Proof of Concept Accelerator Announces 11 Projects in Its Inaugural Year

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For 11 filmmakers, their projects just got closer to becoming a reality. Today, Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett, Emmy-nominated producer Coco Francini of Dirty Films, and Dr. Stacy L. Smith, founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, are announcing the 11 recipients of their Proof of Concept Accelerator program, supported by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity.

“We have been astonished by the artistry of all 1,200 filmmakers who applied to Proof of Concept, which proves that there are so many voices out there who deserve to find their audience. Our final selection represents filmmakers who we felt had the experience and vision to take their careers to the next level and make creative and compelling film and television that may transform the landscape of storytelling. We are grateful to the applicants, our incredible selection committee, and the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity for their unwavering support and guidance as we take another step towards creating an ecosystem that supports inclusion of gender marginalized directors at the highest levels of the entertainment business,” said Blanchett, Francini, and Smith.

The participants in the program will receive $50,000 to support the creation of a short film that will serve as a “proof of concept” for a larger scale project. In addition to the funding, the participants will be mentored by industry experts, and their films will be screened at a showcase.

Originally, the program was to include eight filmmakers, but with the support of Netflix, it has been expanded to include three filmmakers of documentary projects. The addition of this cohort of documentary filmmakers will widen the aperture of the inaugural program to support a total of 11 emerging directors.

Proof of Concept is designed to address long-standing gaps in the inclusion of women, trans, and nonbinary people in film. According to the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s most recent report, 6% of directors across 1,600 top-grossing movies were women, and less than one-third of all speaking characters on screen in those movies were girls, women, trans, or non-binary people.

The participants were selected from more than 1,200 applicants to the program, which was launched in December 2023. The selection committee included Chloé Zhao, Emma Corrin, Eva Longoria, Greta Gerwig, Jane Campion, Janicza Bravo, Lily Gladstone, Lilly Wachowski, Cate Blanchett, Coco Francini, and Dr. Stacy L. Smith.

This initiative represents a significant step towards fostering greater inclusivity and diversity in the film industry, giving a platform to underrepresented voices and helping to reshape the landscape of storytelling.