New Initiative Aimed at Movie Studios to Improve Diversity in Film to be Announced by Members of the Multi-Ethnic Media Coalition

Media Advisory For: February 4, 2016 Contact: Andrea Alford, 703.477.1075, press@balestramedia.com

THURSDAY: New Initiative Aimed at Movie Studios to Improve Diversity in Film to be Announced by Members of the Multi-Ethnic Media Coalition

Coalition Members Plan to Hold the Film Industry Accountable to Communities of Color, Building off Successful Efforts in Television

Members of the Multi-Ethnic Media Coalition, which has met annually with the top four television networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) since 2000, will discuss its new initiative to meet with the top 6 motion picture studios – Sony, Warner Bros. , Fox, Universal, Paramount and Disney – at  a press conference in Pasadena on Thursday, February 4, at 9:30 a.m.  The coalition members include the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC), and American Indians in Film and Television (AIFT). WHAT:  Members of the Multi-Ethnic Media Coalition to discuss commitments needed from major motion picture studios for films that reflect our diverse world WHEN:  Thursday, February 4 at 9:30 a.m. WHERE: National Hispanic Media Coalition 55 S. Grand Avenue Pasadena, CA 91105 WHO:

• Alex Nogales, president and CEO, National Hispanic Media Coalition
• Daniel Mayeda, co-chair, Asian Pacific American Media Coalition
• Guy Aoki, founding president, Media Action Network for Asian Americans
• Sonny Skyhawk, founder, American Indians in Film and Television

“The fact that all of the nominees across the top four acting categories at this year’s Oscars are white, impacts African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. Individuals from all of our communities have been denied meaningful opportunities for their work to be considered for Academy Awards,” said Alex Nogales, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition. “We’ve broken barriers in television and we’ll do it again with film; studios need to know that representation matters—for recognition of hard work and talent, for combating negative stereotypes in our public discourse and for the next generation of our future leaders in the film industry.” “The Academy can only vote on works that the movie studios decide to make,” said Daniel Mayeda, co-chair at the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition.  “Most of the people who have the power to greenlight films are white. And despite data that proves otherwise, they insist that projects which feature minority casts won’t do well at the box office. Even when making films based on true stories, they often change the characters’ ethnicity to white.” “All of our organizations have worked together since the summer of 1999 to improve opportunities for people of color in television,” said Sonny Skyhawk, a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and Founder of American Indians in Film & Television. “We’ve met with the top four networks since 2000. Each year, they’ve provided data on the minorities they’ve hired as writers, producers, directors, and actors, and we’ve discussed how accurately their series are reflecting reality. The great improvements you’ve seen on the small screen have been due in large part to our efforts.  Now, we’re setting our sights on meeting with the top six movie studios and asking them to do the same on the big screen.”

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The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is a media advocacy and civil rights organization for the advancement of Latinos, working towards a media that is fair and inclusive of Latinos, and towards universal, affordable, and open access to communications.

American Indians in Film and Television (AIFT) is an advocacy group that endeavors to defend and enhance the interests of American Indians in the mediums of film, television and telecommunications.

The Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC) advocates for the visibility and inclusion of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the entertainment and media industries. APAMC members are Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, East West Players, Japanese American Citizens League, Media Action Network for Asian Americans, National Federation of Filipino American Associations, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Visual Communications.

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