Like many coming-of-age directorial feature debuts, Dìdi (弟弟) is semiautobiographical, but Sean Wang’s personal background played as much of a role in literally making the movie as it did in inspiring its narrative. The film, which was acquired by Focus after winning the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award at Sundance in …

Who would pass up $30 billion? Hollywood’s top decision makers and gatekeepers, apparently. Beginning in 2021, the consulting firm McKinsey has published a series of reports exploring the entertainment industry’s representation and inclusion of historically excluded people. Along the way, the analysts totaled up the potential financial revenue that Hollywood …

Screenwriter Tony Spiridakis wasn’t familiar with the Museum of the Moving Image’s Marvels of Media Festival — which celebrates the work of mediamakers with autism — before penning his star-studded film Ezra, about parenting a child on the spectrum. But he quickly became a supporter after MoM founder and former …

ColorCreative’s Find Your People Program is introducing more people – this time, composers. The talent development initiative from the company founded by Issa Rae, Deniese Davis and Talitha Watkins is unique in that it isn’t only targeted to emerging creatives in above-the-line roles. Instead, it solicits applicants from seven disciplines …

Lily Gladstone’s awards run for Killers of the Flower Moon was historic, with the performer knocking down milestone after milestone: first Indigenous Golden Globe and SAG winner and first Native American Oscar nominee. Although the votes fell just short of securing her that final superlative — Poor Things’ Emma Stone …

My Rep and Me is a recurring Culture Shift feature in which reps and clients from the same historically marginalized background sit down to discuss the chemistry and business advantages of their special connection, in order to underscore the importance and benefits of diverse representation. UTA partner Keya Khayatian and …

The Sundance Institute and Disney have selected the first cohort for their Muslim Artist Fellowship. Each of the four filmmakers will receive an unrestricted $15,000 grant as they participate in a year-round professional development program that will include personalized support, networking and community-building opportunities in service of their respective goals …

As we enter the heart of Hollywood awards season, there are signs everywhere of both how far the entertainment industry has come in telling the whole American story — and just how far it has left to go. Last month, events during the Sundance Film Festival reflected on the fractious …

As more and more cultural affinity groups plant their flags at Sundance each year, Gold House has united a handful of organizations, in partnership with the Sundance Institute, for a shared mission: to tangibly support filmmakers from historically excluded backgrounds. The Sundance Institute | One House Filmmakers Fund provides $10,000 …

In the 2018 Korean drama My Mister, Lee Sun-kyun stars as a man who seems to have it all – a stable career, the respect of his colleagues and a loving family – but is in actuality burdened by the pressures of providing for his loved ones and employees while …

The highest-grossing movie of 2023 was directed by a woman – but equal opportunity for women behind the camera is as elusive as ever, caution San Diego State’s Martha Lauzen and Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s Stacy L. Smith. The academics’ latest respective industry progress reports pour cold water on any premature …

“How many of you remember ASL Barbie?” Deaf West Theatre artistic director DJ Kurs signed from the stage at Westwood’s Regency Village Theatre last Thursday night, referring to Sign Language Barbie, which Mattel released in 2000. “Her hand was permanently stuck in the ‘I love you’ hand shape. Can you …