Inclusive Industry Resources
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Explore our growing list of Inclusive Industry Resources page to connect with organizations ensuring that everyone feels welcome in the film and media industry.
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission (GCFC) is deeply committed to a corporate and community culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, leading to true equal opportunity for all Greater Cleveland’s citizens.
We work collectively with our stakeholders to protect and promote diverse people, places, and experiences that help tell America’s stories equitably and inclusively.
COMMUNITY-SPECIFIC CONNECTIONS
Black Film Space is a non profit organization dedicated to enhancing the careers of Black filmmakers through skill enhancing and community building programming to develop genuine connections and grow with fellow Black creatives.
Girl Set (Cleveland & Columbus, Ohio)
Girl Set teaches women, trans & enby folks about film departments, offering networking events, workshops, & open studio hours.
The Light Leaks (TLL) is a community hub that supports, empowers and educates female and gender non-conforming (GNC) filmmakers. TTL has an updated list of opportunities for creators curated by the TLL team, including fellowships, labs, festivals and more!
Veterans in Media (VME) is a nonprofit networking organization that unites current and former members of the military working in the media and entertainment industry. With over 5,500 members across the nation, VME’s footprint spans film, television, commercials, digital media, theater, music, and gaming. Contact Abe Bradshaw for more information about getting involved with the local VME chapter.
Women in Film & Television Ohio
Women in Film & Television Ohio (WIFTOH) is the local chapter of the national entertainment industry association dedicated to the advancement of women in film, television & new media. WIFTOH sponsors training and professional development programs, award scholarships and grants, mentor, as well as provide access to an established, supportive network of community peers.
HOTLINES & HELPLINES
IATSE Safety Hotline
844-422-9273 (844-IAA-WARE) available 24/7 US and Canada
Cleveland IATSE Chapter
Support staffers currently working in IATSE-covered positions, the IATSE Safety Hotline was launched for union members to report hazards on the job that have either been overlooked or gone unaddressed by employers. The caller can either leave a message for or talk to a safety representative who will begin handling the issue.
SAG-AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA Code of Conduct on Sexual Harassment
OHIO / PITTSBURGH SAG-AFTRA Office
SAG – AFTRA Hotline: (855) SAG-AFTRA / (855) 724-2387 and press 1
For After-Hour Emergencies: 844-SAFER SET / (844) 723-3773
Women in Film
Women in Film National Hotline
Women in Film Ohio Chapter
WIF advocates for and advances the careers of women working in the screen industries to achieve parity and transform culture. The WIF Help Line for Sexual Harassment and Misconduct in the Entertainment Industry offers resources and support, including referrals to pro bono legal services, low-fee therapy, and free support groups, to anyone who has experienced sexual harassment or misconduct while working in the entertainment industry. Their trauma-informed staff take calls from across the country, and referral services currently serve California, New York, and Georgia.
ANTI-HARASSMENT & DISCRIMINATION
State of Ohio
- State Of Ohio Anti Discrimination and Anti Harassment Policy and Reporting Procedures
- Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) Agencies for Discrimination / Harassment
- Ohio Civil Rights Commission
- Ohio Revised Code 4112
- Ohio Administrative Code 4112
SAFETY & LEGAL HELP
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers For The Arts
Free legal assistance for artists or arts organizations in Greater Cleveland
ORGANIZATIONS ADVANCING INDUSTRY INCLUSION
Founded in 2006 by Brickson Diamond, Carol Ann Shine, and Ryan Tarpley to help provide a space where African American filmmakers felt welcomed, celebrated their success, and had an opportunity to connect with other filmmakers of color.
Black Public Media is committed to a fully realized expression of democracy in media, which requires developing, producing, and funding media content about the African American and global Black experience by providing training and support for Black content creators working in film and emerging media.
The Black TV & Film Collective
Created to provide opportunities for Black and African descent artists to achieve economically sustainable careers in all areas of content creation, BTFC is a collective of screenwriters, directors, producers, content creators, editors, cinematographers, animators, agents and other media professionals.
