#Diversity
2018 Diversity Report: Women & POC Make Gains But Remain Woefully Underrepresented
To paraphrase Ava DuVernay, there have been several encouraging “moments” in Hollywood recently — including the successes of “Girls Trip,” “Wonder Woman,” and “Black...
Quote of the Day: Ava DuVernay on Hollywood’s “Broken System”
The past year has seen several barriers busted open in Hollywood: Patty Jenkins made history as the highest-paid female director, Dee Rees became the first black woman nominated for the best adapted...
Trailer Watch: Halle Berry Fights to Keep Her Family Safe During the LA Riots in “Kings”
A trailer has arrived for Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s follow-up to “Mustang.” “Kings” sees the Turkish writer-director tackling the 1992 Los Angeles riots through the perspective of Millie...
Quote of the Day: Natalie Portman on What the Woody Allen Conversations Are Missing
Natalie Portman has never been one to remain silent about gender inequality in Hollywood. She’s spoken out about receiving one-third of co-star Ashton Kutcher’s pay for “No Strings...
Quote of the Day: Viola Davis on Receiving Fewer Opps and Less Pay as a WOC
What’s absent from far too many conversations about pay equality in Hollywood — and elsewhere — is recognition of the fact that all women aren’t compensated equally. As bad as things...
Pilot Updates: Hannah Simone to Lead “Greatest American Hero,” Zetna Fuentes to Helm “Chiefs”
Pilot news continues to roll in. The previously announced gender-swapped “Greatest American Hero” reboot has found its star: “New Girl’s” Hannah Simone. And CBS drama pilot “Chiefs”...
Ava DuVernay, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Producer Dan Lin Launch Inclusion Fund
“Selma”director Ava DuVernay, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and “The Lego Movie” producer Dan Lin have teamed up with the shared goal of giving Hollywood a much-needed makeover. Variety...
WeForShe Announces 2018 WriteHer List
Get used to seeing these names. WeForShe has announced the 2018 WriteHer List, a curated collection of women-penned TV scripts that have been sourced from industry executive favorites. The list...
Octavia Spencer to Topline “Ma”
Octavia Spencer has booked another leading role. The “Shape of Water” actress has signed on to star in Blumhouse Productions’ “Ma,” a thriller that sees her reuniting with Tate Taylor, who...
Berlinale Event to Address Status of Women in Film
If you’re heading to the Berlin International Film Festival and consider the film world depressingly white and male-dominated, listen up: an event at the upcoming fest is demanding more diversity...
Denise Di Novi and Nina Tassler Form New Studio Dedicated to Inclusivity
Director/producer Denise Di Novi and former CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler will spotlight diverse stories via their new company, PatMa Productions. A press release announced that the newly...
Submissions for HBOAccess Directing Fellowship Open Next Week
Mark your calendars: HBOAccess will be accepting submissions for its 2018 Directing Fellowship beginning January 31, a press release has announced. HBO’s emerging talent pipeline partners up with...
Trailer Watch: Regina King Seeks Answers in BLM-Inspired “Seven Seconds”
A trailer has dropped for Veena Sud’s new Netflix series, “Seven Seconds.” The drama sees “The Killing” creator tackling another crime story, this one centering on the aftermath of a black...
Mo’Nique Calls Out Netflix for Gender and Racial Bias, Receives Support from Wanda Sykes
Mo’Nique is pushing for a Netflix boycott over the streamer’s “gender bias and color bias.” Per Page Six, the comedian and Oscar-winning actress posted a video on Instagram revealing that...
2018 NAACP Image Awards Praises Ava DuVernay, “Girls Trip,” and More
This year, black actresses and female creators alike dominated the NAACP Image Awards in almost every major category. From Entertainer of the Year to Outstanding Motion Picture, last night’s...
Abigail Disney and Killer Content Team Up to Form New Studio Spotlighting Women and POC
Abigail Disney and Killer Content are joining forces to support projects from women and people of color. Variety reports that filmmaker and philanthropist Disney and media company Killer Content...
Taraji P. Henson to Star in and Produce Drama About Emmett Till’s Murder
Taraji P. Henson is set to revisit a gruesome chapter in U.S. history. She’s signed on to star in and produce a drama about Emmett Till, a black 14-year-old who was tortured and lynched in...
