Dear NAMIC Supporter:
This week, NAMIC invites our readers to join us in saluting content diversity. In this edition of Diversity Digest, NAMIC spotlights The Walter Kaitz Foundation's Hollywood Creative Forum 8.0, which takes place February 21-22, 2017, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. A two-day, exclusive conference, the Hollywood Creative Forum is a flagship initiative presented by the Walter Kaitz Foundation to enhance its ongoing effort to advocate, promote and drive industry-wide diversity. The Hollywood Creative Forum advances diversity and inclusion behind the camera by connecting content creators of color with established industry executives to share ideas, network and collaborate.
Check out the special column below from David M. Porter, Jr., Ph.D., Executive Director, Walter Kaitz Foundation and
click here for more information.
As we continue to educate, advocate and empower for multi-ethnic diversity in the communications industry, remember these upcoming leadership and professional development program dates:
- February 17: Application Deadline for the NAMIC Leadership Seminar, April 10-12, Los Angeles, CA
- February 21-22: Register now for the Walter Kaitz Foundation's Hollywood Creative Forum, Los Angeles, CA
- February 25: Register now for NAMIC-New York member, Neffy Anderson's Lights, Camera, Action: Media Training Intensive (25% off tix using the code NAMIC at checkout)
- March 8: Register now for NAMIC-New England's "On the Move Forum"
- March 23: Register now for the Multichannel News 2017 Wonder Women
- March 27: Register now for the Advanced Advertising Summit
- July 12-14: Save the Date for the NAMIC Leadership Seminar, Philadelphia, PA
- September 26-27: Save the Date for the Annual NAMIC Conference, New York, NY
- October 25-27: Save the Date for the NAMIC Leadership Seminar, Dallas, TX
Read! Watch! Share! Post! Like! Tweet! Retweet!
Susan Waldman
Senior Manager, Membership and Publications
NAMIC
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The Walter Kaitz Foundation's Hollywood Creative Forum 8.0
by David M. Porter, Jr., Ph.D., Executive Director, Walter Kaitz Foundation
This year's
Golden Globe Awards
were heralded as the most diverse in the awards show's 74-year history. Seeking to shed the deleterious
#oscarsowhite
hashtag from 2016, the Golden Globes garnered 'thumbs up' from content creator and actor, Larry Wilmore, who declared Yo,
@goldenglobes is woke!
Golden Globe nominee, Riz Ahmed, who portrayed a Pakistani-American inmate on HBO's "
The Night Of
," pointed out that diversity in Hollywood can only go as far as the material that gets to the top of the pile."
The Walter Kaitz Foundation's
Hollywood Creative Forum 8.0 is working to connect these diverse content creators with an entertainment industry that craves viewers for all the screens it is targeting. Our 8th annual Forum will be held February 21 -22 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. The goal of the HCF is to bring together those who create that material, with those who can move it to the 'top of the pile'. The HCF is one of the leading conferences in the industry, specifically designed for people of color creating both scripted and unscripted programming. Those attending HCF include production companies, network executives, creators, and distributors of content from across the country.
Those in the entertainment business are on a mission to reach the most diverse audiences ever in terms of age, race, gender, personal preferences and lifestyles. The only way to do that is to continue to engage with content creators whose realities are in synch with that of the viewers.
In keeping with the Walter Kaitz Foundation's mission of promoting and advocating for diversity in telecommunications, the HCF sources experienced, diverse, mid and upper level writers, directors and producers, that programming and studio executives can consider for both scripted and unscripted projects. Many HCF participants are part of diversity programs created by prestigious guild organizations including the PGA, DGA and WGA.
The two-day program consists of keynote speakers, workshops, panel discussions and numerous networking opportunities. Confirmed to keynote opening day of this year's Forum is Suzanne de Passe, the ultimate Hollywood insider, who will share her take on both the 'promise and peril' of diversity in the entertainment business. Day two will include a discussion with a panel of 'industry titans' for whom 'greenlighting' projects is at the top of their to do list. An established highlight of the HCF is the one-on-one "meet and greets" where content creators and executives connect.
Those who have attended HCF, see it as a place to interact with others who have a passion for the business. Our goal is to foster business collaborations, provide business and creative intelligence, and to further the conversation about diversity and inclusion in our chosen field. Join us February 21 - 22 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. The tools to your success are waiting. Visit http://bit.ly/HCF2017
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Forbes
Octavia Spencer may be best known for her Oscar-worthy portrayals, but she has her sights set on another role: That of Hollywood producer.
Deadline
GLAAD, in an effort to bolster talented LGBTQ content creators and amplify diversity in the community, has launched glaadgrants, an endowment that provides completion funding and professional mentorships to filmmakers for in-progress works that advance the organization's mission.
USA Today
Code.org said Thursday that it has enrolled more than 18,600 high school students in its CS Principles advanced placement computer science course. About half of the students are Latino or African American. That could more than double the number of underrepresented minorities in AP computer science classes nationwide this year.
NPR
On the surface, Everybody Loves Somebody looks like a lot of romantic comedies that have come before it. But Catalina Aguilar Mastretta's second film, which stars How to Get Away with Murder's Karla Souza as a California ob-gyn with family in Mexico who's unlucky in love, is a rare find in American multiplexes.
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PROGRAMMING
The Root
The NAACP Image Awards have been around for the past 48 years. That is almost five decades of honoring black excellence at the highest level. In 2015 and 2016, it seemed as if black America had been sent a memo that the esteemed Oscars were just for white talent, thus causing the internet to erupt in the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.
Variety
In a historic showing, minority actors were nominated in the Academy Awards' four major categories. On top of that Joi McMillon became the first black woman to be nominated for film editing and a whopping four out of the five of the nominated documentary features came from black filmmakers.
The New York Times
Two television worlds will collide this fall when Oprah Winfrey, who became a household name with her intimate daytime sit-down interviews, joins the newsy CBS Sunday institution "60 Minutes" as a special contributor.
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Target Market News
After hitting the airwaves in July 2015, with a monthly automotive show, "Auto Trends with JeffCars.com" expands to SiriusXM with a weekly 30-minute multicultural show, which premieres during Black History Month.
HispanicAd
From music to movies, fashion and art, Black Americans have long played an important role in shaping popular culture in the U.S., and that influence remains strong. In fact, 73% of non-Hispanic whites and 67% of Hispanics believe that African-Americans influence mainstream culture.
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JOB BANK
The NAMIC Job Bank provides access to the best employers and most diverse candidates in the communications industry
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MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Are you a NAMIC Member who was recently promoted? Have you and your team won an award for your efforts in the industry? We want to highlight your achievements!
Click here to let us know how you're becoming a mover and shaker.
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