Nicole Kidman is determined to uplift women in Hollywood

Speaking at the Kering Woman in Motion event at the Cannes Film Festival, Nicole - who founded the production company Blossom Films in 2010 - explained: "I was at a point where we had a discussion where there was such a disparity in terms of the choice. You'd go, 'Could a woman direct this?' And there wasn't a number of names where you could even consider people. They'd say it was someone's first time and you didn't want to risk it.

"I had to start to say this is how I am doing it. This is what I am doing.

"We will take the risk and we are going to mentor and support and help and then really protect. Because part of it is protecting and surrounding the women with almost like a forcefield of protection and support so they can do their best work.

"At the same time, it's giving them the opportunity where they feel like this isn't the only chance. A lot of is like, 'OK, you get one shot.'"

Nicole is also eager to fight ageism in Hollywood.

The 57-year-old actress wants filmmakers of all ages to understand that their careers needn't be defined by a single failure.

The award-winning film star - who has been one of the best-paid actresses in Hollywood since the late 90s - said: "You get to a certain age and maybe you had made a great film in your 20s that got lauded and then suddenly you're in your 40s and you haven't followed it up or made choices that didn't succeed. But you're like, 'I'm not over! Please still keep believing in me and investing in me.' That is important, too, resisting ageism.

"There's the emerging talents and then the ones that are still going who have a wealth of knowledge and experience and have somehow been cast out or are not the cool person. It's about going, 'No, you actually can have a second or third chapter.'"