#Inclusion
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...
Muslim Characters Are Erased & Stereotyped in Popular TV, According to Inclusion Initiative Study
Last year, Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released a study outlining the inadequate representation the Muslim community has received in popular film in recent years....
Apply Now: The Inaugural Black List x YouTube Originals Black Voices Creator Fellowship
The Black List’s latest initiative is spotlighting scribes “who can write exceptionally and authentically about the Black experience.” The organization behind the annual ranking of...
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...
New Scorecard Initiative Will Evaluate Film Festivals Based on Their Accessibility
During this year’s edition of the Cannes Film Festival, FWD-Doc, a collective of non-fiction filmmakers living with disabilities, released a statement about the fest’s overall...
Trailer Watch: Freida Pinto Schemes Against an Arrogant Bachelor in Period Rom-Com “Mr. Malcolm’s List”
Craving a Regency romance where a bunch of beautiful people flirt, send mixed signals, and hatch plots for marriage, revenge, and/or love? Well, you don’t have to wait for the next season of...
Cannes Reminds Us (Again) of How Much It Is Holding the Film Industry Back
Last week I was wondering why I was feeling so calm and then I realized that I wasn’t preparing to go to Cannes. For several years before the pandemic, I joined the annual pilgrimage to...
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...
Number of Women & POC Leads/Co-Leads Held Steady in Top Films of 2021, According to New Research
The good news: judging from last year’s box office reports, the number of female and people of color leads/co-leads in popular films hasn’t really decreased during the pandemic. The bad...
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,...
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez to Receive GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award
GLAAD is honoring “Pose” star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez for her “promotion of LGBTQ acceptance.” According to Deadline, Rodriguez is set to receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award...
USC Annenberg Study: Women Film Directors Making Gains but Racial Disparities Persist
Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative have released their latest “Inclusion in the Director’s Chair” report and it offers a rare piece of pandemic-era good news:...
Collective of POC-Centered Documentary Orgs Launches, Set to Award $1.35M in Funding
Color Congress, a new collective dedicated to supporting people of color in documentary filmmaking, has arrived. Described by a press release as “a national collective of organizations led and...
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...
Field of Vision Introduces Doc Crew Apprenticeship Program for Underrepresented & Emerging Talent
Field of Vision is turning its attention to below-the-line inclusion in documentary filmmaking. The nonfiction unit behind projects such as “American Factory” and “On the...
NALIP, Disney, Amblin, Starz, and MPA Team Up for Latino Lens: Producers Pipeline Incubator
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) is working with Disney, Amblin Partners, Starz, and the MPA to nurture the next generation of Latinx producers. The orgs have joined...
Swedish Film Institute & Netherlands Film Fund Launch International Fund to Support Underserved Filmmakers
The Swedish Film Institute and the Netherlands Film Fund are partnering on an initiative designed to support filmmakers who are too often denied funding. A press release announced that the two orgs...
Quote of the Day: Jodie Turner-Smith Calls for Inclusive Hiring Above & Below the Line During Cannes Talk
Jodie Turner-Smith is emphasizing the importance of inclusive hiring — and not just directors and actors. Per Variety, the “Queen & Slim” star called on the industry to provide...
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...
Out in Hollywood Announces Out Loud 2021 List of Best Unproduced Pilot Scripts by LGBTQ+ Writers
A newly formed organization, Out in Hollywood, has launched its inaugural Out Loud List of the best unproduced pilot scripts that center on queer experiences and/or are written by queer writers....
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...
Apply Now: Bisha K. Ali, Netflix, and Sky’s U.K. Screenwriters’ Fellowship
Bisha K. Ali knows all too well how tough it can be to establish a TV writing career, especially if you’re from a marginalized community. As she recalled to Variety, when she was coming up, she...
Freeform Prez Tara Duncan Will Head New Disney/Hulu Content Brand for Creators of Color
Tara Duncan, president of Freeform and one of The Hollywood Reporter’s 2021 Women in Entertainment Power 100, is taking on a new role. Walt Disney Television’s Dana Walden has announced...
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...
Inclusive SXSW Musical “Best Summer Ever” Gets Distribution at Freestyle Digital Media
“Best Summer Ever,” a teen musical from directors Lauren Smitelli and Michael Parks Randa, has nabbed distribution. Freestyle Digital Media will release the film — which was...
Applications Opening Soon for Firelight Media’s William Greaves Fund
The second year of Firelight Media’s William Greaves Fund will kick off with an open call for applications on March 15, a press release announced. The fund is designed “to support...
