Melina Matsoukas, the director of the critically acclaimed new movie Queen & Slim, is speaking out in response to the film being snubbed by the Golden Globes.
In a statement provided to Variety, Melina claimed that members of the HFPA refused to watch her movie, which stars Oscar nominee Daniel Kaluuya and newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith.
“We held three screenings for the HFPA and almost no members attended,” Melina said. “For me, it’s reflective of their voting body. It’s not reflective of the society in which we live in or the industry as it stands today. They don’t value the stories that represent all of us, and those stories are so often disregarded and discredited, as are their filmmakers.”
“It’s extremely discouraging. It’s extremely infuriating. And it just represents an archaic system that is full of people who don’t value us,” she added.
If you didn’t know, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is comprised of about 90 journalists from around the world. The organization claims members received screeners and could have watch the film at home. A rep said, “The HFPA maintains that Queen & Slim was in the conversation amongst the membership.”
Queen & Slim has surpassed box office expectations and the film has grossed nearly $30 million so far.
