Despite public commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the entertainment industry often maintains closed networks and discriminatory practices, according to a new book by award-winning Brazilian screenwriter Renata Elis. Her work, Inclusion Has an Expiration Date, argues that ageism—especially against middle-aged women—remains a socially tolerated form of discrimination, even as representation on screen appears to improve.
The book, structured like a four-season television series, follows Elis's attempts to re-enter the screen industry as a midlife professional in the United States and Europe. Despite her awards and experience, she encountered a system that, in her view, disguises medieval exclusionary practices in politically correct language. She critiques how screenwriting workshops, diversity grants, pitch forums, and access programs can function as a 'business of hope,' feeding on creators' dreams while limiting real access to a small, rotating elite.
Elis also examines the economic logic behind exclusionary practices, including pay-to-play access, nepotism, prestige validation, and the commodification of creative ambition. She argues that the problem extends beyond on-screen representation to who has the right to create, sell, finance, and own stories. Drawing on industry data, academic research, and public statements from actresses who have spoken about being marginalized as they age, Elis points to a systemic contradiction: mature women remain invisible both in front of and behind the camera, despite being a loyal and economically powerful audience.
The book concludes with a manifesto calling for new models of creative ownership, independent production, and audience-centered storytelling, rather than seeking permission from institutions she questions. Inclusion Has an Expiration Date is available in Canada through Amazon.ca. For more information, visit https://www.renataelis.com/.
