In the ever-evolving landscape of film and television, the representation of diverse voices has been a persistent challenge. A recent report from Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative paints a stark picture: of the directors across 1,600 top-grossing movies, a mere 6% were women, and less than a third of all speaking characters were girls, women, trans, or non-binary individuals. The glaring disparity not only limits on-screen representation but also curtails career opportunities for women, trans, and non-binary storytellers.

Enter Proof of Concept, the initiative launched today as the brainchild of Cate Blanchett, her Dirty Films producing partner Coco Francini and Smith in collaboration with the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. This program is designed to address the trifecta of challenges facing these directors: funding, mentorship, and exposure.

Blanchett, Francini and Andrew Upton’s Dirty Films is an independent film, TV and podcast production company that most recently produced Christos...