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Delivering the keynote speech at the Academy and Chanel\u2019s 2025 Women\u2019s Luncheon in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Kristen Stewart issued a dire warning about the state of cinema (via <\/a><\/span>Variety<\/span><\/i><\/a> and <\/span>People<\/span><\/i><\/a>). Ahead of the release of her directorial debut <\/span>The Chronology Of Water<\/span><\/i>, Stewart admitted she was in a \u201csevere state of PMS\u201d while delivering her remarks. \u201cBut I relish being able to say that my nerves are close to the surface of my skin, and it is a great day for that,\u201d she told her audience of Hollywood power players.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn a post-Me Too moment, it seemed possible that stories made by and for women were finally getting their due<\/a>, that we might be allowed or even encouraged to express ourselves and our shared experiences, <\/span>all<\/span><\/i> of our experiences without filter,\u201d she said. <\/span>The Chronology Of Water <\/span><\/i>took Stewart eight years to make, as she told <\/a><\/span>Vanity Fair<\/span><\/i><\/a> the movie \u201chas gotten fucking battered.\u201d At the Women\u2019s Luncheon, she said she \u201ccan now attest to the bare-knuckle brawling that it takes every single frame, when the content is too dark, too taboo, when the frankness with which it serves up observations about experiences routinely experienced by women frequently provoke disgust and rejection.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The actor-director continued, \u201cSo in my hormonally activated state let\u2019s get further into this. It\u2019s awkward to talk about inequality for some people, and it\u2019s more awkward when the nature of inequality is somewhat ephemeral. We can discuss wage gaps and taxes on tampons and measure it in lots of quantifiable ways, but the violence is silencing. It\u2019s like we\u2019re not even supposed to be angry. But I can eat this podium with a fork and fucking knife, I\u2019m so angry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Stewart observed, \u201cThe backsliding from our brief moment of progress is statistically devastating. It is devastating. Such a pitiful number of films from the past year have been made by women.\u201d <\/span>Per <\/span>IndieWire<\/span><\/i><\/a>, the annual UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report found that no woman or other-gender person of any race or ethnicity had the opportunity to direct a big-budget film (meaning over $100 million) in 2024. The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that the number of movies with female leads in 2024 reached a 10-year low, described by the study\u2019s research head as a \u201ccatastrophic step back for girls and women in film\u201d and \u201can industry failure\u201d (per <\/a><\/span>The Guardian<\/span><\/i><\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Stewart delivered much the same message, noting that \u201cour business is in a state of emergency, man.\u201d She told her fellow female film professionals, \u201cThere are too few of us. We\u2019re all here together now, and it seems like there\u2019s a lot, Jesus Christ, there\u2019s not. It\u2019s not our fault.\u201d She encouraged the women in attendance \u201cto be proud of ourselves\u201d and be grateful for their opportunities. \u201cI am thankful to you,\u201d she said. \u201cI am not grateful to a boys\u2019 club business model that pretends to want to hang out with us while siphoning our resources and belittling our true perspectives. Let\u2019s try and not be tokenized. Let\u2019s start printing our own currency.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Supporting the rights for everyone of any gender or perspective to use their \u201ctrue voice,\u201d Stewart said, \u201cWhat feels obvious to me is pretending it isn\u2019t happening is not an option. Those of us who have been lucky enough to make a movie have a responsibility to those who are yet to come.\u201d She told her audience, \u201cI am so for you. I hope you are too. Let\u2019s make art in the face of it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n