#Diversity
Dr. Stacy L. Smith & the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Launch Website Exploring Oscar History
Dr. Stacy L Smith and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative have launched The Inclusion List, a new initiative that showcases inclusion in entertainment. “Who says hashtag activism can’t create...
European Film Market to Host Day-Long Event on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
One of the world’s most prominent meeting places for members of the entertainment industry is set to highlight the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Variety reports...
Writer to Watch: Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence of “Twenties”
Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence uses writing as a means of world-building. Raised in both Washington, D.C. and Honolulu, Hawai’i in “a family of activists, critical race theorists, and freedom...
Queer Common Spaces: Podcast Picks
Find friends who don’t judge you. Find friends who understand you. Find friends who listen to you, help you grow, and commiserate with you when the future seems uncertain. All these qualities...
November 2022 Film Preview
Awards contenders are making their way to multiplexes this month. Jennifer Lawrence is eyeing a fifth Oscar nomination for “Causeway” (November 4), Lila Neugebauer’s drama about a...
The Weight of Community: Crowdfunding Picks
Community can mean a host things: comfort, responsibility, representation, and identity, to name a few. The word holds undeniable power, and our communities often inform what we come to think of our...
September 2022 Television Preview
Whether September means returning to school or returning to work, there are a number of shows premiering that our Women and Hollywood readers are sure to devour. From documentaries and dramas to...
Choreographer to Watch: Victoria Caro of “The Kissing Booth” and “Riverdale”
At just 21 years old, Victoria Caro is already a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. She began dancing competitively at the age of seven and learned more about the world of acting through...
TV Academy Members from Marginalized Groups Report Underrep, Exclusion, & Ineffective DEI Practices
A new report from the Television Academy lays bare how much work the industry has to do if it ever truly wants to be diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Based on the findings from a survey of 4,128 TV...
Pick of the Day: “A League of Their Own”
I am sick to death of franchises and reboots, so I was a little bit trepidatious about Abbi Jacobson’s update of one of my favorite movies ever, “A League of Their Own.” (I...
Writer to Watch: April Shih of “Mrs. America” and “Undone”
With credits like “Mrs. America,” “You’re the Worst,” and “Undone” under her belt, April Shih has managed to strike a seamless blend of humor, drama, and...
Diversity in Cannes Creator Yolonda Brinkley Launches “Dear Cannes, Do Better,” Calls for More Inclusion
Yolonda Brinkley, the creator of inclusion movement Diversity in Cannes, is celebrating the festival’s 75th edition by urging it to make more of an effort — specifically to...
Delegates Selected for Stories x Women, Program Working to Boost Diversity in Global Animation
Women in Animation (WIA) and the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF) have announced the delegates for Stories x Women, a new program designed to boost the diversity of...
Quote of the Day: “Doctor Strange” Cast & Crew Discuss Importance of On-Screen Visibility & Representation
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” marks the introduction of the MCU’s first LGBTQ+ Latina superhero, America Chavez, played by “The Baby-Sitters...
WGA West Reports Significant Increases for Women & BIPOC Writers Since 2010, but White Men Still Dominate
From the rise of streaming and huge blockbuster franchises to the onset of the pandemic, a lot has changed for screenwriters since 2010. And, happily, some solid progress in inclusion and diversity...
Inclusion Initiative: Little Growth for Women Musical Artists in Last Decade But WOC Saw Spike in 2021
H.E.R., Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and Doja Cat are among the most-nominated artists at this Sunday’s Grammy Awards. But in the music industry overall, women artists are severely...
Mindy Kaling to Set Up Own Book Line, Adapt Material for Film Under New Deal with Amazon
Mindy Kaling is well on her way to mogul-dom. The actress, writer, and producer has inked a new deal with Amazon Publishing and Amazon Studios that will see her curating her own literary line,...
Rebecca Sugar and USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Among WIA Diversity Award Winners
The winners of the fifth annual Women in Animation Diversity Awards are “Steven Universe” creator Rebecca Sugar, the short film “All Those Sensations in My Belly,” and the USC...
UCLA Diversity Report: Pandemic Audiences Embracing TV Shows with Diverse Casts and Writers
The latest edition of UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report examined television viewing habits during the 2019-2020 season and found that pandemic audiences are connecting with shows featuring...
Diversity in Cannes Will Make Its Post-Pandemic Return with Diversity Day 2021
Unless you live under a rock, the following won’t come as a surprise, yet it still bears repeating: Cannes is not overly concerned about diversity or inclusion. Despite pledging to do better in...
Amazon Studios Implements Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Playbook
Amazon Studios is making it official. The company has implemented a formal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) policy, including “a detailed ‘playbook’ with hiring and...
Tanya Saracho and More Partner with Writers Guild Foundation for Inclusive Training Program
Television writers Tanya Saracho (“Vida”), Liz Hsiao Lan Alper (“Day of the Dead”), and Mike Royce (“One Day at a Time”) are joining forces with the Writers Guild...
DGA Report: Women Directed 34 Percent All TV Episodes in 2019-2020 Season
Once again, the number of television episodes directed by women and people of color bested its own record. The Directors Guild of America released its latest “Episodic Television Director...
Nielsen Will Now Track Diversity and Inclusion in Television Programming
Nielsen, the firm best known for measuring TV ratings, is adding a new focus to its work. According to a press release, the org has launched Gracenote Inclusion Analytics in order to track diversity...
New Study Concludes Swedish Film Industry Isn’t Reaching Full Diversity & Representation Potential
A new study released by the Swedish Film Institute, entitled “Which Women?,” has determined the Swedish film and TV industry can do a lot better when it comes to representation and...
Apply Now: Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab
Lena Waite is welcoming in a new generation of talent into the industry. The Emmy winner’s production company, Hillman Grad, has launched The Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab, a 10-month,...
