“How many of you remember Asl Barbie?” Deaf West Theatre artistic director DJ Kurs signed from the stage at Westwood’s Regency Village Theatre last Thursday night, referring to Sign Language Barbie, which Mattel released in 2000. “Her hand was permanently stuck in the ‘I love you’ hand shape. Can you imagine how awkward that would be in real life? Like if she waved to the Ups driver, she would be like, ‘I love you?’”
The audience giggled as Kurs continued. “But seriously, that was a landmark moment back in those days. Barbie, using sign language, was in every store 20 years ago,” he said. “And tonight we celebrate a similar landmark: Children all across the country will be able to tune into the Asl version of Barbie the movie.”
Kurs was speaking at the one-night-only theatrical screening of Barbie with Asl, held on the eve of its Dec. 15 streaming debut on...
The audience giggled as Kurs continued. “But seriously, that was a landmark moment back in those days. Barbie, using sign language, was in every store 20 years ago,” he said. “And tonight we celebrate a similar landmark: Children all across the country will be able to tune into the Asl version of Barbie the movie.”
Kurs was speaking at the one-night-only theatrical screening of Barbie with Asl, held on the eve of its Dec. 15 streaming debut on...
- 12/22/2023
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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Amazon Studios and Prime Video aimed to “earn the trust” of its audiences and film and TV employees with disabilities earlier this year but adding “accessibility” to its core diversity, equity and inclusion values.
Speaking on behalf of the studio at TheWrap’s annual industry conference TheGrill, head of U.S. and worldwide Deia content Jerome Core shared why and how the company is ensuring “all of our initiatives, all of our policies” incorporate a newfound emphasis on inclusion for the disability community.
“In February, we added the ‘A’ to our name, so we are now the Deia team — ‘A’ for accessibility,” Core said. “We really wanted to make sure that all of our initiatives, all of our policies, everything was including accessibility.
Core spoke on the importance of...
Amazon Studios and Prime Video aimed to “earn the trust” of its audiences and film and TV employees with disabilities earlier this year but adding “accessibility” to its core diversity, equity and inclusion values.
Speaking on behalf of the studio at TheWrap’s annual industry conference TheGrill, head of U.S. and worldwide Deia content Jerome Core shared why and how the company is ensuring “all of our initiatives, all of our policies” incorporate a newfound emphasis on inclusion for the disability community.
“In February, we added the ‘A’ to our name, so we are now the Deia team — ‘A’ for accessibility,” Core said. “We really wanted to make sure that all of our initiatives, all of our policies, everything was including accessibility.
Core spoke on the importance of...
- 10/6/2023
- by Raquel 'Rocky' Harris
- The Wrap
Karen Horne, who led Warner Bros. Discovery Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for North America, is leaving the company amid a raft of layoffs and major restructuring since the merger. Executives said Horne’s departure was not part of the broader staff retrenchment but a rethinking of the Dei division.
Dei head Asif Sadiq announced the departure of the well-respected, Burbank-based Horne in an email to staff. In September, Wbd revamped its Dei team under Sadiq, and Horne, SVP for North America, was a key leader. Three other positions — Europe/Middle East/Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific — reported to him. That move came after merged company faced criticism in its early going over its decision to appoint a slate of entirely white, male directors to its board and a relative lack of diversity in its top exec ranks.
Last year, Horne was put in charge of Warner Bros. Discovery’s popular directors program.
Dei head Asif Sadiq announced the departure of the well-respected, Burbank-based Horne in an email to staff. In September, Wbd revamped its Dei team under Sadiq, and Horne, SVP for North America, was a key leader. Three other positions — Europe/Middle East/Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific — reported to him. That move came after merged company faced criticism in its early going over its decision to appoint a slate of entirely white, male directors to its board and a relative lack of diversity in its top exec ranks.
Last year, Horne was put in charge of Warner Bros. Discovery’s popular directors program.
- 6/30/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Warner Bros. Discovery is laying off Karen Horne, a diversity, equity and inclusion executive, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Horne’s departure is not a result of cost-cutting measures, according to a memo sent by Warner Bros. Discovery’s chief global diversity, equity and inclusion officer Asif Sadiq, but is rather due to reorganization of the division, which is meant to focus more on “employee-related initiatives.” The Dei team will search for a new group vp to oversee North America and employee Dei initiatives and a new group vp internationally, resulting in an expansion of the team.
