DOCSLIB.ORG

Study Shows Promising Directorial Pipeline for Women and People of Color

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Study Shows Promising Directorial Pipeline for Women and People of Color UNDER STRICT CONFIDENTIAL EMBARGO Media Contact: UNTIL: January 25, 2019, 10am MT Spencer Alcorn ​ ​ 310.360.1981 [email protected] Study Shows Promising Directorial Pipeline for Women and People of Color Sundance Institute/USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative study shows women are represented at Sundance in significantly greater numbers than ten years ago, but are still far below 50%. PARK CITY, UT - January 25, 2019 -- Sundance Institute and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative 2 (AI )​ today released demographic data on submissions and acceptances to the annual Sundance Film ​ Festival to reveal key insights on the talent pipeline in the film industry for women and people of color. The report was issued in partnership with Professor Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. It examined more than 26,000 shorts and feature projects submitted to the Sundance Film Festival in 2017 and 2018 across both U.S. and international filmmakers. The report also includes an analysis of the Sundance Institute’s Artist Support programs from 2016 and 2017. “This study shows us where the pipeline for women and people of color is robust and where more support is needed,” said Dr. Smith. “The gains we saw for women over the past decade reveal that change is possible and where more support is needed.” The analysis reveals that, overall across the entire Festival, 28% of feature-length and episodic projects submitted to the Sundance Film Festival across 2017 and 2018 had at least one woman director, as did 34.1% of shorts. Examining submissions reveals how interested women and people of color are in showcasing their independent work at Sundance at the earliest stages of filmmaking. Data on acceptances was included to gauge representation at the Festival over the past two years. Of feature films and episodic content accepted in 2017 and 2018, 35% had a woman director, while 51.4% of short films did. Separately, Sundance calculated the rates of submissions and acceptances to the 2019 Festival, which are not part of the study but show slight increases over the previous years. 31% of feature-length ​ ​ 2 submissions to the 2019 Festival had at least one woman director, as did 35% of episodic and shorts content. Of feature films and episodic content accepted in 2019, 41% had a woman director, while 52% ​ ​ of shorts did, for a combined total of 45%. In the dramatic film category, there was an increase of over 50% in films submitted by women since the last study conducted by Smith and her team and funded by the Sundance Institute and Women in Film LA in 2009 (from 13.6% to 21.5%). Women and people of color were well represented in the Institute’s Labs and artist support programs. More than half of the participants in the Sundance Institute’s Directors Lab were women (55%) and people of color (60%). “It’s clear from this data that there is a robust and exciting talent pool including women and people of color,” said Keri Putnam, Executive Director of the Sundance Institute. “We are proud of the investments the Institute has made in identifying and supporting underrepresented artists, and we are even prouder of the results those investments have catalyzed, over the two years captured here.” During 2017 and 2018, 45.5% of U.S. short films and 24.3% of U.S. dramatic features accepted to the Sundance Film Festival had a director of color. Less than 15% of directors of submitted projects within each Festival category analyzed were women of color. Only 7.4% of U.S. dramatic feature directors accepted to the Festival in 2017-18 were women of color. For the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, 55% of accepted short films and 38% of accepted dramatic features had a director of color. 18% of accepted projects, across features, episodics and shorts, were ​ directed by one or more woman of color. Gains in representation drop off dramatically as filmmakers advance in their careers. People of color directed 22.3%, and women only 4%, of the country’s top grossing films in 2018. Only nine out of 1,335 directors (<1%) of the most popular 1,200 films across 12 years were women of color, according to 2 another recent report from AI .​ ​ "Good stories depend on diverse perspectives. Those perspectives will only be supported with intentional outreach and support for intersectional voices across the spectrum,” said actor, producer and screenwriter Lena Waithe. “The audience is there to support good stories but we have to work harder to see those stories brought to light.” “This kind of data practice is a helpful barometer in our work as Festival programmers,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival’s Director of Programming. “Our curatorial process operates 3 independently from demographic information, but periodic and holistic studies of statistics and trends among submissions and acceptances allow us to assess how our work reflects our values of inclusion as we make creative curatorial decisions.” This data also shows that a solid percentage of top-grossing filmmakers have interacted with Sundance ​ earlier in their careers. Of the women and people of color who directed top-grossing films in recent ​ years - 30 - 35% had prior support from Sundance, whether that was a Lab, screening a film at the Festival, or other support. The findings of the study will be discussed at a panel at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday January 25th moderated by Franklin Leonard and featuring Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Nina Jacobson, Lena Waithe and Sundance Institute’s Director of Outreach and Inclusion Karim Ahmad. The full report can be found online here. ​ ### The Sundance Film Festival® The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Eighth Grade, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Precious, The Cove, Little Miss Sunshine, An Inconvenient Truth, Napoleon Dynamite, Hedwig and the ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Angry Inch, Reservoir Dogs and sex, lies, and videotape. The Festival is a program of the non-profit ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Sundance Institute®. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. 2019 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, SundanceTV, Chase Sapphire, YouTube; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe, Amazon Studios, AT&T, DIRECTV, Dropbox, Netflix, Omnicom, Stella Artois; Sustaining Sponsors – Ancestry, Canada Goose, Canon, Dell, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, GEICO, ​ High West Distillery, IMDbPro, Lyft, RIMOWA, Unity Technologies, University of Utah Health; Media Sponsors – The Atlantic, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, VARIETY, The Wall Street Journal. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute's year-round programs for ​ independent artists. Look for the Official Partner seal at their venues at the Festival. sundance.org/festival Sundance Institute Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, and new media to create and thrive. The Institute's signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance Film Festival and other public 4 programs connect audiences to artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices, and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Sorry to Bother You, Eighth Grade, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, RBG, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Top of the Lake, Winter's Bone, Dear White People, Brooklyn, Little Miss Sunshine, 20 Feet From Stardom, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, I’m Poppy, America ​ ​ ​ ​ to Me, Leimert Park, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home. Join ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ About USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Launched over 10 years ago by Founder/Director Dr. Stacy L. Smith, the Initiative is globally recognized for its valuable and sought after researched-solutions to advance equality in entertainment. The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s findings create valuable and sought after research-based solutions that advance equality in entertainment. Dr. Stacy L. Smith is the Founder and Director of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative which launched over ten years ago. Dr. Smith and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative examine gender, race/ethnicity, LGBT status, disability, and age on screen and gender and race/ethnicity behind the camera in cinematic and television content as well as barriers and opportunities facing women and people of color in the entertainment industry. The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative also conducts economic analyses related to diversity and the financial performance of films. In 2015, LA Weekly named Dr. Smith the #1 Most Influential Person in Los Angeles, and she has spoken ​ ​ on research at multiple high-profile engagements ranging from the TED Women stage to the United Nations. In 2018, Dr. Smith was named to the Billboard Women in Music List. Dr. Smith and the ​ ​ Annenberg Inclusion Initiative have been featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The ​ Atlantic, Newsweek, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and NPR, among others. The Annenberg ​ ​ ​ Inclusion Initiative’s most recent research reports include studies on inclusion on screen and behind the camera across 1,100 top-grossing films conducted at USC Annenberg, multiple landmark studies with Sundance Institute and Women in Film Los Angeles and a study of 600 popular songs. The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative is generously supported by The Annenberg Foundation, The Lovell Foundation, The Harnisch Foundation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, EPiX, LUNAFEST, The Jacquelyn and Gregory Zehner Foundation, and other individuals.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Mad Tiger a Film by Jonathan Yi and Michael Haertlein
    presents Mad Tiger A film by Jonathan Yi and Michael Haertlein “MAD TIGER promises something much crazier than your average concert documentary, and possibly more endearing, whether or not punk rock is your jam.” - Indiewire “… a super film that comes fully loaded with energy, attitude, and lunacy. Very highly recommended for punk fans and Peelander expats” - JBSpins USA and Japan / 2015 / Documentary / English 82 min / 1.78 / 5.1 and stereo Press Contacts: Emma Griffiths | EMMA GRIFFITHS PR | tel : 917-806-0599 | [email protected] Genevieve Villaflor | Film Movement | tel: (212) 941-7744 x215 | [email protected] Film Movement Theatrical Contact: Clemence Taillandier | tel: (212) 941-7715 | [email protected] Select Press for Mad Tiger “10 Must-See Documentaries at DOC NYC” – Indiewire "This entertaining doc chronicles midlife crises of the hipster variety." – Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter “Fantastic portrait of a band and its leader that works on so many different levels. What I love about the film is that what starts out with a look at a band changes into a look at what it takes to be in a band and how the relationships outside of the band are forced to change because of the dynamics of the band. What’s even better is that as the film goes on it morphs again and becomes Kengo's quest to find himself...or maybe that's what it was about all along. Either way, or anyway it's amazing. It’s so good I can't wait to see it again.” – Steve Kopian, Unseen Film. “The members of Peelander-Z unmask themselves for revealing new doc MAD TIGER..
    [Show full text]
  • Variety Announces This Year's 10 Actors to Watch
    VARIETY ANNOUNCES THIS YEAR’S 10 ACTORS TO WATCH Marks Five Years of Collaboration With The Hamptons International Film Festival Variety is pleased to announce its annual list of 10 Actors to Watch, an honor the publication has bestowed since 1998. Past honorees include many future Oscar winners and nominees such as Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Brie Larson, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael Shannon and Melissa Leo. This year’s honorees will be feted in the Oct. 4 issue of Variety, in conjunction with coverage of the Hamptons International Film Festival, which runs Oct. 6-10. This marks the fifth year Variety has collaborated with the festival to present Actors to Watch. "The Hamptons International Film Festival has had the privilege of honoring rising talent for over 15 years. We are thrilled to once again partner with Variety to recognize this group of ten diverse, talented actors for the incredible work they have done in their careers," says David Nugent, HIFF Artistic Director. "As we have seen our previous honorees blossom over the years, with just this year Brie Larson and Alicia Vikander both taking home Academy Awards, we know this class has a bright future ahead of them." Added Vice President/Executive Editor of Variety Steven Gaydos, “As the Fall film awards season approaches, there may be questions about which films will ultimately shine as prize winners, but there is no doubt that once again this year's releases feature astounding new talents filled with creative courage and unlimited ‎potential for bright careers.
    [Show full text]
  • The Curious Case of Chinese Film Censorship: an Analysis of The
    THE CURIOUS CASE OF CHINESE FILM CENSORSHIP: AN ANALYSIS OF THE FILM ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS by SHUO XU A THESIS Presented to the School of Journalism and Communication and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts December 2017 THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Student: Shuo Xu Title: The Curious Case of Chinese Film Censorship: An Analysis of Film Administration Regulations This thesis has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree in the School of Journalism and Communication by: Gabriela Martínez Chairperson Chris Chávez Member Daniel Steinhart Member and Sara D. Hodges Interim Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded December 2017 ii © 2017 Shuo Xu iii THESIS ABSTRACT Shuo Xu Master of Arts School of Journalism and Communication December 2017 Title: The Curious Case of Chinese Film Censorship: An Analysis of Film Administration Regulations The commercialization and global transformation of the Chinese film industry demonstrates that this industry has been experiencing drastic changes within the new social and economic environment of China in which film has become a commodity generating high revenues. However, the Chinese government still exerts control over the industry which is perceived as an ideological tool. They believe that the films display and contain beliefs and values of certain social groups as well as external constraints of politics, economy, culture, and ideology. This study will look at how such films are banned by the Chinese film censorship system through analyzing their essential cinematic elements, including narrative, filming, editing, sound, color, and sponsor and publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • Cosmos: a Spacetime Odyssey (2014) Episode Scripts Based On
    Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey (2014) Episode Scripts Based on Cosmos: A Personal Voyage by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan & Steven Soter Directed by Brannon Braga, Bill Pope & Ann Druyan Presented by Neil deGrasse Tyson Composer(s) Alan Silvestri Country of origin United States Original language(s) English No. of episodes 13 (List of episodes) 1 - Standing Up in the Milky Way 2 - Some of the Things That Molecules Do 3 - When Knowledge Conquered Fear 4 - A Sky Full of Ghosts 5 - Hiding In The Light 6 - Deeper, Deeper, Deeper Still 7 - The Clean Room 8 - Sisters of the Sun 9 - The Lost Worlds of Planet Earth 10 - The Electric Boy 11 - The Immortals 12 - The World Set Free 13 - Unafraid Of The Dark 1 - Standing Up in the Milky Way The cosmos is all there is, or ever was, or ever will be. Come with me. A generation ago, the astronomer Carl Sagan stood here and launched hundreds of millions of us on a great adventure: the exploration of the universe revealed by science. It's time to get going again. We're about to begin a journey that will take us from the infinitesimal to the infinite, from the dawn of time to the distant future. We'll explore galaxies and suns and worlds, surf the gravity waves of space-time, encounter beings that live in fire and ice, explore the planets of stars that never die, discover atoms as massive as suns and universes smaller than atoms. Cosmos is also a story about us. It's the saga of how wandering bands of hunters and gatherers found their way to the stars, one adventure with many heroes.
    [Show full text]
  • City Administrator's Weekly Report
    DISTRIBUTION DATE: March 15, 2019 MEMORANDUM TO: HONORABLE MAYOR & FROM: Sabrina B. Landreth CITY COUNCIL SUBJECT: City Administrator’s Weekly Report DATE: March 15, 2019 _______ INFORMATION Following are the key activities to be highlighted this week: Upcoming City of Oakland Job Announcements – During the week of March 18, the Human Resources Management Department (HRM) anticipates posting job announcement(s) for the following position(s): • Police Program & Performance Audit Supervisor • Project Manager II (Selective Certification – Ceasefire) For the most up-to-date information on City jobs, please view the Employment Information page on our website at http://agency.governmentjobs.com/oaklandca/default.cfm. The Employment Information page also contains information on minimum qualifications of specific job classifications, how to apply for a job on-line and how to submit a job interest card for positions not currently posted. For more information, please contact the Human Resources Management Receptionist at (510) 238-3112. Time is Ticking, Get Your Taxes Done Fast and Free – Did you earn $55,000 or less in 2018? Then you may qualify to have your taxes prepared by a certified IRS volunteers for FREE. To see if you qualify and to schedule an appointment, call the Alameda County – Oakland Community Action Partnership (AC-OCAP) EITC hotline at 510-238-4911. Did you know that with the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and state CalEITC you may qualify to receive a tax credit check of up to $6,000! The Alameda County - Oakland Community Action Partnership (AC-OCAP) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site, located at 270 Frank H.
    [Show full text]
  • Incongruous Surrealism Within Narrative Animated Film
    University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020- 2021 Incongruous Surrealism within Narrative Animated Film Daniel McCabe University of Central Florida Part of the Film and Media Studies Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020 University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020- by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation McCabe, Daniel, "Incongruous Surrealism within Narrative Animated Film" (2021). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-. 529. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020/529 INCONGRUOUS SURREALISM WITHIN NARRATIVE ANIMATED FILM by DANIEL MCCABE B.A. University of Central Florida, 2018 B.S.B.A. University of Central Florida, 2018 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Fine Arts in the School of Visual Arts and Design in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2021 © Daniel Francis McCabe 2021 ii ABSTRACT A pop music video is a form of media containing incongruous surrealistic imagery with a narrative structure supplied by song lyrics. The lyrics’ presence allows filmmakers to digress from sequential imagery through introduction of nonlinear visual elements. I will analyze these surrealist film elements through several post-modern philosophies to better understand how this animated audio-visual synthesis resides in the larger world of art theory and its relationship to the popular music video.
    [Show full text]
  • MADE in HOLLYWOOD, CENSORED by BEIJING the U.S
    MADE IN HOLLYWOOD, CENSORED BY BEIJING The U.S. Film Industry and Chinese Government Influence Made in Hollywood, Censored by Beijing: The U.S. Film Industry and Chinese Government Influence 1 MADE IN HOLLYWOOD, CENSORED BY BEIJING The U.S. Film Industry and Chinese Government Influence TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I. INTRODUCTION 1 REPORT METHODOLOGY 5 PART I: HOW (AND WHY) BEIJING IS 6 ABLE TO INFLUENCE HOLLYWOOD PART II: THE WAY THIS INFLUENCE PLAYS OUT 20 PART III: ENTERING THE CHINESE MARKET 33 PART IV: LOOKING TOWARD SOLUTIONS 43 RECOMMENDATIONS 47 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 53 ENDNOTES 54 Made in Hollywood, Censored by Beijing: The U.S. Film Industry and Chinese Government Influence MADE IN HOLLYWOOD, CENSORED BY BEIJING EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ade in Hollywood, Censored by Beijing system is inconsistent with international norms of Mdescribes the ways in which the Chinese artistic freedom. government and its ruling Chinese Communist There are countless stories to be told about China, Party successfully influence Hollywood films, and those that are non-controversial from Beijing’s warns how this type of influence has increasingly perspective are no less valid. But there are also become normalized in Hollywood, and explains stories to be told about the ongoing crimes against the implications of this influence on freedom of humanity in Xinjiang, the ongoing struggle of Tibetans expression and on the types of stories that global to maintain their language and culture in the face of audiences are exposed to on the big screen. both societal changes and government policy, the Hollywood is one of the world’s most significant prodemocracy movement in Hong Kong, and honest, storytelling centers, a cinematic powerhouse whose everyday stories about how government policies movies are watched by millions across the globe.
    [Show full text]
  • Watch: the Immersive Storyworlds of the Final NEWSLETTERS Season of 'Futurestates'
    SnagFilms TRENDING: CANNES FILM FESTIVAL, VIDEOS May 10th, 2014 Celebrating 17 Years of Film.Biz.Fans. NEWS MOVIES AWARDS TELEVISION BLOGS FILMMAKING MORE REVIEWS BOX OFFICE INTERVIEWS FESTIVALS CRITICWIRE SUNDANCE VIDEOS « » What NOT to Watch Review: 'The Top Indie Tweets of A Cast Reflects on New Indies on on Mother's Day Double' the Week 'Hill Street Blues' Netflix BY PAULA BERNSTEIN TECH THU MAY 08 10:01:00 EDT 2014 | 0 COMMENTS Like 57 Watch: The Immersive Storyworlds of The Final NEWSLETTERS Season of 'Futurestates' Indiewire Today News Alerts "Futurestates," the series of online digital shorts from ITVS (Independent Television Service) returns for its fifth and final season next Wednesday, May 14. The eight new sci-fi stories take place in one immersive futuristic story world. The narrative will begin on Twitter at @FuturestatesTV, where the enigmatic Dr. Evelyn Malik has traveled back in time with a message: she wants you to help her change the future. This year's series of eight stories debuts online to stream for free only at futurestates.tv. "This isn't just a reboot of FUTURESTATES, but a reboot of the entire web series genre," said Series Producer Karim Ahmad, also the Senior Digital Content Strategist at ITVS. "I've long felt that the new opportunity with web series is to really unleash the user experience potential of the web to tell a nonlinear story in serialized form that is guided by the user. Our upcoming and final season of the FUTURESTATES series does exactly that." Ahmad said that the short films are "independent, yet interconnected.
    [Show full text]
  • 2014/2015 Omium Gatherum & Newsletter
    2014-2015 Issue 19 omnium gatherum & newsletter ~ i~ COMMUNITY OF WRITERS AT SQUAW VALLEY GOT NEWS? Do you have news you would OMNIUM GATHERUM & NEWSLETTER like us to include in the next newsletter? The 2014-15, Issue 19 Omnium is published once a year. We print publishing credits, awards and similar new Community of Writers at Squaw Valley writing-related achievements, and also include A Non-Profit Corporation #629182 births. News should be from the past year only. P.O. Box 1416, Nevada City, CA 95959 Visit www.squawvalleywriters.org for more E-mail: [email protected] information and deadlines. www.squawvalleywriters.org Please note: We are not able to fact-check the submitted news. We apologize if any incorrect BOARD OF DIRECTORS information is published. President James Naify Vice President Joanne Meschery NOTABLE ALUMNI: Visit our Notable Alumni Secretary Jan Buscho pages and learn how to nominate yourself or Financial OfficerBurnett Miller a friend: Eddy Ancinas http://squawvalleywriters.org/ René Ancinas NotableAlumniScreen.html Ruth Blank http://squawvalleywriters.org/ Jan Buscho NotableAlumniWriters.html Max Byrd http://squawvalleywriters.org/ Alan Cheuse NotableAlumniPoets.html Nancy Cushing Diana Fuller ABOUT OUR ADVERTISERS The ads which Michelle Latiolais appear in this issue represent the work of Edwina Leggett Community of Writers staff and participants. Lester Graves Lennon These ads help to defray the cost of the Carlin Naify newsletter. If you have a recent or forthcom- Jason Roberts ing book, please contact us about advertising Christopher Sindt in our next annual issue. Contact us for a rate sheet and more information: (530) 470-8440 Amy Tan or [email protected] or visit: John C.
    [Show full text]
  • Outstanding Original Screenplay Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won Story by Bong Joon Ho
    FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY SCREENPLAY BY BONG JOON HO AND HAN JIN WON STORY BY BONG JOON HO PARASITE Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won Story by Bong Joon Ho 1 TITLE SEQUENCE OVER BLACK 1 Accompanied by dark but curiously upbeat MUSIC. At the end of the credits, the MAIN TITLE, in strange calligraphy, fills the screen -- “PARASITE” MUSIC FADES. 2 INT. SEMI-BASEMENT - DAY 2 A dank semi-basement apartment. KI-WOO, 24, runs from corner to corner searching desperately for a Wi-Fi signal. Various networks pop up, but they’re all password-protected. KI-WOO NO. Not you too “iptime.” Ki-Jung! Upstairs neighbor finally locked up his Wi-Fi. ADJACENT ROOM -- Lying on the floor of the narrow room, KI-JUNG, 23, barely moves her lips -- ‘Fuck.’ KI-JUNG Try ‘123456789.’ Then try it backwards. KI-WOO No luck. ANOTHER ROOM -- Also lying on the floor, CHUNG-SOOK, 49, the mother, scoffs at their collective misery. CHUNG-SOOK What am I supposed to do if someone calls me? What if it’s a job? Hey, Ki-Tek! She kicks KI-TEK, 49, who is sleeping at her feet. CHUNG-SOOK (CONT’D) I know you’re awake, asshole. Care to comment? KI-TEK (wiping his drool) What? 2. CHUNG-SOOK Our phones have been suspended for weeks, and now the neighbors have shut us out. What’s your plan? She kicks him again. CHUNG-SOOK (CONT’D) What are you going to do about it? What’s the plan, genius? She treats Ki-Tek like shit, but it doesn’t bother him.
    [Show full text]
  • Asian-American Characters in Black Films and Black Activism
    GET OUT, HIROKI TANAKA: ASIAN-AMERICAN CHARACTERS IN BLACK FILMS AND BLACK ACTIVISM by Naomi Yoko Ward Capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with UNIVERSITY HONORS with a major in Communication Studies in the Department of Language, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Approved: Capstone Mentor Departmental Honors Advisor Dr. Jennifer Peeples Dr. Debra E. Monson ____________________________________ University Honors Program Director Dr. Kristine Miller UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, UT Spring 2020 1 Get Out, Hiroki Tanaka: Asian-Americans in Black Stories and Black Activism Naomi Yoko Ward Utah State University 2 Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship Asian-Americans have with black Americans in order to determine how Asian Americans navigate their role in American racial discourse. Additionally, this study considers the causes and effects of Asian-American participation in movements like Black Lives Matter (BLM). This topic is explored through the analysis of Asian-American characters in black stories told through four films: Fruitvale Station, Get Out, The Hate U Give, and Sorry to Bother You. To ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ narrow the scope of this research, I placed focus on characters in works that have been published since 2013, when the Black Lives Matter movement was officially formed and founded. Media functions both as a reflection of the society it is made in as well as an influence on how society perceives the world. The pervasiveness and power that media has in the world, particularly concerning social issues and social justice, makes this lens appropriate for studying race relations in the United States over the past several years.
    [Show full text]
  • Sundance Press Release
    Media Contact: Spencer Alcorn [email protected] 2021 Sundance Film Festival Will Meet Audiences Where They Are Festival Offers Robust Online Platform and Announces Screening Partnerships with Independent Cinemas and Cultural Organizations PARK CITY, UTAH — The nonprofit Sundance Institute today unveiled plans for the seven-day 2021 Sundance Film Festival, offered digitally via a custom-designed online platform (festival.sundance.org) alongside drive-ins, independent arthouses, and a network of local community partnerships. The online expression of the Sundance Film Festival will provide global access for storytellers and audiences alike to come together, experience artists new work, connect with one another, and participate in conversation. All films in the program will be available online in the United States, with certain films opting for global availability. The full talks and events program, as well as the New Frontier section for XR and emerging media, will be available globally. The Festival runs January 28 through February 3, 2021. “Even under these impossible circumstances artists are still finding paths to make bold and vital work in whatever ways they can,” says Tabitha Jackson, in her first year as Festival Director. “So Sundance, as a festival of discovery, will bring that work to its first audiences in whatever ways we can. The core of our Festival in the form of an online platform and socially distanced cinematic experiences is responsive to the pandemic and gives us the opportunity to reach new audiences, safely, where they are. And thanks to a constellation of independent cinema communities across the U.S. we are not putting on our Festival alone.
    [Show full text]