Black Actors Make History at the 2020 Emmy Awards
Black Lives Matter — that was among the main takeaways from last night’s Emmy Awards. From the winners’ speeches to the winners themselves, Black voices were recognized, amplified,...
Academy Introduces Representation and Inclusion Standards for Best Picture Oscar
Films will soon have to up their inclusion game if they want to be considered for the Best Picture Oscar. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced and outlined new...
Women and Diverse Directors Set to Helm 63 Percent of FX’s 2021 Productions
Next year, for the first time in the network’s history, white male directors will not be helming the majority of FX productions. John Landgraf, Chairman of FX Networks and FX Productions,...
AMPAS Launches Conversation Series Focusing on Inclusion in Industry, First Ep Features Whoopi Goldberg
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the organization behind the Oscars, has released the first installment of “Academy Dialogues: It Starts with Us,” a conversation series...
Apply Now: The ITVS Diversity Development Fund
Independent Television Service (ITVS) is looking to develop “exceptional stories by filmmakers from diverse backgrounds: stories that take creative risks, inspire dialogue, and are rarely seen...
BBC Commits $124 Million to Diverse Productions and Talent
The BBC has announced that it is committing £100 million ($124 million USD) of its existing commission budget to diverse and inclusive content over three years, starting in 2021. It stands as the...
WGAW Inclusion Report: Underrepresented Writers Making Gains, but Systemic Discrimination Persists
In the past year, underrepresented writers — including women, people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people over age 55 — have made strides in movies and...
Survey: Underrepresented TV Writers Face Discrimination at Twice the Rate of Overrepresented Scribes
The Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity (TTIE) has released its second “Behind-the-Scenes: The State of Inclusion and Equity in TV Writing” report. A survey of 333 working TV writers who identify...
2020 Diversity Report: Women and POC Make Strides in Film, Remain Underrepresented
UCLA has released Part 1 of its annual Diversity Report, focusing on representation on both sides of the camera among the top 200 films released in 2018 and 2019. Like the 2019 report and the 2018...
Study: BFI Makes Progress with Implementation of Diversity Standards, but Further Change Is Needed
In June 2016, the British Film Institute (BFI) introduced guidelines to increase and improve diversity on-screen and off. These Diversity Standards addressed inclusion in regards to on-camera...
DGA Report: Women & POC Directed Half of All TV Episodes in 2018-2019 Season, Marking a First
If you’re looking for some positive current events to discuss at Thanksgiving dinner next week, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) has got you covered. According to the guild’s new...
New UCLA Study Offers Five Practices for Promoting Diversity in Hollywood
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably aware that Hollywood is mostly controlled by white dudes. There were 112 directors on last year’s top 100 films, and only one...
Apply Now: TIFF’s Inaugural Media Mentorship Program
TIFF’s Media Inclusion Initiative (MII) is now accepting applications for its inaugural Media Mentorship Program. Launched in conjunction with last year’s Share Her Journey campaign and...
Octavia Spencer to Receive GLSEN’s 2019 Inspiration Award
The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has announced that Octavia Spencer will receive the Inspiration Award at this year’s GLSEN Respect Awards. For over 25 years, GLSEN has...
FX Reports Encouraging Writing and Directing Stats at TCA
According to Chairman John Landgraf, the writers of FX’s 2019-2020 season are 25 percent white women, 20 percent women of color, and 16 percent men of color, while the directors are 28 percent...
Apply Now: Walt Disney TV Launches Inclusive Behind the Scenes Initiatives
Walt Disney Television is looking to add more women, people of color, LGBTQ+ folks, individuals with disabilities, and those from other underrepresented communities behind-the-scenes. According to...
Academy Invites 842 New Members, 50% Are Women and 29% POC
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the organization behind the Oscars, has invited 842 people from 59 countries to join as members. According to the Academy’s website, 50...
Six Critics Orgs Join Forces to Promote Women, POC, and LGBTQ Voices in Film Journalism
Six national critics organizations are forming a coalition in order to champion marginalized voices in entertainment journalism. According to a press release, Critics Groups for Equality in Media...
Apply Now for the Inaugural Disney Launchpad: Shorts Incubator
The Walt Disney Company is offering directors from underrepresented communities the chance to “present diverse perspectives through the production of original, live-action short films for...
NBC Introduces Its First Below-the-Line Diversity Initiatives
NBC is ramping up its diversity efforts off-screen. The network — already the home of the inclusive Female Forward, Emerging Director, and Alternative Directors programs — has unveiled...
Report: Top Studios and Talent Agencies’ Leadership Lagging in Inclusion
Throughout the past year or so, the film industry has seen several gains in terms of inclusivity. Sixteen black directors worked on top-grossing movies in 2018, a 12-year high. Last year also marked...
WGA Inclusion Report Card: There Is “Systemic Discrimination” in Hiring of TV Writers
The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) has issued an Inclusion Report Card for the 2017-2018 TV season, and it seems writers’ rooms are still struggling to make the grade when it comes to...
Niki Caro, Haifaa Al-Mansour, and More to Attend New Zealand’s Power of Inclusion Summit
Women in Film and Television International and the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) are tackling inclusion in the film industry. With support from the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and...
Submit Now: Amazon’s Inclusive All Voices Film Festival Competition
If you’re a U.S. filmmaker from an underrepresented community — or one who is dedicated to inclusion in film — this is for you. Amazon Prime Video is hosting the All Voices Film...
Actress Mirirai Sithole Talks About Her New Play & Why She Considers Inclusive Projects the Norm
When it comes to working with women, actress Mirirai Sithole has been very fortunate. From playwrights Jocelyn Bioh and Ngozi Anyanwu to the gals behind “Broad City” and “Russian Doll,”...