MTV Staying Alive Foundation, Paramount Global, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, announced today the upcoming release of IN BLOOM. A unique anthology of five compelling short films spanning countries and cultures, IN BLOOM delves into the complexities of gender issues following characters on the brink of life defining moments, by choice or circumstance. The collection tells unheard stories addressing a range of crucial issues including period poverty, child marriage, gender-based violence, HIV self-stigma, family planning and women’s economic empowerment.
As a part of the MTV Staying Alive Foundation’s mission of storytelling to change lives and Paramount’s “Content For Change” initiative, IN BLOOM brings together five upcoming female filmmakers from Nigeria, Kenya, India, the US and Brazil. The series aims to creatively champion new voices and enable insightful conversations to dismantle systemic injustices in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal Number 5: Gender Equality.
IN BLOOM, with creative lead Tope Oshin, Nigerian TV & Film Director and sitting Board Member of UN Live, features a variety of stories and international talent. It includes “Period” by Nicole Teeny (USA), featuring Yasmina El-Abd; “Alta” by Priyanka Banerjee (India), featuring Mazel Vyas; “Maré by Giuliana Monteiro (Brazil), featuring Vanessa Giácomo; “Kifungo” by Voline Ogutu (Kenya) featuring Brenda Wairimu; and “Aféfé,” by Dolapo ‘LowlaDee’ Adeleke (Nigeria) and featuring Folu Storms.
In celebration of Women’s History Month and just ahead of International Women’s Day, the anthology is set to premiere on Paramount+ on March 1 across the US, the UK, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Japan and South Korea. On the same day, IN BLOOM will also premiere on Pluto TV globally, and roll out across MTV international linear channels prior to its March 8, International Women’s Day debut on BET in Africa. Following that, IN BLOOM will also become available on YouTube in India and Africa.
Following the premiere on Paramount+ and Pluto TV, Paramount will distribute rights free to third party platforms via its Global Content Distribution arm, to maximize reach and impact for these important stories.
Wame Jallow, Executive Director, MTV Staying Alive Foundations says, “In Bloom marks an exciting new phase in the work of MTV Staying Alive Foundation on gender equality. Our experience tells us that working in partnership with the communities we serve, is the best way to achieve impact and change in the world. These important narratives and the way they were made have already enabled thought-provoking reflections on gender within the team involved in their creation. In Bloom connects the dots and brings to light ‘silent pandemics’ that affect not just women and girls, but our global communities and I can’t wait for the films to be shared with audiences everywhere.”
Crystal Barnes, Executive Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) at Paramount said: “Paramount’s Content for Change initiative aims to amplify the stories and voices of underrepresented audiences around the world, and In Bloom does just that, by tackling critical, gender-based issues through the creative lens of dynamic female talents. This collection of films is a true testament to our ongoing commitment to improving diversity, equity and inclusion both on and off screen.”
Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IN BLOOM is produced by MTV Staying Alive Foundation and distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Synopsis:
Five compelling short films that delve into the complexities of gender issues following characters on the brink of life defining moments, whether by choice or circumstance, featuring:
- Period – written and directed by Nicole Teeny: Like many of her classmates at her underserved school, Fay cannot afford menstrual products, so she sets out on a crusade to get them for free. Genre: Comedy Drama, Language: English, Cast: Yasmina El-Abd
- Alta – written and directed by Priyanka Banerjee: A defiant teenager refusing to come out of the bathroom forces her helpless father to seek help to reason with the girl, but things take a turn when their true relationship is revealed. Genre: Drama, Language: Bengali, Cast: Mazel Vyas
- Maré – written and directed by Giuliana Monteiro: A mother on the edge of her sanity seeks solace from a tumultuous life situation. Genre: Drama/ Social-realism, Language: Portuguese, English, Cast: Vanessa Giácomo
- Kifungo – written and directed by Voline Ogutu: An ambitious romantic struggles with self-acceptance after finding out that she is HIV positive. Genre: Psychological Horror, Language: Swahili, English, Cast: Brenda Wairimu
- Aféfé – written and directed by Dolapo ‘LowlaDee’ Adeleke: When her elderly and ailing mother-in-law moves in unexpectedly, life for an impassioned local beautician takes a frightening turn. Genre: Drama, Language: Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin, English, Cast: Folu Storms
IN BLOOM builds upon Paramount’s commitment to make gender equity a focus across the entire ecosystem, a shared journey that the company started long ago leading to an increased representation of women in leading roles. Paramount recently released the new results of its study “Reflecting Me”, which showcases audience perceptions of the state of on-screen representation and diversity. The study shows that women feel it’s important to see accurate, reflective representations of themselves on-screen, and the media industry is seen as a strong opportunity to commit to making a change and improving representation both on- and off-screen. Featuring a collection of shorts created by female filmmakers, IN BLOOM contributes on increasing women representation on- and off- screen, challenging the way audiences and society perceive gender inequality.
