Season 4 Received 40% More Applications, Showing the Program’s Growing Reputation Among Underrepresented Filmmakers
AUSTIN, Texas, December 15, 2023–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Indeed, the world’s #1 job site and a leading hiring platform, along with actor, producer and Emmy-award winning writer Lena Waithe, her company Hillman Grad, and Doménica and Constanza Castro’s 271 Films, announced 10 filmmakers participating in Season 4 of Indeed’s Rising Voices. Rising Voices uncovers, invests in, and amplifies Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) filmmakers across the US to share their unique perspectives on issues that impact work. The Season 4 filmmakers will create short films about the future of work which will premiere at the Tribeca Festival in New York City in June 2024.
Season 4 received 40% more applications from filmmakers across the country, signaling the program’s growing reputation as a significant career accelerator for filmmakers from underestimated communities. This season’s 10 selected filmmakers are:
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Anndi Jinelle Liggett
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Jean Liu
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Kelly Yu
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Kevin Luu & Kelly Luu
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Manuel Del Valle
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Mercedes Arturo
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Omar Kamara
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Robin D’Oench
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Wesley Goodrich
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Winter Dunn
“We’re so excited to announce the next class of incredible Rising Voices filmmakers,” said Lena Waithe, Hillman Grad Founder and Rishi Rajani, Hillman Grad CEO. “It’s been a tumultuous year in Hollywood, which makes supporting the next generation of underrepresented storytellers even more crucial. These brilliant artists are the future of our industry and we’re proud to be part of their journey.”
“Indeed’s mission is to help people get jobs,” says Chris Hyams, Indeed CEO. “Rising Voices is not just an opportunity to create jobs for the filmmakers, casts, and crews, but to imagine the future of work from voices that are often unheard. We are grateful to again give 10 talented filmmakers the opportunity to share what the future of work looks like through their lens.”
Last year, only one in five (20.7%) of the top 100 films were directed by someone from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group, according to a University of Southern California study. Of these, 11 were Asian, five were multiracial/multiethnic, four were Black, and three were Hispanic/Latine. Rising Voices’ goal is to help change these statistics by creating opportunities for filmmakers from underestimated communities and bring more diversity to the entertainment industry.
The program, along with participating filmmakers, have received worldwide recognition from prominent film festivals including: Tribeca, Sundance, Outfest, HollyShorts, Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, AFI Fest, Pan African Film and the 45th Asian American Film Festival, among others. Filmmakers who have completed the Rising Voices program have gone on to win Imagen Awards and AT&T Untold Stories Grants, direct episodes of “The Chi” and “Chicago Fire”, become Netflix staff writers, and have been accepted into Netflix Content Creator Program x Ghetto Film School and Sundance Latine Fellows. In addition, more than 2,000 jobs have been created since Rising Voices began in 2020.
“It’s incredible to be in the fourth year of Rising Voices with another chance to uplift communities that traditionally have faced bias and barriers as we celebrate the storytelling of underrepresented BIPOC creatives,” said LaFawn Davis, SVP, Environmental, Social & Governance at Indeed. “It’s been inspiring to hear from these communities and be the platform that continues to spotlight these important conversations about tomorrow’s workforce.”
“We are thrilled Indeed Rising Voices is back for a fourth season! We are so proud of the past thirty filmmakers and we are eager to guide our incoming cohort for Season 4 and produce their films with partners Hillman Grad and Indeed,” said Constanza and Doménica Castro, co-founders of 271 Films.
Indeed’s investment in Rising Voices helps provide filmmakers with a production budget of $100,000 to create a short film. As part of the program, filmmakers also receive mentoring and guidance from veteran filmmakers, including Lena Waithe, Destin Daniel Cretton, Diego Velasco, Anthony Hemingway, Tiff Johnson and Naima Ramos Chapman. Justin Riley and Travis Ing oversee the program for Hillman Grad, and Constanza and Doménica Castro produce and oversee the films under their banner 271 Films. The filmmakers will also be compensated $5,000 for writing their original script and $5,000 for directing.
About Indeed
More people find jobs on Indeed than anywhere else. Indeed is the #1 job site in the world (Comscore, Total Visits, June 2023) and allows job seekers to search millions of jobs in more than 60 countries and 28 languages. Almost 3.5 million (Indeed data, worldwide) employers use Indeed to find and hire new employees. More than 350 million unique visitors use Indeed each month to search for jobs, post resumes, research companies, and more.
About Hillman Grad
Hillman Grad was founded by actor, producer and Emmy®-winning writer Lena Waithe and CEO Rishi Rajani to empower and provide industry access to underrepresented artists and amplify the stories of diverse, historically marginalized communities across all industries. Hillman Grad Productions, their development and production arm, currently have projects at Netflix, Disney, BET, Showtime, HBO, Universal, Amazon, and Focus Features. Current producorial projects include the Emmy-nominated documentary film Being Mary Tyler Moore and the 2023 Sundance Film Festival award-winning films A Thousand And One, which received the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, and Kokomo City which received the NEXT Audience Award and NEXT Innovator Award.
About 271 Films
271 Films is a film, television, and commercial development and production company based in Los Angeles. Founded in 2020 by Mexican sisters Constanza and Doménica Castro, 271 Films tells stories that offer meaningful perspectives to audiences, connecting them to their humanity and emotional intelligence. In collaboration with Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions, the company operates the Indeed Rising Voices mentorship program, currently in its fourth season, dedicated to empowering the next generation of BIPOC filmmakers.
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