Twentieth Century Fox Film is partnering with the American Film Institute to open more opportunities on major studio films for female directors. The initiative will provide alumnae of the AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women (DWW) — the AFI’s female filmmaker training program — the opportunity to direct short films based on the Fox studio’s film franchises.
“The dearth of female directors is not a matter of passion or talent,” said 20th Century Fox Film Chairman and CEO Stacey Snider, who made the announcement today. “Instead, it’s often a question of access and resources. We’re excited to offer these to talented women filmmakers who then can build upon this practical work experience.”
The studio is inviting the DWW graduates to build the narrative world of Fox’s film franchises, which will include the creation of sample work in genres like action and science fiction, where female filmmakers are particularly underrepresented.
To kick off the partnership, 35-50 alumnae will be selected for the initiative, and 10 finalists will pitch their ideas to 20th Century Fox Film executives. One or more filmmakers will be chosen to turn their concept into a short film.
Fox will finance, produce and distribute the short films, which the filmmakers will add to their portfolios. The filmmakers will also have the opportunity to pitch the studio separate films in the future.
Across our businesses, 21st Century Fox is working to increase opportunities for talented individuals from communities traditionally underrepresented in Hollywood. Programs include the Global Directors Initiative and the FOX Writers Intensive; a longstanding partnership with the Historically Black Colleges and Universities; along with our support for Ghetto Film School, a nonprofit that teaches filmmaking to diverse young students from historically underserved communities. These efforts focus on building a more inclusive and long-term pipeline of talent to our television and film productions.
