Colorism and self-love in the black community are the causes we are working on. The project, Black Girls and Fairytales, is a short film about a princess for hire who gets the chance of a lifetime to be a real princess, but her ingrained colorism and insecurities hold her back from her crown. My team and I want to create more stories about black women in the fairytale space of entertainment. As a black woman and filmmaker, I see firsthand how colorism shapes viewpoints and institutions. Just this past year, I was involved in two casting processes where colorism presented itself in two very different ways. One casting, the powers that be specifically were looking for the "good" characters to be played by lighter-skinned actors, and for "bad" characters to be played by darker-skinned actors. There was no reason to consider skin tone for the casting process because the story never addressed skin tone at all. It was extremely disheartening to see. And I felt horrible being a part of it. In a way, I really wished I stepped away from the project after I realized what was happening. I stayed and presented options of all skin tones, despite what the powers that be wanted. In the end, it didn't do much. For the other casting, it was my own project "Black Girls and Fairytales." We were looking for a darker-skinned actress because our story actually called for it. The headshots we received broke my heart. Over 65% of the headshots were of a dark-skinned actress where significant photo editing was performed to lighten the actor's skin tone. This is colorism. I'm sure these actors lightened their photos to just "get in the door." And the sad truth is...they aren't wrong for doing so. Creating this film is how I will address colorism. I have experienced colorism many times in my life, doing this project is like a love story to my younger self.
We will use the space for production locations. My team and I are indie filmmakers and affording locations is often the stumbling block for most filmmakers. They are expensive, so we settle with what we can get. Winning this sponsorship means we don't have to settle, and we can make the best film for our audience.
Peerspace is on a mission to bring people together. We believe it is impossible to achieve that goal unless we also fight for equality and access to resources in the communities we serve.
Having a space to gather, create, and exchange ideas is an important part of any movement. In order to magnify voices that are often quieted, Peerspace will sponsor venues for people who challenge prejudice and fight for social justice and equality.
Each quarter, we will sponsor space for three projects that are relevant to our community. These projects can range from fundraisers and educational initiatives to art exhibits and photo series.
