While on-screen representation is growing, diversity behind-the-camera still lags.

While on-screen representation is growing, diversity behind-the-camera still lags. According to the UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report, which analyzed 252 English-language movies released in 2021, there was a “notable rise” in on-camera representation in top films over the last decade. The study also notes that the majority of opening weekend audiences were people of color, signaling that BIPOC moviegoers are fueling the return to theaters. However, the report shows that there has been a “relatively slow growth” when it comes to behind-the-camera roles for people of color, especially for women and Latinos. The research found that 21.8% of directors last year were women, while 30.2% were people of color. Additionally, 33.5% of screenwriters were women, while 32.3% were people of color. A separate study from USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative shows that while films made by women of color directors get better viewers, it’s still difficult for them to find opportunities compared to White female directors. YPulse’s Representation in Action trend data found that nearly half of BIPOC young consumers have watched a TV show / movie because it had a diverse crew behind it. (Variety, Insider)