‘There’s an Awakening’: European Industry Sounds Rallying Cry, Calls for Greater Diversity and Inclusion

variety.com:

Christopher Vourlias In a day that was in turns hopeful, angry, determined and defiant, industry stakeholders set the stage Thursday in Berlin for a concerted, pan-European push to boost diversity, inclusion and representation in the continent’s screen industries.

The Equity and Inclusion Pathways Seminar, which took place Feb. 16 during the European Film Market, laid out an action plan that the day’s participants said would have a transformative impact on policy frameworks across Europe. “I think there’s an awakening,” said Victoria Thomas, of the Anti-Racism Taskforce for European Film (ARTEF). “We don’t have to explain to people anymore.

There’s a general consensus that something needs to be done.” The seminar offered a vision of what a diverse, equitable and inclusive European film community might look like, given enough buy-in from those industry gatekeepers in a position to foster change.

At the end of the day-long event — a spirited, collaborative, radically inclusive session bringing together roughly 100 industry professionals and representatives of advocacy groups — participants voted on a series of resolutions that they’ll take back to their respective countries to begin the hard work of turning those ideas into “policies, actions, initiatives, studies, research, funding,” according to Faysal Omer, head of EFM Producers.