Winnipeg filmmaker and actress Cindy Myskiw says it’s rare to see women her age portrayed on the big screen.

“Most of the age groups are 30 to maybe 50, and that’s pressing,” Myskiw – in his 60s – told the CBC. Up to speed.

“I try to submit. Sometimes I get a hearing, sometimes I don’t, but most of the time I don’t.”

The conversation about ageism in the film industry has resurfaced after a lawsuit alleges that Hallmark Media’s executive vice president of programming, Lisa Hamilton Daly, asked an employee who no longer worked at the company to stop choosing “old people,” saying, “Our leading ladies are getting old.”

Penny Perry, the 79-year-old casting director who filed the complaint obtained by Associated Pressalleges she was wrongly fired from the network known for feel-good films because of her age, despite excellent performance reviews.

Winnipeg actor and filmmaker Kelley Hirst said she became angry when he heard the allegation.

“I was quite outraged. For heaven’s sake, who among us doesn’t age?” she said in an interview with Up to speed.

Hirst, who is in his 60s, said the allegations reflected “the hypocrisy of the industry,” adding that older people and seniors make up a significant portion of those who consume Hallmark movies: “That’s the demographic that you’re marketing to, and I think it’s important that they see women who look like them.”

Several holiday-themed Hallmark films have been filmed in Winnipeg over the years, most recently Hanukkah on the rocks (after 2022 Hanukkah on Rye) And Following this star.

Older women excluded from secondary roles: Myskiw

The comments allegedly made by Hamilton Daly included a comment directed at actress Lacey Chabert, 42. The lawsuit alleges that Hamilton Daly said the actress “is getting older and we need to find someone like her to replace her as she gets older.”

The lawsuit alleges the executive also said Holly Robinson Peete, 60, “can’t play leading roles anymore,” adding, “No one wants her because she’s too expensive and she’s becoming too old”.

Myskiw called Hamilton Daly’s alleged comments “horrible” and said women her age were even excluded from supporting roles.

“They’re looking at ages between 18 and maybe 30 (years old)… it’s like, what about older people?” she said. “Where are the old people in this town? Don’t they exist? Are there no grandparents?”

Both actors, who have recently directed films, said the exclusion was also based on gender, saying that behind the scenes it was still a very male market.

Hirst said women still need to “create opportunities” if they want to direct or produce to make their voices heard.

In a statement, Hallmark denied the allegations, saying it “continues to cultivate and maintain positive and productive relationships with talented actors representing a broad spectrum of diversity, including actors who span many age groups and of several generations.

However, some potential viewers CBC spoke to in Winnipeg said they’re not sure they’ll be able to tune into the network this year because of the allegations.

“It’s ageism…I don’t think I would want to watch movies if that was the policy they had toward cinema,” Kathleen Helgason said.

Ally Schultz said the allegations seem to say that “old people don’t represent love or anything like that”, and added that seeing depictions of old people is one of her favorite features of a movie. Comforting Christmas.