According to a 2022 USC Annenberg Study, one in five (20.7%) of the top 100 films were directed by a person from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group, marking a 6.6% drop from the previous year. These statistics are not new to someone like Lena Waithe, who has championed underrepresented filmmakers since her Hollywood debut.
In recent years, the actress has consistently been a vocal advocate for the voiceless. When we interviewed Waithe in 2023, the Emmy Award-winning writer told us that mentorship would be her greatest legacy. Serving as the ambassador at the American Black Film Festival 2023, the multi-hyphenate praised her company, Hillman Grad Productions, for its efforts to dismantle barriers for marginalized communities trying to break into Hollywood.
Waithe has continued her mission this past month with the fourth Season of Rising Voices at the Tribeca Film Festival. Hillman Grad Productions and 271 Films, in collaboration with Indeed, hosted the Season 4 Premiere screening of Rising Voices at Spring Studios in New York City. The event debuted 10 films created by BIPOC filmmakers.
Over the years, Rising Voices has aimed to discover, invest in, and amplify stories created by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) filmmakers and storytellers. The Season 4 premiere of Rising Voices debuted 10 films from diverse filmmakers, including Winter Dunn, Anndi Jinelle, Kevin and Kelly Luu, Wes Goodrich, Manuel Del Valle, Robin Takao D’Oench, Omar Kamara, Jean Liu, Mercedes Arturo and Kelly Yu.
The ten filmmakers were selected from over 700 applicants to create short films around the singular theme of “the future of work.” Indeed firmly believes that the world can work better, and a key component of that vision is extending opportunity to all people.
“The onus is on folks like us to create programs, because we also know what we need to break in and to stay in,” Waithe said in an interview with The Wrap. “I think anyone that sees it as a threat — I try not to even focus attention on that because the threat is just inclusivity. The threat is stories being told that ordinarily wouldn’t be. Anyone who has an issue with that, I don’t really have much brain space for that. My mission is to make sure people that feel invisible or don’t feel heard, get to feel seen and get to feel like their voices are being listened to. And I think this is the way to do it, is to make the space to find the funds, because that’s the only way you can make sure everybody gets a fair shot.”
The short films that premiered during Season 4 will soon be available to watch on Indeed. Photo Credit: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Indeed
