DeafTalent
In the 2010s, #DeafTalent was initially used to protest the casting of hearing actors in deaf character roles in the films "Avenged", "Medeas", and "Hush". Afterward, the hashtag's purpose evolved to recognize deaf actors and character roles. Supporters of the movement collectively prefer realistic portrayals of deaf people and characterizations developed by deaf script writers. Uses of the hashtag were tracked by filmmaker Jules Dameron, and actor Tyrone Giordano created a publicly-available database of talented deaf people. With "Medeas", in 2015, the hashtag #DeafTalent trended for 49 days. The book "Exploring Deafness" wrote, "Many actors and activists  [affirmed] support for spreading awareness about casting Deaf people in Deaf roles," and highlighted that the films "Baby Driver" and "A Quiet Place" that cast "authentic Deaf people in Deaf, signing roles has resulted in multiple awards and nominations". Deaf author Sara Novic said because the hashtag trended, a roundtable was hosted by the National Endowment for the Arts, where there was a conversation about "about how to support deaf actors, writers, and artists". The history of #DeafTalent was presented in 2017 at the Deaf Rochester Film Festival, with its presenter describing its purpose: The hashtag repeatedly became a viral  phenomenon with the visibility of deaf roles such as Nyle DiMarco's participation in the reality television series "America's Next Top Model" and "Dancing with the Stars", deaf actress Millicent Simmonds in the horror film "A Quiet Place", deaf casting and production in the television series "This Close", and Deaf West Theatre's revival of the play "Spring Awakening". With "Spring Awakening"s premiere in 2015, "The Atlantic" reported, "A hashtag has emerged: #DeafTalent, proclaiming the importance and power of diversity in culture." When "A Quiet Place" premiered in 2018, Nikol Prieto, writing for Easterseals, called the film "another example  of #DeafTalent, which is a movement that encourages Deaf actors to be cast for Deaf roles instead of hearing actors". Prieto added, "The #DeafTalent campaign is about encouraging movie and television producers to provide more opportunities for Deaf actors. This movement is not only about bringing awareness to hearing individuals, but also about creating diversity in film and a valid representation of Deaf culture."