Chloe x Halle on Empowering Artists to Tell Stories About 'What It Means to Truly Accept Your Skin'

Karen Mizoguchi
·3 min read
Chloe Bailey and Halle Bailey
Chloe Bailey and Halle Bailey

Kevin Winter/Getty

Chloe and Halle Bailey are continuing to amplify the voices and ideas of young artists.

The Grammy-nominated sibling duo, known as Chloe x Halle, recently were judges for a special panel of Neutrogena Studios' and Ghetto Film School's First Frame Program, which encourages Gen Z filmmakers to create art that exemplifies the larger stories surrounding skin health and accepting the skin they're in.

Emphasizing the importance of highlighting "impactful storytelling," the Bailey sisters tell PEOPLE about the "honor" of selecting two female filmmakers as the winners of this year's program.

"The stories produced from this partnership are so important to tell because they open the conversation around what it means to truly accept your skin and love it unconditionally," say the grown-ish stars, who were named Neutrogena spokespersons in March.

"These young women were chosen because of their impactful storytelling and we are excited to see the final films once completed," they add.

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Applicants were asked to write scripts about loving the skin they're in and not viewing their skin as a barrier. The two winners selected were Sarah Jean Williams and Kyra Peters, who each won a $25,000 production award to develop a short film about a world where skin is not a barrier to unlock what is best for you. Williams and Peters will also receive high-impact training and production programs as well as mentorship for their filmmaking processes through intensive script development and directing and producing workshops, and full-time coaching.

Neutrogena Studios Celebrates The Debut Of "In The Sun" From Executive Producer Kerry Washington
Neutrogena Studios Celebrates The Debut Of "In The Sun" From Executive Producer Kerry Washington

Craig Barritt/Getty

Williams, a student at NYU Tisch, won with her script for En Avant, which highlights the internal struggle of a Black ballerina with self-acceptance as she faces racism in a white-dominated art form. It tells the story of one's battle with self-love through black-and-white imagery.

Meanwhile, fellow NYU student Peters' script for If My Voice Rang Louder Than My Skin brings to life the story of a young man who imagines a life where his Black skin no longer affects mundane daily tasks, like jogging and wearing a hoodie. It uses hyperbole to juxtapose the experience of a teenager who discovers peace when he finds himself in a world that prioritizes his voice, hobbies, and passions rather than the melanin in his skin.

Neutrogena Studios Celebrates The Debut Of "In The Sun" From Executive Producer Kerry Washington
Neutrogena Studios Celebrates The Debut Of "In The Sun" From Executive Producer Kerry Washington

Craig Barritt/Getty

Next, Halle, 21, will be making her feature film debut in Disney's upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid as Ariel. The musical film will be directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago) and has been shooting in Italy this summer.

Halle and Chloe, 23, rose to fame in 2015 and their YouTube channel was discovered by Beyoncé, who signed them to her record label Parkwood Entertainment. Since then, they've released their debut album, 2018's The Kids Are Alright for which they earned two Grammy Award nominations, including best new artist. Then in 2020, the sisters released their second studio album Ungodly Hour which earned them three Grammy nominations.