Film Industry commits to massive diversity drive after Oscars

In the aftermath of this year’s controversial Oscars, many film production companies and organizations are launching new programs to support diversity and inclusion.

With the backlash prior to this year’s Oscars regarding its all-white list of acting nominees, the Academy committed to radical changes to its membership which also affected decision making across the entire film industry.

In the past 12 months major studios have started hiring staff dedicated to addressing diversity in the workforce while programs such as Warner Bros’ recently announced Emerging Film Directors Workshop will aim to bring underrepresented talent to the forefront.

This past week the National Film Board of Canada announced a historic budget to support gender equality by allocating 50% of production funding to films directed by women.

Over in the UK, the BFI announced a $3.6 million (£2.5m) initiative for emerging filmmakers in the early stages of their careers that will support, “a new generation of diverse ambitious film producers.”

While there remain big hurdles to address the lack of minorities and women in the wider film industry, recent developments have created a new sense of urgency to help talent from different backgrounds access opportunities across a wide range of disciplines.

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