ViacomCBS International Studios announced they would invest 25% of their budget in Latin America to create and develop BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) content.
ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) announced they would invest 25% of their budget in Latin America to create and develop BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) content. This initiative is part of the company’s “No Diversity, No Commission” global policy, a commitment to expand its diverse and inclusive representation, both on and off the screen.
“Diversity and inclusion are essential in everything we do for all of our content. ViacomCBS, as a company, is committed to D&I by implementing several initiatives. At VIS, we are taking big strides towards fulfilling that pledge both in front and behind the camera,” said Federico Cuervo, SVP & Head of VIS.
In Brazil, ViacomCBS participates in different festivals and local talent meetings to find new stories that will enrich our content with diverse and inclusive voices of the black population. As a result, there are currently three new projects under development that speak to these issues.
Maria do Socorro, a drama series with female main characters who help other women, putting others’ needs before their own while trying to live in a discriminatory and sexist society.
A coisa tá preta, a stand-up comedy series that portrays the daily life of a group of artists.
Funknautas, a children’s musical series that tells the relationship between Betina, a girl from the streets, and three children, who live in a mansion whose parents are renowned musicians. Bettina and the three children decide secretly to form a pop/funk band in the mansion basement, hidden from their parents, but their social media videos go viral.
Accordingly, VCNI’s Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia divisions have also committed to allocating 30% of their 2021 budget to produce stories focused on or related to issues of underrepresented groups.
