Melina Matsoukas Claims Golden Globes Voters Refused To Watch Queen & Slim

Source: Jonathan Bachman / Jonathan Bachman

Melina Matsoukas Claims Golden Globes Voters Refused To Watch “Queen & Slim”

Didn’t we tell you that those Golden Globes nominations were looking funny in the light? As previously reported the nominees lacked diversity, specifically shutting out women, women of color and men of color. And one person, in particular, is calling out the Globes for their diversity lacking shenanigans.

“Queen & Slim” director Melina Matsoukas is slamming the Golden Globes after she says her film wasn’t even given a fair shot by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).

Melina made the accusations to Variety and noted that nearly all of the 90 members of the HFPA refused to screen the film. Variety fact-checked Melina’s claim and sources told them that Universal Pictures asked to have HFPA members attend the three different screenings and allegedly only FOUR people out of the 90 international journalists came.

“We held three screenings for the HPFA and almost no members attended. 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.”

A rep for the HFPA told Variety that many of the members received screeners in the mail.

“The HFPA maintains that Queen and Slim was in the conversation amongst the membership.”

Variety adds that another source told them that more than 60,000 individual DVDs were made and sent to various guilds and journalists, including the HPFA so yes, it’s possible that some watched the movie at home.

Still despite that, interest was seemingly so low in “Queen & Slim” that Universal Pictures canceled a scheduled Globes press conference for Nov. 16.

“According to those familiar with the studio’s process, the feeling was that there was no reason to ask the cast to talk about the movie since they didn’t think voters had seen it.”

Melina who’s speaking out in hopes that ongoing dialogue will bring about change in the industry, sent a stern message to the HPFA members who shadily snubbed her work.

“Your time is over. I believe they’ve created an unsafe work environment.”

Melina also described an experience she had earlier this year while attending an HFPA fundraiser before she’d finished the final cut of her movie when an HFPA member made an offensive comment with an “archaic term.”

We can only IMAGINE what they said.

“I was warned by three different people that I may be harassed or spoken to in an inappropriate way, which I was,” she said.

As she recalls, an HFPA member, whom she declines to name, approached her with a movie idea. “And they used a very archaic term in the pitch, and I found it quite offensive and disrespectful to me as a woman of color,” she said.

What. A. Mess. Speak your truth, Melina.

What do YOU think about Melina calling out the Golden Globes?

It’s clear that there was disinterest in her film, do you think “Queen & Slim” would’ve gotten a Globe if it was given a fair shot?