culture sector and film policies, noting that Canada did introduce gender-specific public bids to promote women’s filmmaking in the early 1970s, while Sweden did not do so until the 21st century. Highlighting differences and commonalities, the chapter examines how these policies shaped women’s filmmaking practice in both countries, demonstrates connections and influence between the two contexts, charts circulation and interaction among works and practitioners, and addresses key historical developments, such as the growth and stature of international women’s film festivals, the significance of the UN Year of the Woman (1975), the ways in which programming for television increased access to production for women filmmakers, the important role of Studio D and the program “En tant que femmes” (As Women) at the National Film Board of Canada/Office National du film, and the power and impact of Sweden’s Film Agreements, the Swedish Film Institute, the Swedish Film School, and the formation of Swedish Women’s Film Association (SWFA, Svenska Kvinnors Filmförbund).
