Indeed, the renowned global job search site, actress Lena Waithe, and her company Hillman Grad; and 271 Films, recently announced the cast for the third season of Rising Voices, a series created to discover, invest in, and share the stories of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) creatives in the U.S., under the theme of “The Future of Work.”

With the goal of telling diverse stories about the meaning of work and the idea that jobs create opportunities and better lives for all, the selected filmmakers will premiere their short films at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2023.

Lena Waithe, Hillman Grad Founder y Rishi Rajani, Hillman Grad CEO, stated:

We are thrilled to continue this special partnership with Indeed to support diverse filmmakers.

Theme

Pointing out how employees now have more power than ever, as the conversation around workplace flexibility, personal well-being, and mental health has shifted, while demands around responsibility and company values have grown. For Rising Voices, it is an opportunity to raise the voices of those who are experiencing today's changes and who will imagine tomorrow's workplace.

“This year marks season three of Rising Voices, and we are blown away by the amazing talent featured in this class and we can’t wait to see the intentional stories they will bring to the screen. We look forward to working with these amazing filmmakers and providing them with everything they need to succeed,” added Waithe. 

Financing

Indeed provides the filmmakers with a production budget of up to $100,000 to create a short film.

In addition, as part of the Rising Voices initiative, filmmakers also receive mentorship from veteran filmmakers, including Lena Waithe, Destin Daniel Cretton, Diego Velasco, Anthony Hemingway, Tiff Johnson, and Naima Ramos Chapman.

Filmmakers will also receive compensation of $5,000 for writing their original script and $5,000 for directing.

"Indeed’s mission is to help people get jobs. Together with our incredible partners, Lena Waithe, Hillman Grad Productions and 271 Films, Rising Voices makes it possible to not only open doors for BIPOC filmmakers, but creates a window for all of us to see the world of work through a different lens. We believe talent is universal, but opportunity is not. With Season 3, we look forward to seeing new stories that offer that new lens to reimagine the future of work,” said Chris Hyams, Indeed CEO.

‘We Are Here’ is nominated for Best Animated Short Film for the 2023 NAACP Image Awards @naacpimageaward !!!! Directed and Produced by @Domenica88 and @c0nstanzacastr0. Art and Animation by Cecilia Reeve pic.twitter.com/5l0DDIyucj

— 271 Films (@271Films) January 14, 2023

The selected filmmakers

The 10 selected filmmakers include:

1. Ana Verde
2. Candace Ho
3. Hannah Bang
4. Jackie! Zhou
5. James Rogers III
6. Joey Xuetong Zhao
7. Justin Kim WooSŏk
8. Larry Owens
9. Maria Alvarez
10. Miguel Angel Caballero

Rising Voices, along with participating filmmakers, has received worldwide recognition from major film festivals including: Tribeca, Sundance, Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, AFI Fest, Pan African Film, and the 45th Asian American Film Festival, among others.

In the process, the work has created more than 1,000 jobs, and filmmakers who completed Rising Voices went on to direct episodes of The Chi on Showtime, Chicago Fire on NBC, became writers for Netflix, directed commercial television works for Jeep and Oakley, and have been nominated for NAACP Image Awards.