This week host Paul Dergarabedian is joined by Claudia Puig, the president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a longtime critic on NPR’s Film Week who was recently featured in the Los Angeles Times as one of the 14 film critics making media more inclusive. Listen as Paul and Claudia discuss the state of film festivals and their importance within the film industry. Then stick around as Claudia shares the benefits of diversity initiatives and why diversity in the film industry matters.

This episode covers:

• How the pandemic has impacted film festivals
• The value of a virtual Q&A
• Why the film industry needs festivals
• The benefits of diversity initiatives
• Why diversity in the film industry matters

ABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUEST:

Claudia Puig is the president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a longtime critic on NPR’s Film Week. She was recently featured in the Los Angeles Times as one of the 14 film critics making media more inclusive, in Indiewire as one of 20 Latin Americans making a difference in American independent film, and is the winner of the Roger Ebert Award for Excellence in Film Criticism from the African-American Critics Association.

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