Urban Thought Collective

After tuning into the 14th Annual Critics Circle Awards recently, I couldn’t help but wonder: where are all the black critics? In the introduction for the show, there were splashes of faces and the lack of diversity was extremely prominent—not only for African American critics, but also for women.

I’m a member of the first national Women Film Critics Circle, and this year we received a notice that we weren’t invited (like previous years) to cover all of the movies for consideration. Why? All reviews were suddenly being reserved for the Guilds or…like everything else in this world; the inner circle is the only one that counts.

Still, I received lots of fascinating movies to review that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. Movies like “Nothing but the Truth” (Angela Bassett, Kate Beckinsale & Matt Dillon); a story about a journalist who gets tied up in a CIA scandal and jailed for not revealing her source.

Donnie Wahlberg and Ethan Hawke, head to South Boston and introduce us to an Irish Crime boss in the film “What doesn’t Kill You”

“The Visitor” and America Ferrera’s first film “How the Garcia Girls Spent their Summer” were also movies I enjoyed…although last year was much more fun as I got a chance to review every film “For Consideration” during award season.

As a filmmaker, it’s always fun to watch the award shows because I want to know what Hollywood is looking for…and so far, “Slumdog Millionaire” and “The Wrestler” is in the lead. It seems as if Hollywood loves a good comeback story whether in real life or reel life. However, does the lack of black critics and journalism somehow affect the movies that we see?

A recent New York Times article stated that “You could now literally count on one hand (using two fingers) the number of black directors who can get their projects made and distributed at a steady rate. One is Mr. Lee…while the other is Tyler Perry (blah, blah, blah…)”

I can’t imagine that Tyler Perry and Spike Lee are the only filmmakers out there who can make quality movies. I think like the critics’ circles (and the guilds) only a few make it in the door. Darnell Martin (“Cadillac Records”) admitted that she was becoming known for someone you couldn’t control, due to her unwillingness to be pigeon-holed, while, Gina Prince Bythewood (“The Secret Life of Bees”) stated she took a break to indulge in motherhood…but that’s only 4.

What about young filmmakers like Jennifer Sharp (“I’m Through With White Girls”), Pete Chatmon (“Premium”)or Dominga Martin (coming soon LOL!)? We’re all filmmakers who make movies that you can count on more than one hand aren’t we?

I think it all boils down to how many screens you’re on, how many journalists (white included) see the movies and how many critics are talking about it [but] when you have fewer journalists which represent diversity in the room…less critics to spread the word or even place it on their radar; what are the chances that a film like “I’m Through with White Girls” have to make that New York Times list…the one more than 2 fingers long?

I know I’m not the only one looking out for other filmmakers to make the list. Who are you counting on?

Dominga Martin is a filmmaker and journalist based in Brooklyn. She is Co-Founder|Editor-In-Chief of www.creme-magazine.com, an on-line magazine which highlights celebrity and tastemaker lifestyles. In 2004 she launched a t-shirt line, tamBöi (www.tamboi.com), combining her love of fashion, rebels and film. Her blog “Hollywood Gumbo” is an exclusive found only on UTC.