By: The Walt Disney Company
Date: Thursday, November 10, 2022
Disney Future Storytellersinitiative celebrates nonprofit
collaborators, reaching nearly 25,000 teens and young adults
through community screenings nationwide
BURBANK, Calif., November 10, 2022 – In honor of the November 11 theatrical debut of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Disney is hosting community screenings of the film across the country and awarding $1 million in grants to nonprofits providing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and arts education to young people from historically underrepresented communities. Recipient organizations include Girls Who Code, Ghetto Film School, The Hidden Genius Project, and DonorsChoose in the U.S., Chicas en Tecnología in Argentina, and Destination Imagination in Asia Pacific. Through this support, Disney aims to empower youth to pursue careers in the arts, media, and technology.
“From its historic casting to advanced technology to culturally relevant storytelling, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is one of the greatest and most anticipated movies ever,” said Jennifer Cohen, executive vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility for The Walt Disney Company. “When young people watch this film, we want them to walk away believing that their futures are boundless and being inspired to pursue their passions, grow their skills, and share their unique talents with the world.”
Driving Access Through Community Screenings
In celebration of these organizations’ transformational work and as part of the Company’s efforts to inspire young people through increased access to impactful storytelling, Disney hosted advanced community screenings of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in several U.S. cities for its nonprofit collaborators serving the next generation of storytellers, innovators, and leaders.
Teens and young adults supported by these organizations attended exclusive screening events in Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, and Atlanta (with an upcoming screening in Orlando) that included a red carpet, photo ops, and a special video message from the cast. The Dora Milaje, the all-female special forces of Wakanda, even made a surprise appearance at the Los Angeles event.
Additionally, as part of its collaboration with Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Target hosted over 130 community screenings of the film for local nonprofits in 10 markets (with upcoming screenings in Orlando and Miami) in collaboration with AMC Theatres.
In total, nearly 25,000 young people got to experience the film before its wide release. [To continue reading, click HERE.]
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