The Mask You Live In Screening + Panel

"The Mask You Live In" Feature Film / Vision 2020

Expired March 7, 2021 4:15 AM
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The film The Mask You Live In will be available for on-demand viewing starting 2/20/21 at 11:00 am ET. The viewing window closes 2/27/21 at 11:00 pm ET. Return to this page on Thursday, 2/25/21 at 12:00 pm ET for a live-streamed panel discussion, accessible by clicking the second box on the right.


Moderating Thursday's 12 pm ET interactive discussion will be Peter J. Dean, Ph.D., founder and president, Leaders By Design, author of Cultivating Leaders, The Coachable Leader and Leadership for Everyone. The panel is comprised of leaders in the gender equality movement:

  • Caroline Heldman, Ph.D., chair of critical theory and social justice at Occidental College in Los Angeles and vice president of research and insights at the Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media, a Vision 2020 Allied Organization
  • Allen Riddick, a Vision 2020 Delegate from Pennsylvania and director, supplier inclusion at Drexel University
  • Michael Chamberlain, a Vision 2020 Delegate from New York, vice president, community & convening programs, and pivotal in the development of Men Advocating Real Change (MARC) at Catalyst


At Vision 2020, we believe deeply in the importance of shared leadership among women and men. To meet the demands of a rapidly evolving future, we also believe all leaders, regardless of gender identity, will need the freedom to embrace qualities often regarded as feminine, such as empathy, emotional intelligence, and willingness to collaborate. This film, and the discussion following, will help chart a course toward that future. 

The Mask You Live In follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity.


Pressured by the media, their peer group, and even the adults in their lives, our protagonists confront messages encouraging them to disconnect from their emotions, devalue authentic friendships, objectify and degrade women, and resolve conflicts through violence. These gender stereotypes interconnect with race, class, and circumstance, creating a maze of identity issues boys and young men must navigate to become “real” men.


Experts in neuroscience, psychology, sociology, sports, education, and media also weigh in, offering empirical evidence of the “boy crisis” and tactics to combat it.


The Mask You Live In ultimately illustrates how we, as a society, can raise a healthier generation of boys and young men.

  • Year
    2015
  • Runtime
    92 minutes
  • Language
    English
  • Country
    United States
  • Premiere
    Sundance Film Festival
  • Rating
    NR
  • Director
    Jennifer Siebel Newsom
  • Screenwriter
    Jennifer Siebel Newsom
  • Producer
    Jennifer Siebel Newsom
  • Executive Producer
    Regina K. Scully, Maria Shriver, Abigail Disney, Wendy Schmidt, Geralyn Dreyfous, Sarah E. Johnson
  • Co-Producer
    Jessica Anthony
  • Filmmaker
    Jennifer Siebel Newsom
  • Cast
    Ashanti Branch, Tony Porter, Joe Ehrman
  • Cinematographer
    John Behrens
  • Editor
    Jessica Congdon
  • Composer
    Eric Holland