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Today, the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) and the TIME’S UP Foundation released Diversity Report 2020: A Study of AFCI Member and Partner Diversity Initiatives. As plans are being developed to restart production amid COVID-19, the first-of-its-kind global report draws attention to efforts led by film commissions to address safety on sets, equity among the workforce, and diversity and inclusion in leadership.

“AFCI is proud to partner with the TIME’S UP Foundation on this first-of-its-kind report, as both organizations are committed to supporting positive change for the global screen sector,” said AFCI President Jess Conoplia. “Film commissions play a critical role in diversity initiatives, and this new report provides our members and related agencies with an opportunity to lead by example as plans are being developed to restart production amid COVID-19.”

The primary purpose of the report is to showcase and share information about successful strategies, policies, and best practices for inclusivity and leadership within global film sectors.  It includes recommendations for film commissions and serves as a resource for the film/TV production industry by providing intelligence on diversity initiatives.

Information in the report was collated by researcher and analyst Tara Halloran, with data sourced from AFCI members and their related government agencies worldwide. AFCI members were surveyed about their diversity initiatives and responded with information on programs across gender, ethnicity, indigenous peoples, religious beliefs, national minorities, age, sexual orientation, geographic location, disability and social background.

The report provides examples of film commission diversity initiatives across four categories:

• Information Sharing – Communicating external information (from third-party sources) regarding diversity/anti-discrimination guidelines and policies, training programs, support organizations, and other resources, as well as diverse industry suppliers and vendors.
• Mission/Vision, Policy, and Strategy – Developing new diversity/anti-discrimination guidelines and policies, training programs, and other resources.
• Tax Credits, Rebates and Other Incentives – Embedding diversity/anti-discrimination planning and benchmarks into the incentive application process.
• Workforce Development – Expanding access to screen sector employment opportunities (creative and business) via training programs, grants, scholarships, relationships, public-private partnerships, and promotion.

TIME’S UP and AFCI hope the report serves as an information-sharing resource for AFCI members and their partners. But they also see film commissions – which are important drivers of job creation in screen sectors worldwide – as a potential catalyst for meaningful and lasting change across the entertainment industry. Diversity and equity have always been of critical importance — and the global pandemic and protests in response to police violence have put these issues front and center.

“Film commissions play a vital role in helping artists bring their vision to life, and we commend the film commissions that are committed to creating a more diverse industry,” said Tina Tchen, president and CEO of TIME’S UP Foundation. “This is a critical moment in our country, for every institution and industry. Our hope is that this report inspires film commissions everywhere to lead the way in the work we need to do to achieve true diversity and inclusion in the film industry.”

Information in the report was collated with data sourced from AFCI members representing diverse regions around the globe. The full report is available on AFCI’s website.

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TIME’S UP Foundation