The upcoming livestream event tackling the diversity issues at the Academy Awards will also feature Whoopi Goldberg and ‘Moonlight’ screenwriter Tarell Alvin McCraney.
- Aug 23, 2020
AceShowbiz – Taraji P. Henson and Lee Daniels are among the stars who will appear in a series of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences YouTube panels discussing race annd gender in filmmakers.
The “Academy Dialogues: It Starts With Us” has been launched following a July (20) panel featuring Whoopi Goldberg and activist lawyer Bryan Stevenson, and will feature virtual panels for members and the public, as a part of its Academy Aperture 2025 equity and inclusion initiative.
As well as Henson and “The Butler” filmmaker Daniels, the events will also feature the likes of Delroy Lindo, producers Lisa Cortes and Debra Martin Chase, writer Tarell Alvin McCraney, and director Lulu Wang.
The Academy’s Executive Vice President for Member Relations and Awards, Lorenza Munoz, says “With our ‘Academy Dialogues’ series, the Academy is creating a space for our members – and the public – to talk about inclusion in a way that is timely, relevant and allows for a meaningful exchange on how to bring systemic change to Hollywood.”
“These conversations may be uncomfortable for some, but they are necessary to broaden the stories that are getting told and increase opportunities for those who have been excluded.”
The next panel will take place on 27 August, with Daniels and “Moonlight” screenwriter McCraney among those discussing what it’s like to be black and gay in the film industry. Henson and Lindo will take part in a town hall focused on the Academy’s Black membership and the challenges to representation and inclusion in the industry next month (Sep20).
Other discussions in the series, which runs until October include a panel on the erasure of Latinos in Hollywood, gender parity, colour-conscious casting, as well as the challenges faced by indigenous and Asian filmmakers.
All the panels will be available on the Oscars YouTube channel – with the first dialogue featuring Goldberg and Stevenson, made available to watch on Thursday (20Aug20).
Source: Movies - aceshowbiz.com