Golden Globes: Chloé Zhao Wins Best Director, Andra Day Named Best Actress in a Drama
Chloé Zhao and Andra Day made history at last night’s Golden Globe Awards. Zhao became the first woman director to claim the Best Director prize since Barbra Streisand took home the honor in...
Netflix, FWD-Doc, and Doc Society Launch U.K. Disability and Inclusion Toolkit, U.S. Version to Follow
A recent report from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, analyzing the U.S.-based 126 movies and 180 series released on Netflix in 2018 and 2019, revealed that just 5.3 percent of stories were...
Half of Netflix’s 2018-2019 Films and Shows Were Driven by Women and Girls, New Study Finds
The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has released a new report analyzing the U.S.-based 126 movies and 180 series released on Netflix in 2018 and 2019. “Inclusion in Netflix Original U.S....
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...
Apply Now: Lena Waithe, Hillman Grad Prods., and Indeed’s Rising Voices Filmmaking Initiative
Lena Waithe, her company Hillman Grad Productions, and employment site Indeed are teaming up to “discover, invest in, and share stories created by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)...
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...
All-Women Cohort Selected for Blackhouse Foundation’s Multicultural Producers Lab
For the second year in a row, an all-women cohort has been selected for The Blackhouse Foundation’s Multicultural Producers Lab. Danni Conner, Trevite Willis, Avril Speaks, Adetoro Makinde, Letitia...
Loira Limbal, Ekwa Msangi, & Shalini Kantayya Among Sundance Institute’s 2021 Momentum Fellows
The Sundance Institute has announced the selectees for its 2021 Momentum Fellowship, a year-long program “of deep, customized creative and professional support for mid-career writers and...
The Disability List Announces 2020 Selections
The Disability List, an annual collection of the best unproduced scripts featuring at least one lead character with a disability, has selected eight screenplays for its second edition. The 2020 list...
DOC NYC Names Loira Limbal, Iyabo Boyd, and More as Documentary New Leaders
Sixteen up-and-comers in the documentary field — all of whom are women, nonbinary, and/or people of color — are being honored by DOC NYC. The festival announced the honorees for its...
Mind the Gap 2020: Discussions on Intersectionality, Viola Davis, Regina King, & More to Participate
Mind the Gap, Mill Valley Film Festival’s platform for inclusion and equity, will welcome Regina King, Kate Winslet, Viola Davis, Judi Dench, and more to its 2020 edition. Kicking off today,...
Editor to Watch: Jacqueline Basse of “She’s Gotta Have It” and “Aggie”
Shorts, features, documentaries, and memorable, acclaimed series populate up-and-coming editor Jacqueline Basse’s portfolio. Editing is an artistic exercise of technical prowess that maximizes...
Guest Post: How 2020 Changed Our Distribution Plans for Our Doc About Lesbian Icon Franco Stevens
By Jen Rainin and Rivkah Beth Medow Shivering at 4 a.m. in an empty drive-in theater parking lot was not how we expected to spend the day before our film “Ahead of the Curve’s” world...
BAFTA Announces Overhaul Designed to “Urgently Address a Lack of Diversity” in Awards
The British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) is committing to “long-term substantial cultural and organizational change” in the wake of publishing its “in-depth,...
ViacomCBS Developing 50 TV Movies by First-Time Women & BIPOC Directors with New Program
ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group has committed to telling “diverse stories through the lens of diverse storytellers” via a new initiative. The Los Angeles Times reports that the...
Trailer Watch: From #MeToo to BLM, Women Are “Not Done” Fighting for Change in MAKERS’ New Doc
“There are some people who think that we are post-civil rights, we are post-feminism, and therefore we’re post-intersectional,” an interviewee says in a new documentary about the...
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,...
ReFrame Awards 33 Shows Its Gender Equality Stamp, a 57% Increase from Previous Season
ReFrame is spotlighting 33 shows featuring gender-balanced casts and creative teams. A press release announced that “Euphoria,” “Normal People,” “Never Have I...
Attagirl Film Lab Unveils Inaugural Class, Majority of Projects Are Directed by Women and POC
Attagirl, a film lab supporting women and non-binary writers, directors, and producers, has selected the projects for its inaugural edition. A press release announced that 13 films have been chosen,...
Study: The Number of Female Speaking Characters in Top Films Hasn’t “Meaningfully Increased Since 2007”
Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative have released their latest study, “Inequality in 1,300 Popular Films: Examining Portrayals of Gender, Race/Ethnicity, LGBTQ &...
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...