Content studio Creator+ has official launched their new ‘Flip the Script’ Short Film Fund, which will champion, invest in and share stories of emerging BIPOC creators and aspiring filmmakers.
The initiative is a collaboration with The Kennedy/Marshall Company (Jurassic World; Lincoln) with producing legend Frank Marshall and his Head of Production Development, Ashley Jay Sandberg joining as advisors.
Mentors include recent Emmy-nominated Pose actress Mj Rodriguez; award-winning director of The Farewell Lulu Wang; activist and Insecure actor Kendrick Sampson; NBA All-Star Blake Griffin; SVP, NAACP Hollywood Bureau Kyle Bowser; Writer, Producer & Showrunner Elle Johnson (Netflix’s Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker; Amazon’s Bosch); and social media executive Kudzi Chikumbu. The new program will fully fund, market and distribute six short films from emerging BIPOC creators, writers, and producers yearly. A creative call to filmmakers to begin today, with finalists to be selected by mid-October 2021.
Creator+ is committed to empowering a new generation of diverse creators to make impactful feature films that tell authentic, relevant stories which inspire hope and action in today’s young, digitally native audiences. The studio and distribution platform is creating opportunities for those who have something to say, while embracing projects that explore the full dimension of the BIPOC experience — and that’s in line with what Diaspora is all about.
“At Creator+, the best course of action we can take to shift culture and address bias against historically excluded communities is investing funds into projects that support and uplift these people to tell their own stories,” said Ben O’Keefe, Head of Diversity and Impact Development and Production, Creator+. “If you can make someone feel through impactful storytelling, you can inspire them to do just about anything. Film exposes audiences to experiences and identities they may never have encountered. It changes hearts and minds. People deserve to see the multitudes of their identities and lived experiences represented in culture. Our mission is to support the next-generation of storytellers and industry leaders to create a more inclusive and equitable entertainment industry.”
Creator+ is determined to bring meaningful change, sustained action, and investment to address the systemic bias and inequality that exists in Hollywood. In addition to providing the budget, the company will assist with development, production, and festival strategy. Advisors will award one filmmaker the life-changing opportunity to develop a feature film with Creator+. Moreover, Staff Me Up, will join as a partner to help rewrite the rules of hiring, as part of their Coded for Inclusion initiative.
The Creator+ Diversity and Impact Advisory Board includes top change agents in entertainment such as executives, producers, showrunners committed to fighting for increased diversity and inclusion in Hollywood. The committee will select projects with a purpose — those that seek to tell unique and underrepresented stories and prioritize diverse crews’ involvement in their production; and champion intersectionality by prioritizing creators across multiple identities within the BIPOC community, including gender, sexuality, socio-economic class, age, ability, etc. Eligible creators and filmmakers can be a college film major, an up-and-coming TV writer looking to break out as a director or digital creator/YouTuber focusing on narrative storytelling.
Submission criteria to enter includes:
- A script and optional deck of the up to 30-minute short film incorporating the theme “The Power of Community”
- Proposed budget and schedule
- CV/resume/portfolio
- Short video introducing yourself, project, and why you deserve this opportunity (Private Vimeo or YouTube link)
- Signed release form
- One entry per US-based applicant
To apply, visit flipthescript.creatorplus.com
