: Issues like menopause remain nearly invisible on screen , appearing in only about 6% of recent films featuring 40-plus female characters [19].

: Films like Nomadland (Frances McDormand) and Clemency (Alfre Woodard) feature mature women as "slow burns" navigating professional burnout and personal breakthroughs [4, 20].

: Projects focusing on the over-50 demographic, such as those from the studio Landline Pictures, are consistently proving to have high returns on investment [33]. Persistent Challenges Despite progress, significant gaps remain: