The cinematic world is always bringing up something new to the audience. This time, it has come up with a profound notion, along with the involvement of some renowned names in the industry. Eight top female, trans, and nonbinary creatives are coming together to support the Proof of Concept Accelerator. This program is introduced for the next generation of talented filmmakers whose stories promote the perspectives of women, trans, and non-binary people. This program aims to bring the audacious, untold stories to life.
Who all are part of the ‘Proof of Concept’ program?
As aforementioned, the Proof of Concept encompasses eight renowned cinematic personalities, including Chloé Zhao, Emma Corrin, Eva Longoria, Greta Gerwig, Jane Campion, Janicza Bravo, Lily Gladstone, and Lilly Wachowski. They will form the eight-person selection committee for the fund, which was launched in December by Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s Stacy L. Smith and Dirty Films’ Cate Blanchett and Coco Francini.
This program is supported by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity. Showing their gratitude for the involvement of these people, Blanchett, Francini, and Smith said in a joint statement, “We are profoundly grateful for the partnership of these members of the Proof of Concept selection committee, made up of not only some of the most talented and prolific storytellers working today,y but those who are also dedicated to creating change in our industry and our world. By extending a hand to this next generation, these filmmakers are creating an ecosystem of change that we aim to grow exponentially as a result of this accelerator.”
The Netflix chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, also expressed his admiration for the committee, saying, “This committee is a stellar group of filmmaking talent. Each of these visionaries has moved audiences around the world, and I look forward to seeing how their support paves the way for future filmmakers.”
Now, the big question is how this committee will function. The committee includes veterans of the film industry, who will choose eight filmmakers who will each receive $50,000, along with industry mentorship to make a short film. These films will mark their release around this fall. Proof of Concept received more than 1,200 submissions, out of which 85% of applicants identified as women, 9% as men, and 2% as nonbinary. A total of 8.5% of applicants were transgender. According to AI2 research of the 100 highest-grossing movies each year from 2007 to 2023, just 6% of directors were women, and 2% were transgender.
The three Proof of Concept founders said in a joint statement, “Filmmakers from these communities are currently overlooked for the top jobs, but when we reached out, they answered our call to action. The overwhelming response to Proof of Concept is a demonstration to the entertainment industry that there is a vast group of underrepresented talent ready to graduate to large-scale filmmaking. Our goal now is to select, support, and showcase eight individuals among this remarkable array of voices and prove that they are ready to be invested in.”
The program has considered many crucial aspects to bring out the best. The filmmakers who applied for Proof of Concept are more racially and ethnically diverse, with 52% of people of color than Hollywood directors in the past 17 years (22.7%). Specifically, 16% of applicants were Black, 13% Hispanic/Latino, 14% Asian, 5% Middle Eastern/North African, 2.2% Indigenous and 1.2% multiracial or multiethnic.
