There has been a positive shift in the last couple years for films selected for the Venice Film Festival competition. Previously, festival director Alberto Barbera stubbornly declared that films would be selected for their merits, an arbitrary selection process which resulted in few women featured in the lineups. This year at the 78th Venice Film Festival, which ran from September 1 – 11, was exceptional, with films by several women winning top awards. The Golden Lion went to Audrey Diwan’s abortion drama Happening. The feature chronicles the story of a student in provincial France who realizes she is pregnant during the countdown to her final examinations. The film was chosen for the award in a unanimous decision by the jury, presided over by South Korean director Bong Joon-ho.