Purple Pebble Pictures, the home production of Priyanka Chopra Jonas, will partner ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group to encourage first-time directors with the First Time Directors programme for BIPOC (Black and Indigenous People of Colour) and women filmmakers. The programme will see several high-profile names from the American film industry such as Eva Longoria, Salma Hayek, Idris Elba, Kate Winslet, John Leguizamo and Courtney B Vance lend a hand with their production companies.
Speaking with Variety.com, Chopra Jonas said, "I am proud to say that we have remained true to that mission since the very first day, always prioritizing content over anything else. Not just the U.S., but the world, is a melting pot of different races, ethnicities, and religions, and the entertainment we consume should reflect the world we actually live in. I am proud to join ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group on this initiative to not only tell diverse stories but to do so from diverse storytellers."
Proud 🙏🏽@PurplePebblePic @ViacomCBS @Variety pic.twitter.com/bxrcUDo55a
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) September 23, 2020
The programme will launch 50 films which will be helmed by BIPOC and women filmmakers. In addition to Purple Pebble Pictures, the production houses involved include Angela Bassett and Vance’s Bassett Vance Productions, Leguizamo’s Rebel Productions, Longoria’s UnbelieEVAble Entertainment, Elba’s Green Door Pictures and Hayek’s Ventanarosa Productions.
Variety.com quoted Chris McCarthy, president, entertainment and youth brands, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks, as saying, "We get to talk and work with these amazing storytellers about the projects they are really passionate about doing." he added, "When you think about how many women and diverse directors have been coming into the industry, it’s not nearly as many as it should be."
The group's president of content and chief creative advisor Nina L Diaz has been roped in to identify the directors, match them with the right projects, and mentor the filmmakers.