FFHSH introduces Diversity Checklist

How many women have a leading function within the film production? Are there people of colour in the planned project? Do the lovers always have to be man and woman? And are people with disabilities involved in the film? We encounter different preconditions in terms of age, physical conditions, skin colour and appearance, origin, religion or ideology, sexual identity or socio-economic status in everyday life. Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein is committed to ensuring that this world can also be seen in film.

With the Diversity Checklist, the FFHSH wants to encourage its applicants to critically scrutinise film material. It is aimed at the various phases of film production, from development to production and distribution.

Helge Albers, CEO of Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holsteinsays: "Filming more diversity and telling stories that would otherwise go unheard: We want to see our diverse, multicultural society on screen in a modern way and in all its facets. We also want to sensitise our funding recipients more to the topic of diversity. Just as we put the topic of sustainability on the agenda of our industry a few years ago with the Green Shooting Card, it is now high time to question unconscious prejudices and clichés. Our diversity checklist and the more diverse composition of our funding bodies are a first step in this direction. Last but not least, it is an open secret that diversity and commerciality are not mutually exclusive."

The current status of the checklist was developed in dialogue with academics, diversity experts and representatives of the film industry. These include Prof Dr Elizabeth Prommer from the University of Rostock, Dr Skadi Loist from the Babelsberg Film University, Executive Producer Andrea Schütte from Tamtam Film, X Distribution CEO Leila Hamid, Brigitte Drodtloff, CEO of the Association of German Script Writers, and Panthertaiment producer and actor Tyron Ricketts. The declared aim of the FFHSH is to continuously adapt the list and develop further measures for more diversity in film.

Instagram campaign #multi-fold films The FFHSH is calling on the film industry to submit statements and personal anecdotes on diversity in film under the hashtag #vielfaltfilmen viaInstagram,Facebook orTwitter to share.

Here is the newDiversity Checklist divided into Development, Production and Distribution:

The checklist was created on the basis of the General Equal Treatment Act. The approaches of foreign film funding organisations have also been taken into account.

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