Many of us are looking forward to spending the holiday season with family and friends, and what better way to bond during that time than to watch new movies in theaters or streaming online.
Much like the change of weather, many of this year’s holiday films are changing as well, both in front of and behind the camera. We are seeing an increase in diversity among lead actors and storylines that better reflect audiences, but are studios just claiming to have more productions of color for bigger box office sales? Are we starting to see changes within filmmaking, or is this merely a trend?
On Basic Black, we take a closer look at holiday films and representation with guest host Lisa Simmons, director of the Roxbury International Film Festival and president and founder of The Color of Film Collaborative. Joining our panel are Daniel Callahan, a multimedia artist and filmmaker; Dr. Michael Jeffries, dean of academic affairs and professor of American studies at Wellesley College; Andrea Lyman, an actress, singer and producer, and a member of the SAG-AFTRA; and Maurice Emmanuel Parent, an actor, singer, dancer, educator, co-founder and executive director of The Front Porch Arts Collective.
Watch the latest Basic Black tonight at 7:30pm on GBH 2, or live right here on our website below. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get notifications of future premiere episodes.
