Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Film Festival Funnel

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) in the festival funnel has become a pressing priority for film festival organisers around the world. As audiences and creators increasingly demand representation and equity, festivals must ensure their selection and hiring processes are fair and inclusive. From initial outreach to final programming decisions, every step of the “funnel” – the pathway through which films and talent are scouted, submitted, evaluated, and selected – should reflect a commitment to DE&I. This article outlines practical steps for festival producers to make diversity a core part of their pipeline, including setting clear goals (rather than imposing quotas), expanding outreach through partnerships, training screeners to recognise bias, and continually measuring progress.

Define Goals, Not Quotas

Setting clear diversity and inclusion goals is more effective and ethical than imposing rigid quotas. While quotas can seem like a quick fix to achieve representation, they may lead to tokenism or legal challenges, and they don’t address the root issues in your pipeline. Instead, define aspirational yet measurable goals for your festival’s lineup and team. For example, a festival might set a goal to increase the percentage of films from underrepresented directors by 20% over the next three years, or to ensure at least one local filmmaker is featured in each programme section. Goals give your team direction without compromising the quality of selections; they serve as guideposts rather than strict rules.

In practice, many top festivals have adopted this approach. Instead of guaranteeing slots (quotas) to certain groups, they focus on building a strong pipeline of diverse submissions and let quality shine through from that expanded pool. These goals should be developed based on your festival’s context – for instance, if women directors or indigenous storytellers are underrepresented in past editions, set a goal to improve those numbers. Make sure goals are specific (tied to numbers or percentages), but remain flexible on how you meet them. Publicly communicating your diversity goals can also build trust and accountability. Festivals like Cannes, Toronto, and Berlin have publicly signed the 5050×2020 parity pledge – a commitment to strive for gender balance (approximately 50% women directors) by the year 2020 (womensmediacenter.com) – signaling their intent without imposing rigid quotas. By defining clear goals, you commit your festival to progress while still allowing the best content to rise to the top.

Publish and Share Your Outreach Plan

Having goals is just the beginning – achieving them requires a proactive outreach plan. It’s important to articulate and publish your plan for attracting a wider range of filmmakers and content. By sharing your strategy, you not only hold your festival team accountable but also signal to underrepresented creators that you sincerely welcome their work.

Start by examining where your current submissions or hires come from, and identify which voices might be missing. Then, outline concrete steps to reach those groups. For example, if your goal is to see more submissions from Southeast Asian filmmakers or more entries by women in science-fiction, detail how you’ll get there – perhaps by marketing your call for entries in specific regions, offering fee waivers or travel grants, or partnering with organisations that support those creators (more on partnerships in the next section). Be transparent about these efforts. You can publish a blog post or a statement on your festival website summarising your outreach initiatives: e.g., “This year, we are expanding our call for submissions by working with women’s film networks and universities in Asia-Pacific.” When creators see a genuine effort to include them, they are more likely to submit their films and participate.

Another key aspect is timeline and channels. Share when and how you’ll conduct the outreach. Will you host webinars for first-time filmmakers on how to submit to your festival? Will you send ambassadors to community events or film schools to talk about the festival? Laying out these plans publicly (or at least with your internal team and advisors) ensures they actually happen. Plus, potential applicants reading about your outreach plan might spread the word within their communities, further widening your reach. In short, don’t keep your inclusion efforts a secret – broadcasting your plan shows commitment and invites the very people you hope to attract.

Partner with Labs, Schools, and Collectives to Broaden Your Pool

One of the most powerful ways to diversify your festival funnel is by broadening the pool of talent at the source. Seek out partnerships with film labs, educational institutions, and community collectives that nurture underrepresented filmmakers. These partnerships can unlock entire networks of creators that might otherwise overlook your festival.

Consider collaborating with:
– Film Development Labs and Workshops – Partner with programmes that incubate diverse talent (for example, Sundance Institute labs, Rotterdam’s CineMart, or regional film workshops). You might offer top projects from these labs a spot in your festival’s market or a direct line to submit their films. Such partnerships benefit both sides: the lab participants get an opportunity to showcase their work, and your festival gains a pipeline of quality submissions from voices that are new to your event.
– Universities and Film Schools – Reach out to film schools, especially those in different countries or serving diverse communities. Many colleges have film programmes with students from a variety of backgrounds. You can coordinate campus outreach, like information sessions or mini-screening events, to encourage student filmmakers to submit their work. For instance, a festival in Mexico could partner with film schools across Latin America to find emerging Latinx filmmakers, or an Australian festival might work with indigenous media schools to invite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytellers.
– Community Collectives and Industry Groups – There are numerous organisations devoted to supporting minority voices in film – from women directors’ associations and LGBTQ+ film collectives to African, Asian, or Middle Eastern film networks. Identify groups that align with the communities you want to include. Partner with them by sponsoring awards or categories in their showcases, offering discount codes for their members to submit to your festival, or co-hosting events. For example, a festival could team up with a local Women in Film chapter to host a “Female Filmmakers Spotlight” night, generating interest and submissions from women creatives who then also submit to the main festival.

By partnering with these labs, schools, and collectives, you widen the funnel at the entry point. Instead of waiting for diverse creators to find you, you actively go to where they already are creating and learning. Such partnerships not only increase the quantity of submissions from underrepresented filmmakers, but often the quality as well – since labs and schools have already been developing these talents. A great case study is the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors programme, which worked with filmmakers in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and brought many of them to an international stage for the first time. Similarly, Sundance Film Festival’s outreach and inclusion initiatives have deepened the diversity of projects submitted to its programmes (www.sundance.org). The lesson is clear: broadening your pool through partnerships leads to a richer, more inclusive festival programme.

