Electronic music was born from the ideals of diversity, community, and inclusivity, and yet in 2019 only 5 of the top 100 DJs were women.
Filmed over the summer festival season, Underplayed presents a portrait of the current status of gender, ethnic, and sexual equality issues through the lens of the female pioneers, next-generation artists, and industry leaders who are championing the change and inspiring a more diverse pool of role models for future generations.
Ultimately, the film explores how gender disparity happens, a theme that transcends music and finds relevance in many of today’s industries.
Born in New Zealand, Stacey Lee’s work focuses on humanity, music, and movement. Her documentary short Live Fast Draw Yung premiered at Tribeca in 2015, winning awards in Atlanta and Tacoma. She was recently shortlisted for the Cannes Young Directors Award and selected as part of the DGA/AICP Diversity Showcase. Underplayed represents her feature debut.
As a sponsor of music events and parties across the globe, Bud Light saw a problem in the music space: a major lack of diversity and inclusion. Bud Light wanted to create more awareness and help drive change within the industry.
Julien Christian Lutz, aka Director X, is one of the most iconic music video directors of our time, known for his work with Drake, Rihanna, Rosalia, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West, among many others. He has been nominated and received many accolades for his work. As a filmmaker, Julien debuted his first Sony studio feature film, Superfly, produced by the legendary Joel Silver. As an artist, Julien has created art installations for Toronto’s Nuit Blanche: Death of The Sun, which was also featured in Drake’s “Boy Meets World,” European tour and “Life of The Earth,” in collaboration with the Ontario Science Center. Using his platform for social change, Julien founded Operation Prefrontal Cortex, an initiative created to reduce Toronto’s gun violence through mindfulness and meditation. A highly intelligent speaker, Julien’s talks hit on creativity, innovation, wellness, and community, and how bettering ourselves and those around us is the way to ensure a more peaceful, compassionate world.
Born in Toronto, Taj Critchlow is a multifaceted entrepreneur: a talent manager, film and television producer, and creative consultant. His company, Karoshi Management, represents some of today's most culturally relevant filmmakers such as Director X, Karena Evans and RT! Taj is also the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Fela - a new age production company specializing in authentic cultural storytelling. In 2018, Taj began the next phase in his career, working as an Executive Producer on Director X's Joel Silver-produced feature film, Superfly.
American composer, electronic music producer, and leader of her ensemble London Electronic Orchestra, Kate Simko blends unique influences from her roots in Chicago house music and formal training in classical piano and jazz. A prolific producer, Kate’s back catalogue includes three albums, numerous EPs, film soundtracks and original classical compositions, including a remix of Philip Glass reaching the Billboard Top 100 Classical Chart and ‘Go On Then’ ending the year on the Beatport Top 10 Deep House chart.
Underplayed explores how gender disparity happens, a theme that transcends music and finds relevance in many of today’s industries. Which is why we extended the mission of this film by working with talented women within the film and creative industries.
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