Bentonville Film Festival Jury Award Best Short Film - The Brownlist
One girl's journey to becoming diverse...enough. The Brownlist by Ursula Taherian is a smart, satirical comedy that explores race and what it means to be “diverse” in the entertainment industry. It’s the story of a girl blessed with two races but seemingly not enough of either to fit in.
Interview with Writer/Producer Ursula Taherian
Watch The Brownlist here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! I wrote what I know. The Brownlist is my story: a girl blessed with two races but seemingly not enough of either to fit in. To the Hollywood box. I’m Middle Eastern but I wasn’t booking roles because I was told I don’t look “Middle Eastern enough”. Enough for what? Enough for whom? What does a Middle Eastern person look like? We don’t all look the same! 50 Shades of Brown, people! Haha, that should be the sequel. I came to understand it was the “idea” of what a Middle Eastern person looks like that I wasn’t living up to. Enter: the spray tan. And The Brownlist.
There has definitely been a push for more diversity in casting, largely thanks to the #OscarsSoWhite movement. But as with all major societal shifts, despite good intentions, the execution isn’t always perfect. It’s great that we want to hire diverse talent, but if we can’t see the diversity that exists within the diversity, we’re missing the point and actually perpetuating the problem.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The film explores the universal themes of self-acceptance and “enoughness”: the idea that what makes us unique is what makes us enough. The world isn’t black (or dark brown) and white, and neither are people, and that should be celebrated! You should watch this film because it’s smart, funny, and exposes the truth.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I cut the original script in half (so painful!) to cater to our ever-shortening online attention spans, so once I locked the final version, we kept to the script pretty tightly.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback from festival audiences has been the most rewarding part of this journey. I made something so specific to me and my personal experiences within the entertainment industry that I wasn’t sure if it would resonate with the wider public. But I have been approached by so many people from so many walks of life that have told me that my story is their story. Black people, white people, light and dark brown people, LGBTQ people, and women working in male-dominated fields. Hearing about their experiences helped me realize the more universal themes of my film. People, consciously or subconsciously, create fantasies - or expectations - of what a person should look or behave like based on the labels society places on them.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It has definitely surprised me - in an amazing way! I made something very specific to me that I didn’t expect it to resonate as deeply as it has with audiences. The dialogue with such thoughtful film-goers has deepened my understanding of stereotypes and how complex the diversity problem really is.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I made this film to create a dialogue surrounding diversity issues within the entertainment industry and ultimately change how people see “diversity”. The more eyes I have on my it, the more people I can bring into the conversation. Thank you for helping me spread my message!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I have a strong, politically and socially relevant message and I need as many eyes on it as possible, which includes all of the individuals listed above (yes, Rachel Maddow, I’d love to be on your show:). Film festivals have been an incredible vehicle thus far, and when the run is finished, I am looking for a home for the film on a platform that shares the same values and has the potential to reach as many viewers - and decision makers - as possible.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love the takeaway to be viewers examining the shows and movies they watch and noticing what’s missing and what’s being stereotyped. For the industry, I hope they honor the responsibility to showcase the real America, because art, while made for entertainment, has such a huge impact on how we see and treat each other.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What does it mean to be Middle Eastern enough? Or “enough” of any ethnicity or societal label?
How should and shouldn’t we define ethnicity in the media?
Where does the problem start: what color the audience wants to see or how the industry wants us to see color?
What can we all do to assist in shifting the pendulum to the middle, so all color is celebrated and the stereotypes created by the industry are no longer relevant?
Would you like to add anything else?
It wasn't until just recently that Middle Eastern North African (MENA) actors were even recognized as a diverse category in the SAG-AFTRA casting data reports in producer contracts. I want to wear a t-shirt to my next auditions that says “I finally count. Toward your diversity quota!”
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Ursula is now a recurring character on Madam Secretary - playing an Afghan-American CIA agent (omg the film worked!). She is also in talks to develop a television series based on The Brownlist. Kelly, our co-director and editor, is in pre-production on her feature film that examines friendship and suicide within an interracial lesbian relationship. Ryan, our other director, is currently writing a feature comedy called Dad Band (no longline necessary).
Interview: May 2018
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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THE BROWNLIST by Ursula Taherian
One girl's journey to becoming diverse...enough. The Brownlist by Ursula Taherian is a smart, satirical comedy that explores race and what it means to be “diverse” in the entertainment industry. It’s the story of a girl blessed with two races but seemingly not enough of either to fit in.
Length: 5 min 51 sec
Director: Kelly Walker & Ryan Garcia
Producer: Ursula Taherian
Writer: Ursula Taherian
About the writer, director and producer:
Writer/Producer/Actor Ursula Taherian: Her mom is a Christian-practicing white girl, her Dad's a Muslim-practicing Afghan, she’s yoga-practicing Halfghan. Recent credits include recurring roles on the CBS drama, Madam Secretary, and the ABC comedy, Speechless.
Co-directors Kelly Walker & Ryan Garcia: Kelly Walker and Ryan Garcia make up the directing team. Their production company, Galker Productions, focuses on telling stories that express honest messages through a comedic lens.
Key cast: Ursula Taherian, Camille Guaty, Kerry O'Malley, David Sullivan, Christine Garver, Jeff Witzke
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): All of the above! I would love to continue screening at festivals and ultimately find a permanent home/distribution for the film. I made it to create awareness about a specific diversity problem that exists within the diversity problem, so the more exposure to the film and its message the better chance of enacting change.
Social media handles: (For now, just my personal handles, but I am in the process of creating separate ones for the film, will keep you posted!)
Facebook: Ursula Taherian
Twitter: UrsulaTaherian
Instagram: UrsulaTaherian
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Due to festival requirements, I can't make the film available to the public quite yet, but please keep checking social media for upcoming screenings! **The Brownlist just won the Jury Award for Best Short Film at Geena Davis' Bentonville Film Festival!!**