LOS ANGELES, June 12 — Will we see more parity and equality in the world of the seventh art? The non-profit organisation Women In Film (WIF) has unveiled a new campaign christened “Hire Her Back” to call on the screen industry to employ more women and people of colour.

The campaign has been launched at a time when work on production is about to resume in Los Angeles in the wake of a long hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It also comes at a moment when the American public is demonstrating its support for the black community all over the United States.

“With the convergence of a pandemic and the national uprising in defence of Black lives, it must be made clear that current market structures have to be transformed if we are serious about creating equity. We call on leaders to join us in building a new normal that prioritises equity and career sustainability for women, especially women of colour, in the screen industries,” said WIF executive director Kirsten Schaffer.

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Financial aid

The “Hire Her Back” campaign will be deployed in the weeks to come in partnership with industry leaders. Women In Film also plans to join forces with New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT) and Women In Film and Television Atlanta (WIFTA) to create a fund that will provide grants to women whose livelihoods have been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

These grants will be administered by The Actors Fund and producer Shivani Rawat (ShivHans Pictures) has agreed to provide initial funding. Details on how to apply for one of the grants will be revealed in July.

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“I am so grateful for Shivani’s generosity and continued support for women in need. Having had the privilege of producing Brian Banks with her, I know firsthand how committed she is to elevating women and persons of colour in the screen industries,” said WIF president Amy Baer.

“With the increased commitment to parity across the entertainment community in recent years, we are seeing an uptick in the number of women working in front of and behind the camera. We cannot lose this important momentum because of entertainment job losses related to the Covid-19 crisis,” she also warned. — AFP-Relaxnews