A group of leading film and television creators is calling on Hollywood to support storytelling with greater social impact after the demise of Projector, Rome And An inconvenient truth Media Participant Supporter.
In an open letter to the entertainment industry released Tuesday, figures including George Clooney, Ava DuVernay, Matt Damon and Kerry Washington said “values-based storytelling is needed more than ever” to “expand the space for debate, opening our hearts to experiences very different from ours, immersing ourselves in the beauty of the complexities of humanity. The group of 118 filmmakers, activists and nonprofit signatories, which also includes Kerry Washington, Jane Fonda, Michael Mann, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Alfonso Cuarón, added: “We call on Hollywood to respond to the moment. There is an entire ecosystem of people, connected by the work of the last 20 years of Participant, ready to work with you.
Participant founder Jeff Skoll surprised many in the industry by announcing on April 16 that the company was closing. Launched by the co-founder of EBay in 2004, Participant operated on a “double bottom line” principle that sought to both make a profit and inspire social change with the stories it supported. During its 20-year history, the company has been behind scripted and documentary films, including Citizenfour, Green Book, The Help, RBG, Flee, American Factory, Lincoln, Contagion, Food Inc. And One of the most violent years. In doing so, he has racked up over $3.3 billion in box office revenue and 21 Academy Awards and 18 Emmy Awards.
The letter states that, with his work, Participant “never underestimated the public’s appetite for thought-provoking topics.” Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Participant “forever changed the landscape of our public conversation and popular culture” by pairing filmmakers with advocacy groups and activists dedicated to causes that intersected with their stories. (Signatories to the letter include advocates like Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement, Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, and Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative.)
The group added: “As we reflect on Participant’s accomplishments, we look forward to championing the next generation of producers who will build on Participant’s extraordinary work, integrating the learnings he has offered, sowing new partnerships and innovating in this new media landscape. .”
Ai-jen Poo, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and executive director of Caring Across Generations, was part of a small group that designed the letter and collected signatures and support for its message. Poo noted in an interview Monday that Cuarón’s 2018 film, supported by participants Rome – focused on a housekeeper in Mexico City in the 1970s – helped introduce the national domestic worker bill…