“Importantly, these changes do not alter our commitment to or our plans for pipeline programs and content-driven initiatives — these are fundamental pillars of our DE&I strategy and will continue to be areas of investment and focus,” Sadiq said in the memo.
However, the layoff comes amid a trend of departures from Dei positions in the industry.
Horne’s departure is not a result of cost-cutting measures, according to a memo sent by Warner Bros. Discovery’s chief global diversity, equity and inclusion officer Asif Sadiq, but is rather due to reorganization of the division, which is meant to focus more on “employee-related initiatives.” The Dei team will search for a new group vp to oversee North America and employee Dei initiatives and a new group vp internationally, resulting in an expansion of the team.
“Importantly, these changes do not alter our commitment to or our plans for pipeline programs and content-driven initiatives — these are fundamental pillars of our DE&I strategy and will continue to be areas of investment and focus,” Sadiq said in the memo.
However, the layoff comes amid a trend of departures from Dei positions in the industry.
- 6/30/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Warner Bros. Discovery has laid off top diversity executive Karen Horne, a rep for the company confirmed to TheWrap on Friday.
Horne is the latest senior executive laid off at the studio as it conducts massive restructuring under CEO David Zaslav, following the much-protested June 20 axing of longtime TCM executives Anne Wilson, Dexter Fedor and Genevieve McGillicuddy.
In a worrying trend, a number of Dei execs have also exited in recent weeks at other studios, including Netflix’s Vernā Myers and Disney’s Latondra Newton.
Horne’s departure was announced internally on Wednesday, per an L.A. Times report published Friday. She was SVP of diversity, equity and inclusion in North America, having joined the company in March 2020.
Also Read:
Netflix’s Head of Inclusion Strategy Vernā Myers to Leave, Wade Davis Tapped as Replacement
The company’s Dei program will still be led by Discovery’s chief global diversity, equity and inclusion officer,...
Horne is the latest senior executive laid off at the studio as it conducts massive restructuring under CEO David Zaslav, following the much-protested June 20 axing of longtime TCM executives Anne Wilson, Dexter Fedor and Genevieve McGillicuddy.
In a worrying trend, a number of Dei execs have also exited in recent weeks at other studios, including Netflix’s Vernā Myers and Disney’s Latondra Newton.
Horne’s departure was announced internally on Wednesday, per an L.A. Times report published Friday. She was SVP of diversity, equity and inclusion in North America, having joined the company in March 2020.
Also Read:
Netflix’s Head of Inclusion Strategy Vernā Myers to Leave, Wade Davis Tapped as Replacement
The company’s Dei program will still be led by Discovery’s chief global diversity, equity and inclusion officer,...
- 6/30/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Black Beauty Roster and Warner Bros. Discovery have today announced their partnership on a new, one-of-a-kind program that will afford hairstylists and makeup artists from historically marginalized communities the chance to position themselves for a department head position in entertainment.
The 12 selected from the U.S. and Canada are Denise Baker (hair/LA), Gabby Navarrete (makeup/LA), Charles Zambrano (makeup/NYC), Allison Lacour (makeup/Nola), Tiffany Daugherty (hair/LA), Kauilani Goodwyn (hair/LA), Amber Hamilton (hair/LA), Se’Anne Simon (makeup/Nola), Khalieha Cunningham (hair/Canada), Krista Haan (makeup/Canada), Amber Crombach (makeup/Canada) and Marecel Callagan (makeup/Canada).
Related Story Sundance Institute Names 2022 Episodic Lab Fellows Related Story The CW To Shed Wbd, Paramount Content In 2023-24 Season; Former Owners "Not Precluded From Selling Us Programming" If It's "A Deal We Like," Says Nexstar CEO Related Story As NBA Eyes Streaming Future, Wbd Could Bounce Some Games To...
The 12 selected from the U.S. and Canada are Denise Baker (hair/LA), Gabby Navarrete (makeup/LA), Charles Zambrano (makeup/NYC), Allison Lacour (makeup/Nola), Tiffany Daugherty (hair/LA), Kauilani Goodwyn (hair/LA), Amber Hamilton (hair/LA), Se’Anne Simon (makeup/Nola), Khalieha Cunningham (hair/Canada), Krista Haan (makeup/Canada), Amber Crombach (makeup/Canada) and Marecel Callagan (makeup/Canada).
