As part of the company’s ongoing efforts to champion new and diverse voices in the entertainment industry, 21st Century Fox sponsored the 10th Annual LA Skins Fest, and participated in the 7th Annual Native American Writers Pitch Fest, which took place from November 13-19 in Los Angeles.
Native American Writers Pitch Fest is part of LA Skins Fest, an annual festival showcasing the work of Native American filmmakers through screenings of original documentaries, features, shorts, and TV series. The Fest hosts industry networking events and staged script readings, as well as annual multi-week intensives in both feature film and television writing for Native American writers looking to take their craft to the next professional level, preparing them for writing careers at major Hollywood studios and production companies.
The Pitch Fest, an intensive workshop designed to help television writers of Native American heritage grow their careers, introduced participants to the pitch process, connected them to 21CF and other studio executives, managers and agents; and organized public staged readings where up-and-coming writers could hear their scripts and projects come to life.
“Scouting for, identifying and cultivating diverse creative talent is a key mission of our Global Inclusion team,” said Liz Kelly, Associate Director of Development & Production Labs for 21CF Global Inclusion, who led company’s participation at Pitch Fest. “There’s immense value in meeting emerging writers and filmmakers at LA Skins’ Pitch Fest, and glad to have the opportunity for us to connect with and help advance opportunities for talented Native American artists.”
During the weeklong festival, 21CF also provided tickets for Fox colleagues to attend screenings from featured Native American filmmakers; and staged readings of TV pilots and feature scripts by participants from the 2018 Native Writers labs.
These efforts to expand opportunities and provide professional resources for writers of Native American descent comprise one of the many ways 21CF is working to diversify Hollywood’s talent pool both in front of and behind the camera. The company also partners with AFI to help advance the careers of female filmmakers, directors and cinematographers; and hosted its inaugural Inclusion Week, uniting thousands of global colleagues for five days of programming dedicated to diversity and inclusion, the first event of its kind.
Learn more about ongoing initiatives at 21cf.com/inclusion.