Jada Pinkett Smith Criticizes Hollywood Foreign Press for “Girls Trip” Golden Globes Snub
“Girls Trip” made more than $115 million at the domestic box office — from a budget of $19 million — and its breakoug star Tiffany Haddish is fast becoming one of the most in-demand...
Marvel TV’s Upcoming Animated Film Will Center on Female & Diverse Superheroes
Frustrated by the lack of women and people of color in superhero films? Well, we have some exciting news for you: all of the superheroes in Marvel Television’s upcoming animated feature “Marvel...
Guest Post: Why Diversity Programs Fail in Hollywood — And How to Fix Them
Guest Post by Kylee Peña In the entertainment industry, there are a lot of diversity programs. Initiatives serving diverse writers, diverse directors, diverse engineers, and diverse...
Guest Post: Why We Still Need Niche Film Festivals
Guest Post by Savine Wong I was very lucky, and I knew it. As a woman working in the financial sector in Hong Kong, my strong command of the English language set me apart from the other women in my...
Ava DuVernay to Receive Industry Visionary Award at American Black Film Fest Honors
2018 is gearing up to be a great year for Ava DuVernay. The “Selma” director’s much-anticipated adaptation of “A Wrinkle in Time” hits theaters March 9, and now comes word that she’ll be...
DGA Reports Slight Increase in Number of Women and Minority TV Directors in 2016–17 Season
“Insecure” employed 100 percent women and minority directors in 2016–17 The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has published the 2016–17 Episodic TV Director Diversity Report. The annual study...
Zendaya to Star in Film About Vassar’s First Female African-American Graduate
Hot off her turn as a math wiz in “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” Zendaya’s newest project sees her enrolling at one of the most prestigious liberal arts schools in the United States. The “K.C....
Quote of the Day: Ava DuVernay Says Hollywood’s Exclusionary Hiring Is Intentional
By employing only women directors on “Queen Sugar” and via her film collective ARRAY, which spotlights work from women and people of color, Ava DuVernay has done plenty to fight against...
Study: 91 Percent of Showrunners Are White and 80 Percent Are Male
Despite the success of inclusive-on-both-sides-of-the-camera shows like “Queen Sugar” and “Insecure,” as well as Shonda Rhimes’ oeuvre, TV showrunners and writers are still overwhelmingly...
Trailer Watch: WWII Vets Return to Mississippi in Dee Rees’ “Mudbound”
A new trailer has landed for “Mudbound,” Dee Rees’ highly anticipated follow-up to her Emmy-winning TV movie “Bessie.” The multi-perspective Southern epic follows two men as they return...
“Breadwinner” Helmer Nora Twomey to Be Recognized at Women in Animation’s Diversity Awards
Director and animator Nora Twomey will be among the honorees at Women in Animation’s first WIA Diversity Awards, which recognize artists and organizations dedicated to building a more inclusive...
Teaser Watch: Meet the Characters of Lena Waithe’s New Show “The Chi”
“The only reason I told you this shit is cuz I thought you was gonna handle it,” an unidentified voice says in the only dialogue included in the teaser for Lena Waithe’s “The Chi.” The...
BFI Encouraging Greater Inclusivity with Film Fund Changes
The British Film Institute (BFI) has renewed its commitment to finding and supporting a wider range of voices and perspectives in its films. ScreenDaily confirms that BFI has introduced several...
Nancy Buirski on Exploring Hidden Stories in the Civil Rights Movement in “The Rape of Recy Taylor”
Nancy Buirski’s writing, directing, and producing credits include “By Sidney Lumet,” “Afternoon of a Faun,” and the the Oscar shortlisted, Peabody and Emmy Award-winning “The Loving...
DGA Study Finds Big Increase in First-Time Female TV Directors in 2016–17 Season
Reed Morano, who made her TV directorial debut with a fall 2016 episode of “Halt and Catch Fire”: IMDb/YouTube The number of first-time female episodic TV directors increased by 13 percent over...
Julie Dash to Direct Biopic of Rosa Parks
Writer-director Julie Dash made history with 1991’s “Daughters of the Dust,” the first feature directed by an African-American woman to be distributed theatrically in the U.S. Now she’s...
Quote of the Day: Taraji P. Henson Wants to Inspire Little Black Girls
Taraji P. Henson knows the legacy she’d like to leave behind. “I love black people. I love telling stories,” the “Empire” star said in a new interview with Marie Claire. “I want these...
