‘Flip the Script’ Short Film Fund, Championing Emerging Storytellers

                                                                                                        

 

Creator+ Builds a Pipeline for BIPOC Creatives with New

‘Flip the Script’ Short Film Fund,

Championing Emerging Storytellers in Front, Behind the Camera

New Diversity Initiative Partners with Award-Winning Producers From The Kennedy/Marshall Company, NAACP Hollywood Bureau

Program Will Fund, Market and Distribute Six Short Films From Emerging BIPOC Creators with Mentors: Filmmaker Lulu Wang; Emmy-nominated Actor MJ Rodriguez;
6x NBA All-Star, Investor, Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Mortal Media, Blake Griffin; Actor & Activist Kendrick Sampson; Writer, Producer, and Showrunner Elle Johnson; Social Media Executive Kudzi Chikumbu

 Creator+, a next-generation content studio and distribution platform for digital-first storytellers and creators, announced today the formation of their new ‘Flip the Script’ Short Film Fund, which will champion, invest in, and share stories of emerging BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) creators and aspiring filmmakers. In collaboration with The Kennedy/Marshall Company (Jurassic World; Lincoln), with producing legend Frank Marshall and his Head of Production Development, Ashley Jay Sandberg, joining as advisors. Additional mentors include: 6x NBA All-Star, investor, entrepreneur and co-founder of Mortal Media, Blake Griffin; Emmy-nominated actor MJ Rodriguez (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Pose); Kyle Bowser, SVP, NAACP Hollywood Bureau; Producer & Director Lulu Wang (Independent Spirit Award for Best Film, The Farewell); actor & activist Kendrick Sampson (HBO’s Insecure); Writer, Producer & Showrunner Elle Johnson (Netflix’s Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker; Amazon’s Bosch); and social media executive Kudzi Chikumbu. The new program will fully fund, market, and distribute six short films from emerging BIPOC creators, writers, and producers yearly. A creative call to filmmakers to begin today, with finalists to be selected by mid-October 2021.

Creator+ is committed to empowering a new generation of diverse creators to make impactful feature films that tell authentic, relevant stories which inspire hope and action in today's young, digitally native audiences. The innovative studio and distribution platform is creating opportunities for those who have something to say, while embracing projects that explore the full dimension of the BIPOC experience. Creator+ is determined to bring meaningful change, sustained action, and investment to address the systemic bias and inequality that exists in Hollywood. In addition to providing the budget, the company will assist with the development, production, and festival strategy. Advisors will award one filmmaker the life-changing opportunity to develop a feature film with Creator+. Moreover, Staff Me Up, will join as a partner to help rewrite the rules of hiring, as part of their Coded for Inclusion initiative.

“At Creator+, the best course of action we can take to shift culture and address bias against historically excluded communities is investing funds into projects that support and uplift these people to tell their own stories,” said Ben O’Keefe, Head of Diversity and Impact Development and Production, Creator+. “If you can make someone feel through impactful storytelling, you can inspire them to do just about anything. Film exposes audiences to experiences and identities they may never have encountered. It changes hearts and minds. People deserve to see the multitudes of their identities and lived experiences represented in culture. Our mission is to support the next-generation of storytellers and industry leaders to create a more inclusive and equitable entertainment industry.”

The Creator+ Diversity and Impact Advisory Board include top change agents in entertainment such as executives, producers, showrunners committed to fighting for increased diversity and inclusion in Hollywood. The committee will select projects with a purpose — those that seek to tell unique and underrepresented stories and prioritize diverse crews' involvement in their production; and champion intersectionality by prioritizing creators across multiple identities within the BIPOC community, including gender, sexuality, socio-economic class, age, ability, etc. Eligible creators and filmmakers can be a college film major, an up-and-coming TV writer looking to break out as a director, or digital creator/YouTuber focusing on narrative storytelling.

Submission criteria to enter includes: 

• A script and optional deck of the up to 30-minute short film incorporating the theme “The Power of Community”
• Proposed budget and schedule
• CV/resume/portfolio
• Short video introducing yourself, project, and why you deserve this opportunity (Private Vimeo or YouTube link)
• Signed release form
• One entry per US-based applicant

 

Interested applicants can apply here: flipthescript.creatorplus.com

About Creator+

Creator+ is a studio and distribution platform that produces feature-length films in partnership with digital creators and monetizes through their existing audience and beyond across mobile, web, and connected-TV.  Our Content Studio develops and pairs Creators with the right script/story, provides financing, and builds a bespoke team and resources for each film. In addition to streaming feature films through a paygate, the Creator+ platform provides a new user experience for engaging with content, commerce, Creators, and community in one place.