Related Story Sundance Institute Names 2022 Episodic Lab Fellows Related Story The CW To Shed Wbd, Paramount Content In 2023-24 Season; Former Owners "Not Precluded From Selling Us Programming" If It's "A Deal We Like," Says Nexstar CEO Related Story As NBA Eyes Streaming Future, Wbd Could Bounce Some Games To...
- 11/9/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Warner Bros Discovery has revamped its group focused on diversity, equity and inclusion and announced its new executive team.
Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Asif Sadiq will head the group. Other key leaders include Karen Horne, SVP for North America; Rukasana Bhaijee, VP in Europe, Middle East and Africa; Niarchos Pabalis, director for Latin America; with a new role for Asia-Pacific to be announced soon. All four leaders will report to Sadiq.
The move comes nearly six months after the close of the 43 billion merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery. The combined company has faced criticism in the early going over its decision to appoint a slate of entirely white, male directors to its board of directors and a relative lack of diversity in its top exec ranks. Advocates and lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Joaquin Castro, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, have voiced their concerns.
In announcing the new configuration and team,...
Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Asif Sadiq will head the group. Other key leaders include Karen Horne, SVP for North America; Rukasana Bhaijee, VP in Europe, Middle East and Africa; Niarchos Pabalis, director for Latin America; with a new role for Asia-Pacific to be announced soon. All four leaders will report to Sadiq.
The move comes nearly six months after the close of the 43 billion merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery. The combined company has faced criticism in the early going over its decision to appoint a slate of entirely white, male directors to its board of directors and a relative lack of diversity in its top exec ranks. Advocates and lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Joaquin Castro, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, have voiced their concerns.
In announcing the new configuration and team,...
- 9/20/2022
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Warner Bros. Discovery has restructured its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion group for the first time since the newly formed company’s merger was completed in April.
With chief Dei officer Asif Sadiq, promoted in late July, based in London, the new structure puts an emphasis on handling Dei issues by international region: North America (led by senior vp Karen Horne, formerly WarnerMedia senior vp pipeline programs); Europe, Middle East and Africa (led by vp Rukasana Bhaijee, who was hired from Google in March to serve as executive director of Wbd’s workforce Dei strategy internationally); Latin America (led by director Niarchos Pabalis, hired from Booking.com in March); and Asia-Pacific (with a director to be announced soon). All four regional leaders will report to Sadiq, who reports jointly to Wbd CEO David Zaslav and chief people officer Adria Alpert Romm.
In addition,...
Warner Bros. Discovery has restructured its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion group for the first time since the newly formed company’s merger was completed in April.
With chief Dei officer Asif Sadiq, promoted in late July, based in London, the new structure puts an emphasis on handling Dei issues by international region: North America (led by senior vp Karen Horne, formerly WarnerMedia senior vp pipeline programs); Europe, Middle East and Africa (led by vp Rukasana Bhaijee, who was hired from Google in March to serve as executive director of Wbd’s workforce Dei strategy internationally); Latin America (led by director Niarchos Pabalis, hired from Booking.com in March); and Asia-Pacific (with a director to be announced soon). All four regional leaders will report to Sadiq, who reports jointly to Wbd CEO David Zaslav and chief people officer Adria Alpert Romm.
In addition,...
- 9/20/2022
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
WarnerMedia is partnering with the Black Beauty Roster platform for diverse hair and makeup education, talent, and advocacy, to expand the presence of emerging and diverse beauty professionals on its upcoming slate of film and TV productions.
Black Beauty Roster provides educational resources to help on-set staff learn the nuances of working with textured hair and darker complexions and how to be better advocates for talent of color. The company will now provide hair and makeup staffing support for WarnerMedia productions via its network of over 10,000 union and non-union beauty professionals, across the U.S. and Canada. Its partnership with the conglomerate will also involve workshops targeted towards executives and decision makers on allyship and advocacy, as well as panel discussions focused on diversity behind the camera.
“We’ve listened to the needs of our talent and creative communities’ desire to access beauty professionals who will help them continue to...
