The UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report conducted in October 2020 found that the greatest racial disparities in the film industry take place within jobs behind-the-camera like creators, directors and writers.
In terms of digital programs, including media found on streaming services, just 10.3% of creators were BIPOC, an acronym that stands for those who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color.
According to Google Trends, the term’s usage spiked in May 2020, coinciding with the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.
It has yet to be seen if this trend will have a significant impact on film and television industries. Regardless of what your answer to this question may be, there’s no doubt that BIPOC creators are flipping the traditional entertainment landscape on their head as Hollywood is on its way to realizing their worth and buying power.
Here is a look at films and scripted series created by BIPOC that will be available in November on two of the biggest streaming platforms, HBO and Netflix.
HBO
“King Richard”
“King Richard” will be available on Nov. 19. Directed and produced by Reinaldo Marcus Green, the film centers around tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams and their father who coached them to the top. If you needed an additional incentive to watch this film, Will Smith plays Richard Williams.
“Boogie”
The film “Boogie,” directed and written by Eddie Huang, will be released on Nov. 13. A basketball prodigy in Queens struggles to balance his NBA dreams and pressure from his traditional East Asian family. “Boogie” is Huang’s directorial debut.
“Sort Of”
“Sort Of” is a sitcom about a gender-fluid millennial co-created by trans Pakistani-Canadian writer and actor Bilal Baig. Baig also plays the main character of the show, and the role is the first non-binary lead character on Canadian Television. On Nov. 18, the series will be made available.
“The Sex Lives of College Girls”
To round out the month, the first season of Mindy Kaling’s college rom-com series “The Sex Lives of College Girls” will be released. This new coming-of-age plot follows four roommates at Essex College who go through the ups and downs of their newfound freedom and self-discovery. The first episodes will hit the streaming platform on Nov. 18.
Netflix
“Bruised”
“Bruised,” Halle Berry’s directorial debut, is set to be released on Nov. 17. In the film, Berry plays a disgraced MMA fighter who gets one last shot when the son she had given up comes back into her life.
“Gather”
“Gather,” a documentary by Indian-American filmmaker Sanjay Rawal, provides an intimate look into the growing movement among Indiginous Americans to reclaim their identities, both spiritually and culturally. It is available as of Nov. 1.
“Zero to Hero”
The new film “Zero to Hero” from Chi-Man Wan is based on the true story of So Wa Wai, the first Paralympian to win gold from Hong Kong who went on to become a twelve-time Paralymic medallist. The Cantonese sports biopic will be available to stream on Nov. 5.
“The Queen of Flow”
November will also bring us the return of “The Queen of Flow.” The second season of the Emmy-winning telenovela, with Colombian producer Liliana Bocanegra, will be released on Nov. 17.
