Netflix and Amazon Studios are among the backers of a new German programme entitled NewMotion to promote greater diversity in the nation’s film industry. It was officially launched at the Explorer Conference at Filmfest Hamburg this month.
The programme is the brainchild of producers Roshanak “Rosh” Khodabakhsh (Port au Prince Film und Kultur Produktion) and Jorgo Narjes (X Filme Creative Pool) in cooperation with the Producers Alliance Initiative for Qualification (PAIQ).
“A central element of this initiative is a shadowing programme giving on-the-job training where you follow one person around for a few days and get to learn their jobs,” Narjes explained. “If you are interested in lighting, you would shadow a gaffer or electrician on the set to get an insight into what their job entails.”
“Our goal is diversity and inclusion, so we will be targeting people from marginalised and other underrepresented communities,” Khodabakhsh added. “We are not excluding anyone from our programme, but we do have a special focus because, if there is no focus, there won’t be any change.”
Narjes emphasised that participants will be helped to find onward employment. “For example, if you had been shadowing a costume designer, we’d look at the right way to continue in this department by starting an apprenticeship or tailoring training.”
Source : Screendaily