Black Beauty Roster provides educational resources to help on-set staff learn the nuances of working with textured hair and darker complexions and how to be better advocates for talent of color. The company will now provide hair and makeup staffing support for WarnerMedia productions via its network of over 10,000 union and non-union beauty professionals, across the U.S. and Canada. Its partnership with the conglomerate will also involve workshops targeted towards executives and decision makers on allyship and advocacy, as well as panel discussions focused on diversity behind the camera.
“We’ve listened to the needs of our talent and creative communities’ desire to access beauty professionals who will help them continue to...
- 2/16/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
WarnerMedia has partnered with Black Beauty Roster and its network of 10,000 vetted beauty professionals in an effort to advance diversity in hair and makeup on set.
Through the new relationship, WarnerMedia and Black Beauty Roster (Bbr) aim to address a problem that is twofold — first, addressing the concerns of talent of color who’ve been underserved on sets by helping producers and executives find hair stylists and makeup artists skilled in working with their hair textures and skin tones; and second, creating opportunities for those artists to work on productions and special events, which is often complicated by union regulations and rosters.
“We [at WarnerMedia] had done these listening sessions to hear about the concerns that were happening, and, of course, one of the biggest things was hair and makeup,” Yvette Urbina tells Variety, explaining the genesis of this initiative.
This was no surprise to Urbina, who was a longtime creative executive...
Through the new relationship, WarnerMedia and Black Beauty Roster (Bbr) aim to address a problem that is twofold — first, addressing the concerns of talent of color who’ve been underserved on sets by helping producers and executives find hair stylists and makeup artists skilled in working with their hair textures and skin tones; and second, creating opportunities for those artists to work on productions and special events, which is often complicated by union regulations and rosters.
“We [at WarnerMedia] had done these listening sessions to hear about the concerns that were happening, and, of course, one of the biggest things was hair and makeup,” Yvette Urbina tells Variety, explaining the genesis of this initiative.
This was no surprise to Urbina, who was a longtime creative executive...
- 2/16/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Sundance Institute has announced the 21 fellows and 18 projects they have selected for their first-ever, multi-track Episodic Lab, which is being held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fellows chosen include Justin Calen-Chenn (The Cavi), Lauren Glover (A Dignified Death), Andrew Lopez (Emotional), Jessie Barr and Lena Hudson (Fantasia for You), Elissa Blount Moorhead and Ericka Blount Danois (fiftyTWO), Stacy F. McDonald (Gone But Not Forgotten), Zach Gonzalez-Landis (The Great Impasta), Mansoor Adayfi and Antonio Aiello, Yvonne Hana Yi (Hannah with the Dogs), Carly Woodworth (Lasting), Jackie Katzman (Loons), Terrance Daye (Mandingo), Jess dela Merced (On Soul), Shirin Najafi (Regulars), Johnny Alvarez (Somewhere Else), Rom Lotan (Tehran Disco), Melody Cooper (Those Who Kill) and Nicole Saad (Tinderbox).
The 2021 Lab, hosted on Sundance Collab, has been designed as an immersive two-part experience. Fellows were divided into either the “Idea to Pilot Track,” in which they developed an...
Fellows chosen include Justin Calen-Chenn (The Cavi), Lauren Glover (A Dignified Death), Andrew Lopez (Emotional), Jessie Barr and Lena Hudson (Fantasia for You), Elissa Blount Moorhead and Ericka Blount Danois (fiftyTWO), Stacy F. McDonald (Gone But Not Forgotten), Zach Gonzalez-Landis (The Great Impasta), Mansoor Adayfi and Antonio Aiello, Yvonne Hana Yi (Hannah with the Dogs), Carly Woodworth (Lasting), Jackie Katzman (Loons), Terrance Daye (Mandingo), Jess dela Merced (On Soul), Shirin Najafi (Regulars), Johnny Alvarez (Somewhere Else), Rom Lotan (Tehran Disco), Melody Cooper (Those Who Kill) and Nicole Saad (Tinderbox).
The 2021 Lab, hosted on Sundance Collab, has been designed as an immersive two-part experience. Fellows were divided into either the “Idea to Pilot Track,” in which they developed an...
- 5/14/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
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