According to the latest research by USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative — led by Stacy L. Smith — which tracks representation in front of and behind the camera, 2019 saw upticks for women lead characters and lead characters of color.
Wednesday, February 05, 2020
Women, People of Color Made Strides in 2019 Films, Study Shows
According to the latest research by USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative — led by Stacy L. Smith — which tracks representation in front of and behind the camera, 2019 saw upticks for women lead characters and lead characters of color.
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It's great to hear we are making progress with diversity within our community. I am interested to see what percentage women and people of color represent within the other aspects of movies and theatre, especially in roles such as directing, managing, and writing. I read in 2018, there were 658 prominent male directors in hollywood, compared to 46 women. It always pulls a bitter and disappointing feeling out of me when I see the nominees for the academy awards, especially best director. The movement #oscarssowhite was created in 2015, and unfortunately, I think a lot of people have forgotten about it. I am although, ecstatic about the Korean film Parasite being up for seven academy awards. I am so proud to be a Korean American in this moment, and I am so hoping they walk away with a few oscars. International films are full of diverse casts and production teams, and I hope western film industries will further open the doors and their hearts to the amazing work international films offer.
This does make me really glad, but I wish it were more reflected in the awards season. I just think that making more films about women and people of color is important, but even more important is allowing those films to succeed, rather than showing people that movies made by and about women and people of color cannot be as successful as their white, male counterparts. Giving women and people of color the opportunity to create films and tell their stories is incredibly important and I guess a good start, but it's just not enough. We need to give equal treatment to these incredibly talented women and people of color instead of just pretending. As much as award shows only show the opinions of a select few biased voters, they're undoubtedly important in the film industry and it's almost impossible to succeed if not given equal opportunity when it comes to awards.
This is fantastic to hear! Fantastic to know we are making progress as a society. Like Elena, however, I really wish this progress was reflected in awards like the Oscars, the Emmys, and others. While making and showcasing films by, about, and for women+, people of color, and other marginalized communities is important, I think it is equally important to recognize them. Not only that, I think gendered categories should be abolished. First of all, having the two categories implies a certain disparity between male and female actors that necessitates their separation when, in fact, there is not. Second of all, this binary category erases the identities of gender-nonconforming folks who prefer not to identify with either male or female. It is important to include these people in the awards process, just as they are, slowly and surely, in the production process.
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