Produced by the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, In Bloom is an anthology series of 5 multi-genre short films created by 5 female filmmakers, each from the United States, India, Brazil, Kenya, and Nigeria. The series uses immersive, female-led storytelling to raise awareness and spark new perspectives on structural injustices and social norms that perpetuate gender inequality. Women around the world are consistently denied economic autonomy, and control over their sexual lives, and are exposed to emotional and bodily harm. Globally, girls are more than twice as likely to contract HIV compared with boys, women take on three times as much unpaid care and domestic work as men, and an estimated 736 million women – almost one in three globally - have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence. In Bloom was conceptualized as a response to these globally relevant complex and intersectional issues.
Through In Bloom, we would work with emerging female filmmakers, to tell unique, unheard stories about female experiences and empowerment. Working in this way, we would raise marginalized voices and stories, draw parallels between countries and cultures, and enhance awareness, attitudes, and feelings around gender.
We sought to respond to the systemic inequalities women and girls face all over the world - by investing in dynamic female creative talent and authentic storytelling. The creative lead for the campaign was Tope Oshin, award-winning Nigerian television and film director, producer, and casting director, who has directed multiple successful shows, including MTV Shuga, MTV-SAF’s most high-profile behavior change campaign. To ensure that we were creating safe, accurate, and impactful messaging, she was supported by female technical experts in the fields of health, GBV, sexual and reproductive health, and gender.
Through a screening and application process, we onboarded female writers and directors to form an international writers' room. In the USA, we chose Nicole Teeny; from Nigeria, Lowladee Adeleke; in Kenya, Voline Ogutu; Giuliana Monteiro was chosen from Brazil; and Priyanka Banerjee from India. They had diverse backgrounds and experiences, but each was hugely talented and passionate about female storytelling. Under the leadership of Tope Oshin, with the technical advice of international experts, and the creative support of the writers, each film was collaboratively brought to screen. All filmed in South Africa, the teams honed into the challenge of visually representing 5 countries in another.
Investing in female-led storytelling was designed to tell powerful stories, but also to empower female voices. Through the project, we gave female filmmakers their big industry break and provided them with intensive creative support as they developed their short films, (which is an ideal medium to experiment with the filmmaking process). In addition, the filmmakers were supported by a predominantly female and diverse crew. By sponsoring their professional profiles and linking them to networks, we aimed to disrupt industry norms, further their careers, and contribute towards powerful, female-led storytelling in the future.
The output of the work was an anthology of five short films, which followed female characters on the brink of life defining moments. Themes included period poverty, child marriage, GBV, HIV self-stigma, family planning, and women’s economic empowerment. The films were then distributed across Paramount’s expansive broadcast network, helping to bring visibility to both the stories and the storytellers. Through the innovative project, we were able to reach global youth audiences and, through the power of female-led storytelling, challenge and shift awareness and attitudes towards gender and female empowerment.
Launched for Women's History Month on March 8, 2024, International Women's Day, with promotional and distribution support from Paramount, In Bloom had global reach and engagement. The series aired in over 100 countries in 19 languages on MTV linear, BET Africa. Available for streaming on Paramount + and Pluto TV including in the US, the UK, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, and South Korea, and on YouTube in Africa and India. This helped to ensure expensive, global reach for powerful, gender-focused storytelling.
In a snapshot, In Bloom achieved
Critically, research has shown the power of the series. In a recent study conducted in the United States, on content effectiveness, it was found that the series increased awareness of the prevalence of inequality, generated interest in women’s issues, and enhanced intent to act. This includes:
These results are really exciting and demonstrate the power of investing in female-led storytelling as a methodology for change.
