Disney Plus Launchpad film series wants to give diverse stories a screen

Like members of many minority groups, I didn't grow up seeing people on TV or in movies who looked like me or my family or shared our cultural values. Whenever I did see Muslim representation, I often wished I hadn't. Laced with stereotypes and inaccurate portrayals, it never helped that those in front of (and behind) the camera were hardly ever actually Muslim, making it easier to perpetuate false narratives.

But the tides are changing, with filmmakers and studios more aware of the value of diverse, authentic representation. We're seeing more content from creators who are Black, Latino/a and LGBTQ on both the small and big screen, and a growing number of shows and movies are incorporating Muslim characters and creators, including Hulu's Ramy, NBC's Transplant and DC's Legends of Tomorrow. Actor Riz Ahmed made history this year by becoming the first Muslim nominated for a best lead actor Oscar for his role in Sound of Metal.

Disney , one of many companies looking to diversify its content offerings, has debuted Launchpad, a collection of live-action shorts created by filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds. As part of the first season, which kicked off Friday on Disney Plus, the company is debuting six films that touch on everything from the immigrant experience to preserving cultural identity. 

"There's a reason why every corporation now is looking to build out its own diversity, equity and inclusion team," Mahin Ibrahim, who directs Disney's diversity and inclusion efforts and oversees the Launchpad program, said in an interview. "Because of what's happening in our world and our nation, people are now really opening their eyes to what has always been here and what really needs to be done and taking ownership and accountability."

One short, called American Eid, follows a Muslim Pakistani girl named Ameena, who feels homesick as she celebrates Eid in the US for the first time. She's disheartened by the fact that the holiday isn't well known in the United States, and she still has to go to school instead of celebrating with family. 

I felt emotionally connected to Ameena as she struggled to feel seen and have an important holiday be acknowledged, and I teared up watching her community come together in support of her. The film speaks to the value of making people feel welcomed and appreciated, and the heartwarming impact this can have on anyone who's felt overlooked.

The other five film titles are Dinner Is Served, about a Chinese student who struggles to prove himself at an elite US boarding school; Growing Fangs, about a Mexican-American teen who's half human and half vampire and has to hide her identity; The Last of the Chupacabras, about a Mexican-American woman struggling to maintain her traditions in a world where culture has practically disappeared; Let's Be Tigers, about a woman struggling to process the loss of her mother; and The Little Prince(ss), about two Chinese kids navigating gender norms.

"Each film is an opportunity to walk in someone's shoes, someone else's experience, and to learn," said Launchpad Senior Manager Phillip Domfeh. 

Tech meets social change

Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime , hungry for content in a competitive space, have opened their doors to more diverse storytelling from a variety of creators who previously may have been overlooked. This can be seen in content like Orange Is the New Black and Always Be My Maybe on Netflix; Ramy on Hulu; and Transparent on Amazon Prime. Now more companies see the value in appealing to a wider range of audiences and offering a spectrum of content, Ibrahim says. 

Digital spaces have helped remove barriers for those who've traditionally been shut out by the film and television industry, but this shift is also a product of the current social and political climate, Ibrahim says. Movements like Black Lives Matter have shed light on the importance of authentic, diverse representation, and the impact this can have on opening hearts and minds.

"If Disney Plus had launched six years ago, would we be having this conversation [on representation]? No," Ibrahim said. "It's just an inflection point of what's happening today with the intersection of technology."  

Companies and executives are increasingly acknowledging the sway film and television have on how audiences perceive others. It's not a responsibility to take lightly. For instance, a 2015 study found that exposure to negative on-screen portrayals "increased perceptions of Muslims as aggressive, increased support for harsh civil restrictions of Muslim Americans, and increased support for military action in Muslim countries." What people are exposed to in film and television can, for better or worse, have real-world impact.

Ibrahim, who is Muslim, knows this well. She sees the changes happening throughout the industry as long overdue.

"I understand the impact of media often telling us what to believe about people and communities and what's happening in the world," she said. "It's vital for people from the community ... to tell their own stories."

Filmmakers chosen for Launchpad's first season were selected from a pool of more than 1,100 US applicants. They were then assigned executive mentors from across Disney's studio brand units, including Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Production, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney Plus, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios and Pixar. The first six shorts center on the theme "Discover."

Applications to participate in the second season of Launchpad are open through June 11. Anyone interested can apply as a writer, a writer-director, a director with a script someone else wrote (as a team) or as a director. Films will be based around the theme of "Connection" and are also slated to debut on Disney Plus.