The AGE-C project on ageing and gender in European cinema has created a public-facing web tool to enable users to browse the database, which has collected data on over 6000 films released between 2014-2023 across nine European countries.
An online event taking place on June 3rd, 18:00 BST will give more information about the project and help demonstrate the interactive webtool to scholars, practicioners, and the wider public.
AGE-C is an international research project that explores how ageing and gender are represented in contemporary European cinema. Bringing together five European universities, including Film Studies at KCL, the project combines film studies, cultural gerontology, and digital methods to better understand how cinema shapes perceptions of age, identity, and social roles.
At the core of AGE-C is a unique, data-driven dataset covering over 6000 films released between 2014–2023 produced and released in nine European countries. The dataset collects data on fiction, documentary and animation feature films in relation to filmmakers and ageing actors’ biographical details. It also includes data on roles, marketing, nationality, genres, film awards, documentary subjects and film characters. An innovative tag system relates characters and films to topics in gerontology, describing their narrative and thematic content, as well. The dataset also factors in awards and film festivals, illuminating the gender gap affecting 50+ actors. It enables new forms of research by connecting qualitative film analysis with quantitative insights, revealing patterns in representation, career trajectories of ageing actors, and cross-cultural trends.