Twentieth Century Fox Film and the American Film Institute have agreed to a partnership to help increase the number of female directors working on major studio films.
The initiative will provide alumnae of the AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women, AFI’s female filmmaker training program, the opportunity to direct short films based on the studio’s film franchises. The emphasis will be on action and science fiction, in which female filmmakers are often underrepresented.
“The dearth of female directors is not a matter of passion or talent,” said 20th Century Fox Film Chairman and CEO Stacey Snider. “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.”
AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale said the institute “believes that the future of this American art form is a true symphony of voices.”
“We have been committed to this issue from our founding, and we look forward to this landmark collaboration with Fox to impact the art and entertainment landscape in a profound way,” he said.
“Fox will finance, produce and distribute the short films, via its many platforms,” according to a jointly issued statement. “The filmmakers will be able to add the projects to their portfolios and pitch Fox feature films unrelated to the shorts in the future.”
To launch the partnership, 3,550 graduates will be selected “for an introduction to the terms of the initiative.” Ten finalists will present original pitches to senior executives at 20th Century Fox, and one or more filmmakers will be chosen to make their concept into a short film.
The AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women was founded in 1974 with the aim of increasing the number of women working professionally at the highest levels in film and television.
Graduates of the hands-on training program include Lesli Linka Glatter, an Emmy-winning producer-director on “Homeland”; Sian Heder, whose film “Tallulah” recently premiered on Netflix; and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, whose drama series “Unreal” received two 2016 Emmy nominations.
–City News Service