Queen Latifah launches female filmmaker initiative

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Queen Latifah is launching an initiative to support female filmmakers.

The 48-year-old actress has partnered with Proctor & Gamble to launch the Queen Collective, which helps women step behind the camera in Hollywood.

She said: "I think it's a continuing narrative in Hollywood, unfortunately, and we want to change that entire narrative. We want to even the playing field a little bit. Partnering up with P&G for the Queen Collective has been an amazing thing. This is kind of one step of the plan to make things a little different.

"I do not fit the typical mold of what then was looked at as an A-List actor - say size two, blonde, short, thin. They're all out the window when it comes to me. So I mean, everything had to change. I had to really change a lot of people's minds and earn a lot of people. And also create my own endeavors because people just didn't get it.

"I owe a lot of people credit out there for helping me along, as well as what we were able to do to create for ourselves. One thing I swore that I would do if I got to a position of power, I would make sure that when I looked out behind that camera, that people would look like what America looked like."

And the 'Girls Trip' star wants to make sure everyone can tell their story, whichever gender or race they are.

She told People magazine: "We see a lot of stories that have been told through their lens in every way, shape and form. White guys have been able to tell their story in every sort of way, and unfortunately it hasn't been that way for women. And it hasn't been that way for people of other colors or genders. That's the part that's missing. We want to make sure that everyone is allowed to tell their story."