Trailer Watch: Sonia Lowman’s “Teach Us All” Investigates De-Segregation in Schools
“It’s not a story of progress. It’s a story of total inequality of schooling,” says one of the characters in Sonia Lowman’s “Teach Us All.” The upcoming documentary explores...
Study: Number of Black and Asian Women on TV Reaches Recent Historical High, Behind the Scenes…
Study: Number of Black and Asian Women on TV Reaches Recent Historical High, Behind the Scenes Progress Stalls As the 2017–2018 television season gears up, you’re probably looking forward to...
Trailer Watch: Families in the American South Collide in Dee Rees’ “Mudbound”
Atrailer has finally landed for the biggest hit out of Sundance 2017, Dee Rees’ “Mudbound.” The drama is set in the rural American South during World War II, and the spot kicks off with two...
Yvette Nicole Brown Reveals Experience with TV’s Gender Pay Gap
It’s been television’s age-old dirty little secret: Men — white men, in particular — usually make more than their female counterparts. Though this archaic industry standard is still...
Quote of the Day: Amandla Stenberg on the Power of Seeing Complex Black Women in Film
Despite evidence that films with diverse casts enjoy higher box office receipts than their non-diverse counterparts, on-screen racial inclusivity is still a rarity. This was on Amandla Stenberg’s...
All-Female Theater Company Established in London
Thirty-six actresses have come together to fight theater’s woman problem. According to The Stage, a new, all-female acting company, Dangerous Space, has been introduced in London. Voice coach and...
Dee Rees Discusses Charlottesville, History, & Storytelling in Powerful Speech to Sundance…
Dee Rees Discusses Charlottesville, History, & Storytelling in Powerful Speech to Sundance Institute “Our voices are all that we have,” director Dee Rees argued as she accepted the 2017...
Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson’s “2 Dope Queens” Coming to HBO
Jessica Williams is coming back to HBO, and this time she’s toplining a project. The “Girls” guest star’s podcast with Phoebe Robinson, “2 Dope Queens,” is being adapted for the small...
People of Color Share #FirstTimeISawMe Representation Stories on Twitter
It’s powerful when you see a character in TV or film who’s like you. It can make you feel seen, understood, and important. However, there are swaths of viewers — people of color in...
Apply Now for the 2018 Diverse Voices in Docs Program
Applications are now being accepted for Kartemquin Films and The Community Film Workshop of Chicago’s sixth Diverse Voices in Docs (DVID) program. DVID will provide eight filmmakers of color from...
Study: Stereotypes About Gender, Race, and Age Still Abound in Film
With the success of convention-defying, female-led films like “Hidden Figures,” “Wonder Woman,” and “Girls Trip,” it’s easy to think Hollywood is finally moving beyond reductive...
Study: The Last Decade’s Most Popular Films Are Lacking in Inclusivity
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” the top-earning film of 2016 in the U.S. Conversations about more inclusivity and better representation in film have undoubtedly increased within the last decade;...
“Girls Trip” Outperforms Expectations at the Box Office
Yet another female-led film is “opening above expectations at the domestic box office.” Strong reviews helped “Girls Trip” draw big numbers this weekend. “Even during a crowded weekend,”...
Nisha Ganatra to Direct Margaret Cho’s TNT Pilot
“Transparent,” “Girls,” “Better Things” — Nisha Ganatra has directed some of TV’s most critically acclaimed comedies, and now she’s set to helm Margaret Cho’s hourlong TNT...
Brie Larson’s “Unicorn Store” to Be First Film Produced by Gender Balanced Prod Co.
Brie Larson’s “Unicorn Store” to Be First Film Produced by Gender Balanced Prod Co. 51 Entertainment Producer Lynette Howell Taylor (“Big Eyes,” “Captain Fantastic”) has launched 51...
Apply Now: New TIFF-CBC Screenwriting Grant for Underrepresented Storytellers
Canada is taking another step towards a more inclusive entertainment industry. A new, $10,000 TIFF-CBC Screenwriting Grant has been launched to recognize and support underrepresented Canadian...
Study: Nonprofit Theaters Have a Woman Problem Too
Another day, another horror story for women in the theater world. Last week it was the Actors’ Equity study that found acting and stage management jobs are still being dominated by white men....