Train Screeners and Staff on Bias Awareness and Inclusive Language

Diversifying your submissions and applicants is crucial, but it won’t have impact if the people evaluating those submissions aren’t equipped to do so fairly. That’s why festival organisers must train their screeners and selection committee on bias awareness and inclusive practices. Screening teams (the staff or volunteers who review film submissions and recommend selections) play a critical gatekeeping role. Unconscious biases in their evaluations can undermine all your outreach efforts, so tackling bias at this stage is essential.

Start with formal training sessions on unconscious bias. Educate screeners on how bias can creep into decisions – for example, a reviewer might unknowingly favour stories that reflect their own culture or discredit a film for stylistic choices unfamiliar to them. Provide concrete examples of past biases (anonymised case studies can help, such as a scenario where a powerful story from a marginalized community was initially underrated because a reviewer didn’t relate to its cultural context). Discuss common pitfalls, like assuming a technically slick film is automatically more “universal” than a rougher-edged film that portrays a minority experience. By raising awareness, you help screeners pause and question their initial reactions.

Next, establish guidelines for inclusive language and evaluation criteria. Ensure that the language used in internal scoring notes or deliberations remains respectful to all groups. For instance, screeners should avoid dismissive labels like “ethnic” or “urban” as shorthand, which can carry negative connotations, and instead describe films in more specific, unbiased terms. Create a standard evaluation rubric that focuses on storytelling, creativity, and craft – factors that transcend the filmmaker’s background – and stick to those criteria across the board. If possible, implement blind or semi-blind review in the early rounds (hiding the director’s name or biography) so that a film is judged on its merits first.

It’s also wise to diversify the screening committee itself. Include individuals from different backgrounds in your programming team to provide multiple perspectives. When a committee is diverse, it’s less likely to overlook a gem simply because it doesn’t resonate with a single dominant viewpoint. Make sure all screeners and judges feel comfortable speaking up if they sense bias in discussions. Regularly remind the team that the goal is a high-quality festival programme that also reflects a wide range of voices. With training and a conscious effort, your staff will become allies in your DE&I mission, helping ensure that worthy films from any background get a fair shot.

Report Outcomes and Keep Improving

Transparency and continuous improvement are the final pieces of the DE&I puzzle. After implementing the above strategies, it’s crucial to report on your outcomes and use the data to keep improving. Tracking results allows you to celebrate successes, identify shortcomings, and course-correct for future editions of the festival.

Begin by collecting diversity data throughout your funnel. How many submissions came from women directors, from various ethnic or national groups, or from first-time filmmakers? What percentage of those made it into the festival lineup or onto your team? Compare these figures to previous years and to your stated goals. For example, if you aimed for 50% female-directed films in the programme and reached 40%, note that progress (perhaps last year was only 25%) and the gap remaining. Some major festivals have started publishing such statistics publicly – for instance, after signing the 5050×2020 parity pledge, the Berlin International Film Festival released data on the gender balance of its submissions, selection committees, and lineup, which revealed that 37.9% of its competition films were directed by women (www.theguardian.com). This kind of reporting holds festivals accountable and encourages the industry as a whole to improve.

Publish a post-festival diversity report or blog update sharing key metrics and outcomes of your inclusion efforts. Be honest about what worked and what didn’t. Did partnering with film schools in India yield an uptick in South Asian entries? Has your percentage of disabled filmmakers in the programme grown after your outreach to disability arts groups? Highlight the positive trends: perhaps you achieved a record number of films by filmmakers of colour, or your new female-focused horror section drew submissions from women directors worldwide. Also acknowledge areas where you fell short. Maybe you didn’t get as many submissions from a certain demographic as hoped – this becomes a target for stronger outreach next year.

Crucially, use these findings to refine your strategy going forward. Diversity, equity, and inclusion is an ongoing journey, not a one-off project. Each festival edition offers lessons. Gather feedback from participants too: did underrepresented filmmakers feel welcome and supported at your event? Is there something in the process that unintentionally discouraged them? Use surveys or informal conversations to learn where you can do better, whether it’s simplifying submission processes, providing mentorship, or improving accessibility at the venue.

Remember that real change takes time. Progress isn’t always linear – some years will see great leaps, while others might plateau or even regress slightly. The key is to stay committed. By consistently measuring and reporting your outcomes, you create a culture of accountability and improvement. Each cycle, revisit your goals, update your outreach plans, seek new partnerships, and enhance your training based on what you’ve learned. Over the years, these incremental gains will compound, and your festival will become known as a truly inclusive platform where diverse stories shine.

Key Takeaways

• Set clear diversity goals instead of strict quotas. Goals provide direction and accountability for inclusion without resorting to tokenism or compromising quality.
• Create and share a concrete outreach plan to widen your applicant pool. Publicly commit to steps like targeted marketing, fee waivers, and community engagement so underrepresented creators know they are welcome.
• Partner with film labs, schools, and community collectives to tap into new networks of talent. Collaborations with diversity-focused programmes and organisations will increase both the quantity and quality of diverse submissions.
• Train your screening committee and staff on bias awareness and inclusive evaluation. Educate screeners to recognise and check their biases, use respectful language, and apply consistent criteria, while also diversifying the decision-making team.
• Track your festival’s diversity outcomes and remain transparent. Measure the representation in your submissions and lineup, report on progress toward your goals, and share what you’ve learned.
• Continuously improve your DE&I efforts. Use data and feedback to refine your strategies each year – diversity and inclusion work is an evolving process that benefits from persistent, thoughtful attention.