Ethnically diverse casting appears to be leading to box office success, with films that have at least a 30 per cent non-white cast outperforming those below that threshold.

The findings come from a study by the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which examined 413 films released between January 2014 and December 2016. Researchers noted the ethnicity of the main 10 actors in each production, and found that those with more actors of colour generated bigger bucks at the box office.

People want to see a world that looks like theirs

One notable example is Star Wars: The Force Awakens, starring John Boyega (pictured). It was highly praised for its inclusive casting, and is the highest grossing film of the last eight years.

Christy Haubegger, head of CAA’s multicultural development group, said audiences want the diversity of real life reflected in the films they watch. “People want to see a world that looks like theirs,” Haubegger told the LA Times.

The study also looked at films by genre and found that casts of horror and fantasy films are largely white, while comedies and thrillers are more diverse.

Image: Flickr member Gage Skidmore
John Boyega, star of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, speaking at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con International

Care about how the media influences our world?

We believe that excessive negativity in the press is destructive for society, so we’re working to create a more constructive and compassionate media. But to do that, we need your support. Please help us to change the news for good.

The post Diversity in films boosts box office success, finds study appeared first on Positive News.

The founders of Films for Action – a website is dedicated solely to showcasing independent documentary films – believe that an informed population is the first step to creating a better world and that film provides a powerful tool in raising awareness about issues often missed by the mainstream media.

The collection provides a mix of films that highlight current injustices and those that suggest solutions, covering issues such as the global economic system, peak oil, and building sustainable communities and food systems. The film FLOW, for example, brings to light the negative impacts of water privatisation around the world, while The Power of Community investigates how Cuba created resilient communities to survive oil shortages.

Films for Action encourages viewers to share films with friends and family, to host film screenings and to bring the films to the attention of political leaders. “Get this information out into your community and you will be laying the foundation for a local movement for mass societal, environmental and economic change,” says Films for Action.

The post Watch inspirational documentaries for free appeared first on Positive News.