Submission Period for AFI's Tuition-Free Series Closes Jan. 5, 2007

By Juliana J. Bolden, Emmys.com
October 31, 2006

Los Angeles, CA — Know a sharp lady TV/film pro who would make a great director, if given a shot?  Tell her about the American Film Institute's one-of-a-kind Directing Workshop for Women (DWW).

Currently accepting submissions for its 2007 cycle, this prestigious eight-month program has been training emerging directors since 1974 and is completely tuition-free to participants.

Final Submission Deadline: January 5

Applications can be downloaded from www.AFI.com/education/dww.  To qualify for a reduced application fee, submissions must be postmarked by the early deadline: December 1, 2006. The final deadline for all applications is January 5, 2007.

AFI sifts through hundreds of applications from around the globe, ultimately selecting eight candidates.  Since its inception, over 200 women have participated in the workshop.  DWW has grown so popular and competitive that last year's applicant pool doubled from the previous year.

The program is dedicated to increasing the number of women behind the camera.  Looking at recent bleak employment statistics for women and minority directors, released by the Directors Guild of America, the program is needed more than ever.

DGA's Michael Apted: Little to No Change in Hiring Women, Minority Directors

According to the DGA, women and minorities directed only 17% of the total episodes of the top 40 prime time television series during the 2004-2005 season.

"For the fifth year in a row," DGA President Michael Apted said, "the report reveals that producers and networks have made little to no change in the hiring of women and minority directors."

Nevertheless, DWW and its participants keep making strides in film and television. Working alumnae include such diverse directors as Lesli Linka Glatter (Grey's Anatomy, The O.C.), Randa Haines (The Outsiders, Children Of A Lesser God), Victoria Hochberg (The Chris Isaak Show, Sex And The City), Tricia Brock (The L Word) and Maya Angelou (Down In The Delta).

Other esteemed graduates include Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn, Dyan Cannon, Patty Duke, Lynn Roth and Joanne Woodward.

“AFI's Directing Workshop for Women," program graduate Tricia Brock explained, "is the reason I am now a director.”