Renée Zellweger, Laura Dern and More on Increased Diversity

Speaking to TheWrap on the Film Gala Thursday marking the beginning of the 2020 Palm Springs Film Festival, a number of pageant honorees gave their ideas on the success of efforts to extend range within the leisure trade.

Some celebrated what they noticed as vital progress over the previous couple of years, together with Antonio Banderas, who stated he thinks the bottom has been laid for a way more inclusive future.

“The movements that are happening now in the last three, four years, I think they are helping to create a consciousness,” Banderas informed TheWrap. “And I think the new generations are going to step into those positions in a much more natural way.”

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Banderas was one in all a number of honorees and presenters at Thursday’s Film Gala on the 31st annual Palm Springs Film Festival who spoke to TheWrap. “Judy” star Renée Zellweger stated Hollywood must proceed efforts to extend range, which she stated “seems to be working” to place Hollywood heading in the right direction.

“It seems to be writing itself in the right direction. More outlets, more opportunities to see stories that are relevant to them,” Zellweger stated. “Thank goodness, because for such a long time, everyone was making films and content for the people who did go to the movies, not for the people who would go. So, if you build it, they will come. I think that was proven time and time again in the last couple of years.”

“Little Women” star Laura Dern talked about how, as a woman she was solely ever given books to learn written by male authors. “Young girls and boys deserve to live through characters that deepen them,” Dern stated. “I think it’s an exciting time for the next generation to be given narratives that they can breathe through and they can learn from that’s not the girl movie and the boy movie.”

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“Bombshell” director Jay Roach stated whereas there’s been vital progress, issues could possibly be transferring a lot quicker.

I’m concerned in a number of movie colleges who’re all working actually, actually arduous to realize a range, illustration that matches something like what occurs the world. I believe It’s simply going to must be an ongoing questioning, and I believe the conversations are occurring, but it surely doesn’t really feel prefer it’s going quick sufficient,” Roach stated.

TheWrap additionally spoke with civil rights lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson, who offered Jamie Foxx with an award on the gala on behalf of the film about Stevenson’s life, “Just Mercy.”

“I don’t think there’s any question there’s still a lot of work to be done in the entertainment industry to recognize the contributions of women and people of color,” Stevenson stated. “We’re really in the early days of repairing a lot of damage that has been done when we’re focusing so exclusively on the role of white men.”

Also Read: Women Directed Fewer Top-500 Grossing Films in 2019 Than the Previous 2 Years, Study Finds

Watch TheWrap’s full video report above, and take a look at our recap of the gala right here.