Diversity and Inclusivity in the Film Industry. What’s the Road Ahead?14.04.2021

The panel, organized by Papaya Young Directors, will feature Linda H. Codega from Shots and Natasha Mwansa, a 2020 PYD finalist.

This year’s installment of the Papaya Young Directors, one of the biggest competitions of its kind, addressed to young and emerging filmmakers, has recently moved into a new phase. Last week, the competition’s semi-finalists, who will go on to compete for the 11,000 PLN to produce their ideas, were announced by a jury composed of over a 100 people from the realms of advertising, art, culture, and film. Their efforts were supported by a three-person honorary jury, comprising director Agnieszka Holland, set designer Allan Starski, and cinematographer Martin Ruhe.

But before we learn who makes it to the finale and on to win the grand prix, Papaya Young Directors will be holding another event related to the world of film and filmmaking. This Thursday at 6pm, we’ll be kicking off the first meeting in our Talent on Talent series, during which two film industry figures will be discussing the latest trends, the values guiding filmmakers in their endeavors, and the more technical aspects of film production. During the inaugural meeting, the guests will be talking about two buzzwords that have been growing increasingly popular as of late: diversity and inclusivity. 

How do we turn lofty declarations about the industry’s supposed openness into action? What sort of vocabulary should we use to better foreground minorities? Does popular culture offer any examples of behaviors we could adopt or follow? These and other questions will be the addressed by Linda H. Codega, an editor with Shots, a portal showcasing successful advertising campaigns and promo films, and Natasha Mwansa, a London-based screenwriter and director. Mwansa’s credits include her recently released debut short film Damian and an ad for Durex she filmed during the 2020 edition of the Papaya Young Directors competition.

For more details on the panel, see its official Facebook page.