Software company Adobe and its foundation on Tuesday promised to put up $6 million to support career opportunities for “underrepresented” creators and filmmakers in the film and TV industry.
“Through this new initiative, the company and foundation are committed to driving greater representation in the film industry by providing resources, community and support to underrepresented creators on-screen and behind the camera,” Adobe said in a statement.
In creating the Adobe Film & TV Fund the company said it aims to “address the inequity in funding, career and training opportunities across multiple communities in the industry with grants, contributions, and fellowships.”
The focus will be funding on fellowships and apprenticeships that offer “direct, hands-on industry access through mentorships and networking with production houses, studios and distributors to support filmmaking,” the statement said. The grants and contributions will also enable organizations to fund short and feature films.
The $6 million figure also includes Adobe Creative Cloud product donations. The company said it has a goal of “tracking inclusion in the industry and directly accelerating the careers of thousands of global creators, and ultimately increasing inclusion in film and TV series.”
Among the organizations Adobe is working with are Easterseals, Gold House, The Latinx House, NAACP, Sundance Institute and Yuvaa. Adobe has worked with Sundance on a fellowship for emerging filmmakers since 2015 that has supported more than 90 individuals.
The first fellowship program under the new intitiative will be offered with NAACP and focus on the post-production industry. Four applicants will be chosen for the 14-week program, which starts in May.
“Equity matters, and it is incumbent upon those of us who sit in positions of power and authority to help identify solutions to advance diversity and inclusion both in front of and behind the lens,” Kyle Bowser, senior vice president of the NAACP Hollywood Bureau, said in a statement.