The survey was conducted at this year's Berlinale. It was the result of two years of work and comprised comparative studies from Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Great Britain.
It shows a marked under-representation of women directors and an imbalance between men and women at all levels of the film industry, despite the fact that about the same number of women finish film school.
The ratio of just graduated women directors and those working in the audiovisual industry is 44-24 percent, which shows that there is talent but its potential is untapped.
In the seven countries covered by the survey, one in five films is directed by a woman and 84% of public funds is allocated for films directed by men, which is why there are fewer films directed by women.
The biggest challenges women face in film-making is the fight for financing, mistrust towards them among some investors, an unequal allocation of funds, except for documentaries, and insufficient support once they start a family.
There are also differences in income. In France between 2009 and 2012, for example, women directors were paid 32% less than men.
With a view to promoting Croatian women directors, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre has published "Women in Croatian Film: 2015/2016", which presents directors and producers.