GLAAD and The Black List announced that submissions for the the third edition of the GLAAD List, a curated list of the most promising unmade LGBTQ-inclusive scripts in Hollywood that have been hosted on blcklst.com or were included on the 2020 annual Black List.
The scripts on The GLAAD List align with the type of stories that GLAAD would like to see studios producing. With the proper attention, and with the collaboration of the right directors and actors, these scripts show tremendous promise and should one day become films and series that will both entertain audiences and change hearts and minds around the world.
In order to advance efforts to discover underrepresented LGBTQ-inclusive storytellers, GLAAD and The Black List have formed The GLAAD List “Founder’s Circle,” a team of production companies, studios, and streaming services that are instrumental in driving cultural change and amplifying voices from marginalized communities.
Members of the first GLAAD List “Founder’s Circle” include Berlanti Productions, Hello Sunshine, MGM/Orion Pictures, Netflix, Ryan Murphy Productions, and Village Roadshow Entertainment Group, all of which have also made charitable donations to support The GLAAD List and host submission and evaluation fee waivers on The Black List website. Representatives from these organizations will participate in the reading of film and episodic shortlist selections and provide input on which scripts are most promising and most inclusive. Executives from each company will meet one-on-one with at least 10 GLAAD List finalists this fall and will have the opportunity to offer a script deal to one, or any number of, GLAAD List feature or pilot writers.
Submissions for The 2021 GLAAD List will be open from July 20 to September 20. Filmmakers and content creators are invited to submit a script for consideration by uploading it to The Black List website. Finalists will be announced in the winter of 2021-2022. For the first time, both feature film and original pilot submissions will be considered.
Writers who are a part of the LGBTQ community and those who are writing about LGBTQ experiences are invited to submit their scripts for consideration to be a part of The 2021 GLAAD List. Writers who upload their LGBTQ-inclusive scripts to The Black List must opt-in to have their scripts considered for The GLAAD List.
As a result of our Founder’s Circle members, GLAAD and The Black List are pleased to offer fee waivers this year to a select number of writers. Writers who wish to apply for a fee waiver for two months of hosting and two evaluations must do so via blcklst.com/GLAAD between July 20 and August 3.
“At a time when Hollywood is hearing the calls to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in meaningful ways, The GLAAD List provides Hollywood with new talent who leverage the power of storytelling to grow acceptance and understanding of LGBTQ people,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “The genesis of this initiative was to create greater pathways of opportunity for marginalized voices who have not historically had pathways into the Hollywood ecosphere. And there are no greater partners to align with than The Black List and our Founder’s Circle members.”
“GLAAD is thrilled to be partnering this year with so many of Hollywood’s most prolific creators of LGBTQ-inclusive content,” said Jeremy Blacklow, GLAAD’s Director of Entertainment Media. “This third edition of The GLAAD List is certain to be the most exciting yet as we set off with our Founder’s Circle partners to discover and amplify new voices.”
“We’re thrilled to be joined in this important work by so many of the production companies whose work I’ve admired for as long as they’ve been doing it,” said Franklin Leonard, the founder of The Black List. “It’s been an honor and a joy to work with GLAAD on an initiative that in two short years already has films in post and pre production despite the pandemic. They’re the first of many, many more.”
The announcement comes shortly after GLAAD released its ninth annual Studio Responsibility Index tracking the quantity, quality, and diversity of LGBTQ characters in theatrical releases from eight major studio distributors was released this past Thursday, July 15, 2021. This year’s study found a record high percentage of inclusive films at 22.7 percent (10) of 44 total releases, an increase of 4.1 percent year-over-year from the previous year though a decrease of 12 inclusive films. For the first time in SRI history, GLAAD found that queer women outnumbered queer men in major studio releases, and additionally saw improvement in LGBTQ screen time with half of LGBTQ characters clocking ten minutes or more of total screen time. However, this year’s study also marks the fourth year in a row to find a complete absence of transgender and/or non-binary characters in major studio releases, as well as a decrease in representation of bisexual characters and LGBTQ characters with a disability.
GLAAD and The Black List unveiled the first edition of The GLAAD List at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The GLAAD List continued its Sundance tradition and announced its second edition at the fest the following year.
At least six scripts (30%) from the first two years of The GLAAD List have been optioned and are in some stage of production currently, including most recently, the news about Orion Pictures’ acquisition and production plans around the film What If?, Billy Porter’s directorial debut. What If? begins production this month (July 2021) in Pittsburgh.
Harry Tarre’s Queen, which explores the life of the first transgender prom queen, Corey Rae, is being produced by Red Crown Productions with Rae herself onboard as one of the producers. In addition, The Enclosed was featured on the very first GLAAD List and written by a Black List Lab alum, Chris Basler, recently wrapped production in Dublin. Annabelle Wallis and Raffey Cassidy star in the film, which was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Floria Sigismondi.
