In the ever-evolving landscape of film and television, the representation of diverse voices has been a persistent challenge. A recent report from Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative paints a stark picture: of the directors across 1,600 top-grossing movies, a mere 6% were women, and less than a third of all speaking characters were girls, women, trans, or non-binary individuals. The glaring disparity not only limits on-screen representation but also curtails career opportunities for women, trans, and non-binary storytellers.
Enter Proof of Concept, the initiative launched today as the brainchild of Cate Blanchett, her Dirty Films producing partner Coco Francini and Smith in collaboration with the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. This program is designed to address the trifecta of challenges facing these directors: funding, mentorship, and exposure.
Blanchett, Francini and Andrew Upton’s Dirty Films is an independent film, TV and podcast production company that most recently produced Christos Nikou’s Fingernails starring Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed and Jeremy Allen White. After meeting Smith at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and being “longtime fans” of her USC work, the duo understood the existing challenges and decided to team to create a way to attack the issues of equity and inclusion in the industry head-on.
The inaugural Proof of Concept cohort will feature eight filmmakers selected for their potential to bring fresh, diverse narratives to the screen. Each will receive $50,000 in funding, with the financial support aimed at empowering them to create short films that can act as springboards to feature films or TV series.
Blanchett said she noticed what was missing in the industry by observing the dynamics of film-set culture, and finding that she was sometimes the only woman in front of the camera and on set.
The two-time Oscars winner says the during her 30-year career she’s “braced” and “censored” herself to accept the lack of inclusion as normal.
“You’re meant to be grateful,” she said.
Seeing the lack of resources for women in cinema led to the creation of Proof of Concept, a call to action in an industry where change isn’t happening fast enough.
“Why am I being asked to accept the lack of diversity and therefore the creative homogeneity because film doesn’t reflect the world we live in,” Blanchett said.
History has proven films directed by women can be successful. In 2021, Chloé Zhao won the Best Director Oscar for Nomadland, while Nia DaCosta found success the same year with Candyman. This year, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has grossed $1.44 billion to date worldwide, and Celine Song’s romance drama Past Lives is a critical hit that just landed three Golden Globes nominations.
Alongside such successes, Francini explains that Proof of Concept aims to fill the gap between viewers eager for grand productions by bold and varied filmmakers, and early-career support for upcoming artists. She acknowledges the “difficulty” that remains in debuting original works by emerging creators, especially those representing marginalized gender identities.
The plan is for people to leave the program with continued support and a skill set needed to sell a movie.
“Cate and I come from a place of knowing what it takes to sell something, and there are tools involved in that process that many aren’t aware of because it’s not being taught or fostered,” Francini said. “Showing people how to build a pitch deck, and how to communicate with executives is important. It may seem trivial, but strategic practice is what’s needed in order to move forward.”
Smith’s work at the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative focuses on scrutinizing representation across gender, race/ethnicity, LGBT community, disability, and mental health in media and entertainment. To her, creating Proof of Concept is important to be “a countervailing influence to antiquated ways of making decisions.”
She added that she finds a recent trend — a regression in the number of inclusive directors — “disconcerting” especially in a post-George Floyd era in which Hollywood’s commitment to inclusion appears tenuous at times. “We’ve already run those numbers,” she said “There’s a big reversal coming from last year within a percentage or two away from what happened last year.”
There is cause for some optimism: The USC research did uncover positive advancements, like a notable increase in Asian representation in 2023, indicating change in an industry resistant to evolution.
The trio says it aims to have Proof of Concept extend beyond the individual filmmakers it supports. They want it to send a message to the industry at large: change is not only necessary but possible. By investing in underrepresented voices and supporting and showcasing the work of women, trans, and non-binary filmmakers, the industry can begin to rectify the imbalances of the past and move towards a more equitable and diverse future.