The Procter & Gamble Company continues to Widen The Screen to create even more opportunities for Black filmmakers, expand the platform with more stories that Widen the View of Black life and fuel inclusive investment to create systemic change across the creative industry. In its first year, Widen The Screen accelerated opportunities for 300+ Black filmmakers across 12 films, including Queen Collective and 8:46 Film shorts, resulting in over 3001 minutes of original representative content. Last year alone, by doubling the number of Queen Collective films as part of P&G's signature talent development program for female directors of color, the program provided job opportunities to over 100 people, 75% of whom were people of color. P&G also stepped-up investment in Black Owned media companies, including Group Black, Central City Productions and Allen Media Group, as well as longstanding Black operated partners such as BET and OWN, to encourage the elimination of investment inequalities in the creative supply chain. This has been delivered through initiatives like The Widen The Screen Partnership Development Fund. Designed to expand the Black-owned media
ecosystem and bring Black stories to Black communities, the Fund aims to create content for, and license content to, Black-owned media companies, delivering programming which enables them to increase ad inventory. P&G's accelerated actions to Widen The Screen also includes: Hosting the Widen The Screen Creative Bootcamp program in partnership with Group Black, P&G and The Cannes Can: Diversity Collective's Inkwell Beach at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, which brings diverse creators to Cannes to widen the talent pipeline and champion a multicultural presence at the festival. Bringing authentic stories to Black communities through the Widen The Screen film festival strategy which has seen 8:46 Films and Queen Collective films featured in over 40 films festival screenings, resulting in 9 award wins and nominations, including a nomination for 2022 NAACP Image Awards. Partnering with Poderistas, Alma and the Hispanic Star on projects for the LatinX community and has joined with partners in the Asian-Pacific Islander community, including PCA and R/GA's Asian Voices Culture Collective group to create the film “The Name,” which released during Asian American Pacific Islander Month. A continued commitment to widen the screen for gender equality through FREETHEWORK, which helped P&G brands get to 45% of advertising directed by women filmmakers, versus the 11% when P&G began in 2018. P&G's multi-year partnerships also continue with women-owned companies, including Katie Couric Media, Alma Har'el's Jellywolf, Seneca Women Podcast Network, and Hello Sunshine, among others. Fueling visibility and accurate representation for the LGBTQ+ community through the production of four provocative films, including the award-winning CODED, createdwith Imagine Entertainment and presented in partnership with Imagine Entertainment & Television, Delirio Films and MTV Films. Continuing to use its reach to bring together companies and voices from across the industry to drive creative
transformation. This includes leading a discussion to “Advance the Culture and Currency through Inclusive Storytelling” at Tribeca X 2022, a platform for industry leaders to share important lessons in creating innovative content that resonates with audiences. Hosted by Rose Pierre-Louis, Chief Operating Officer, McSilver Institute and featuring LL COOL J, Founder & CEO, Rock The Bells, Donald Jackson, Chairman & CEO, Central City Productions and Zoey Martinson, Director, 8:46 Films Cupids the panel outlined the industry audience with immediate and urgent steps needed to enable diverse and authentic storytelling and drive equality into the media industry. The Return of the Queen Collective: Queen Collective, a partnership between P&G, Queen Latifah, Flavor Unit Entertainment, and Tribeca Studios returns with six new Queen Collective films, debuting in fall 2022. Now in its fourth year, the Queen Collective is enabling a record number of diverse directors and other creatives to produce their original documentaries and scripted pieces.