Abstract (300 words maximum)
It’s the year 2022, and we have now seen diverse identities get the representation they deserve on the screen! Hollywood is changing. Marginalized communities get to see characters that look like them be human and not subjected to a stereotype. When we look at the evolution of film, it took a while to get here but that does not mean the work is now done.
Hollywood cries for diversity now, but sometimes still seems to miss the point. In this research, I intend to observe specific diverse screenwriters like Julie Dash and Alice Wu who have won many awards for their debuts but have voiced their difficulties in still finding a place in the film industry. I will explore the parallels between what we may see on screen and those in the writer’s room. Is Hollywood exhibiting performative activism? What are the challenges still being faced today? If we want to bridge the gap, it is time to address the issues at hand instead of pretending all is fixed when we see a popular film with representation breaking the status quo.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
Film
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Anna Weinstein
Hollywood Cries for Diversity but What Happens Behind the Scenes
It’s the year 2022, and we have now seen diverse identities get the representation they deserve on the screen! Hollywood is changing. Marginalized communities get to see characters that look like them be human and not subjected to a stereotype. When we look at the evolution of film, it took a while to get here but that does not mean the work is now done.
Hollywood cries for diversity now, but sometimes still seems to miss the point. In this research, I intend to observe specific diverse screenwriters like Julie Dash and Alice Wu who have won many awards for their debuts but have voiced their difficulties in still finding a place in the film industry. I will explore the parallels between what we may see on screen and those in the writer’s room. Is Hollywood exhibiting performative activism? What are the challenges still being faced today? If we want to bridge the gap, it is time to address the issues at hand instead of pretending all is fixed when we see a popular film with representation breaking the status quo.