An initiative which advocates for women and non-binary people of color working in the global documentary film industry, Brown Girls Doc Mafia fights inequality by building community and sharing resources, nourishing our creative brilliance, demanding access and visibility in creative and professional environments, enriching the community with the knowledge to sustain themselves financially, and by cutting through oppressive industry structures to advocate for their members.
Collaboration of like-minded insiders and influencers to change representations of Black people – and issues affecting Black people – across the media landscape.
The mission of Diverse Representation is to increase the hiring and exposure and number of African-American agents, attorneys, managers, and publicists who work in the sports and entertainment industry.
The premier destination for non-fiction cinema by and about communities of color. Firelight Media produces documentary films, supports filmmakers of color, and cultivates audiences for their work.
Chaired by Anita Hill, the Hollywood Commission brings together entertainment executives, independent experts, and advisors to take the necessary collective steps towards tackling the culture of abuse and power disparity in the industry.
HUE bolsters diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging. Their mission is to build community, provide mentorship, and foster employment opportunities for BIPOC media professionals.
The junior membership division of Hollywood Radio & Television Socity (HRTS), created in 2000, continues the organization’s longstanding tradition of community-building, and allows HRTS to do what no other organization ever has — to nurture professionals working in the TV and entertainment industry who are in the earliest stages of their careers.
Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity
A consortium of working TV writers spanning staff writer to showrunner who know first-hand the challenges faced by underrepresented TV writers (Women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Disabled People) because TTIE is comprised of underrepresented writers from all of these communities.
Writers Guild of America Committee of Black Writers
The WGAW Committee of Black Writers is dedicated to empowering and increasing industry visibility of African-American writers and generating more career and networking opportunities within the Guild.
DISABILITY RESOURCES
Entertainment Accessibility
AMC Sensory Friendly Film Program
AMC is proud to partner with the Autism Society to offer unique movie showings where they turn the lights up, and turn the sound down, so you can get up, dance, walk, shout or sing!
Accessible Cinemas at Cinemark
Cinemark strives to ensure a comprehensively inclusive moviegoing experience for all our guests, offering Closed Caption, Assisted Listening, and Descriptive Narration technologies, and accessible seating—both Wheelchair Spaces and Companion Seats.
A free audio news service for anyone who is blind, low-vision, deafblind, or otherwise print-disabled that offers access to more than 500 publications, emergency weather alerts, job listings, and more.
Phoenix Theatres Assistive Moviegoing
Phoenix Theatres is committed to inclusivity and ensuring that every moviegoer can fully enjoy their experience, using cutting-edge technology to assist those with hearing and vision impairments.
Regal Cinemas
Regal’s My Way Matinee gives everyone the opportunity to experience a movie with the lights turned up and the volume turned down.
Regal proudly provides assistive technology for our guests who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision with private closed-captioning devices, audio description devices, and assistive listening devices.
Film Festivals & Contests
Easterseals Disability Film Challenge
This challenge gives filmmakers—with and without disabilities—the opportunity to collaborate to tell unique stories that showcase disability in its many forms. The film challenge is a 5 day filmmaking contest, open to all, that provides a platform for new voices in the entertainment industry. Beyond the annual five day Film Challenge, Easterseals facilitates year-round workshops that teach professional development in all areas of filmmaking including acting, post-production, directing, writing, marketing and distribution, producing, casting, and voice-over.
ReelAbilities Film Festival (Cleveland & Akron)
The largest festival in the US dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different disabilities.The festival presents award winning films by and about people with disabilities in multiple locations throughout each hosting city. Post-screening discussions and other engaging programs bring together the community to explore, discuss, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience.
Representation in Media
Octane Seating - Actors with Disabilities in Film/Hollywood
This comprehensive resource blog post from Octane Seating provides in-depth information on disabilities and how they’ve been portrayed in the world of acting, actors who have disabilities in film and Hollywood, and why it is important to have this type of representation in cinema.
This discussion coincides with the 30th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act, a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. For the panel, a major focus was the portrayal of persons with disabilities by non-disabled performers and its effects on how the media and industry views the community overall.
Working Differently
This short film and good practice guide aim to promote awareness, understanding and acceptance of neurodivergence in the Scottish film and television industry. It’s a collaboration between Screen Scotland, the Portal Studios, and Blazing Griffin Pictures with support from BECTU Vision.