These are heady times for women working in film and television – female helmers swept the top prizes at the Directors Guild of Canada awards in October, Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow was the darling of the Oscars, and for the first time a woman will head Telefilm Canada.

‘I’m very, very happy, both as a woman and as an employee of Telefilm,’ said Carolle Brabant upon being named executive director of the federal cultural agency.

Brabant is also the first employee to rise through the ranks to the top. ‘It’s very significant. For me it’s a sign of confidence from the minister and the board that we, the staff, are doing something right,’ she says.

A chartered accountant and self-described team player, Brabant believes she got the job because of her own experience – she is currently the director of administration and corporate services – and the hard work of her coworkers. ‘I didn’t do this alone but with the people who have worked with me and have guided me. I owe this to them as well,’ she says.

The 57-year-old executive has worked at Telefilm for two decades, including as interim director for six months in 2004. Two other women, Michelle Fortin and Johanne St-Arnauld, have also been interim directors.

Brabant’s appointment might encourage more female directors to submit projects to Telefilm, according to a spokeswoman for the group Femmes du cinéma, de la télévision et des nouveaux médias. ‘It’s very good news. It will bring a new perspective and perhaps improve the situation for women in the industry,’ says Miryam Charles.

Telefilm has been criticized in recent years for not doing enough to promote female filmmakers. Between 2002 and 2007, Telefilm funded 27 feature film projects directed by women and 181 directed by men.

Brabant comes to the job during challenging times. Telefilm has fallen short of its goal of increasing the box office for Canadian movies to 5% and Quebec’s growing French-language film community is constantly lobbying for more money from the federal agency. Then, of course, there’s the digital revolution and the upcoming Canada Media Fund, which Telefilm administers.

In a recent interview with Playback, outgoing executive director Wayne Clarkson said that Telefilm’s business model, heavily reliant as it is on government cash, is outdated and needs to change.

Telefilm says over 70 candidates from across the country were interviewed.