celluloid ceiling
noun phrase

The celluloid ceiling is a metaphor for the under-representation of women in hiring and employment in the film industry, and especially in Hollywood.

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ORIGIN

The term reflects the metaphor of the "glass ceiling," which describes an invisible barrier that keeps a given demographic (typically women, although the term can apply to any protected group) from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy.

Celluloid refers to the material used to make the film stock that was once used to make motion pictures.

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The Celluloid Ceiling Report   

The celluloid ceiling is also the title of a series of reports created by Dr. Martha Lauzen at the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University.

These reports have been compiled since 1998 to track employment statistics for women in Hollywood. The reports focus on behind the screen creative positions, also called above-the-line positions.

For the top 250 films the report found that women account for only 18% of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers employed.

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SOURCES

-  "A Sturdy Glass Ceiling: Representation of Women on Screen and Behind the Scenes of Hollywood's Top 100 Films Throughout the Years"
-  "About Us" – Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film