#OscarsSoWhite got a lot of press last year and the Smiths were among the most vocal celebrities, admonishing the awards ceremony and subsequently boycotting it for the lack of representation for non-white actors, directors and producers.

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Jada Pinkett Smith, in particular, got a lot of flak for releasing the video below. The night's host host, Chris Rock, took the mickey out of her gesture on stage on the night.

He joked, 'Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna's panties. I wasn't invited.'

Ouch.

Well, Jada and Will Smith have just announced they are taking some concrete steps in ensuring future diversity in the film industry.

Their foundation, the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation has teamed up with the Sundance Institute as a two-year commitment to help the Institute's Screenwriters Intensive.

This is part of Sundance's diversity initiative to help film-makers and screenwriters from underrepresented backgrounds get opportunities within the industry.

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According to Deadline, Jada Pinkett-Smith said of the collaboration,

We are honored and energized to collaborate with Sundance Institute to cultivate stories and storytellers reflective of the world at large, and we view today as the beginning of a productive, purposeful and powerful alignment with an enduring institution.

Sounds like a step in the right direction.

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Daisy Murray
Digital Fashion Editor

Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.