Career Programs

This flagship program welcomes Fellows from all areas of the entertainment industry for a year of mentoring, master classes, network building, and one-on-one career strategy sessions.

The next application cycle will open in Fall 2026

The 2026 WIF Business Fellowship cohort is made possible by the generous support of STARZ through its #TakeTheLead commitment to amplifying narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences. The WIF Director and Cinematographer Fellowship circles are generously supported by Netflix.

The Episodic Lab is offered to promising non-professional television writers to hone their pilots and career strategy through workshops and master classes. All selected participants will also become WIF Writer Fellows in the annual Fellowship Program. The next application cycle will open in Fall 2026.

The Episodic Lab is generously supported by the Golden Globe Foundation and ShivHans Pictures.

In 2024, WIF, Los Angeles received a three-year-grant from the Gates Foundation to strengthen the international network of women in the screen industries with an initial focus on Kenya, Nigeria and India. The grant’s scope included research, infrastructure, and development of resources for artists and industry. Over the course of two years, WIF Los Angeles helped to launch or grow 10+ chapters including those in India, Kenya, South Africa, Senegal, Cameroon, and Zambia.

Originally founded by WIF and the Sundance Institute, ReFrame is an official WIF initiative that employs a unique strategy: a peer-to-peer approach, in which ReFrame Ambassadors engage with senior industry decision-makers at over 50 Partner Companies to implement ReFrame systemic change programs. The goal is to provide research, support, and a practical framework that can be used by Partner companies to mitigate bias during the creative decision-making and hiring process, celebrate successes, and measure progress toward a more gender-representative industry on all levels.

WIF’s Shorts Night showcases exceptional short films created by members of WIF, including WIF fellows and alumni. A Q&A with the creators follows the screening. The next edition of WIF Shorts Night will take place in Winter 2026.

In addition to our in-house programs, WIF is the fiscal sponsor for the following projects:

• Women’s Production Society (WPS)
• Pay Up Hollywood
• Think Tank for Inclusion & Equality (TTIE)

Please note that WIF’s fiscal sponsorship program is by invitation only.

WIF’s Emerging Careers program provided filmmakers with opportunities for early career advancement. Through public and accessible programming, the program aimed to foster meaningful connections and skill-building.

For promising non-professional feature writers, to hone their projects through a weekend residency of workshops, networking, and writing sessions.

A two-day workshop, co-presented by WIF and The Sundance Institute, meant to equip emerging producers and their filmmaking teams with financing strategies advised by industry executives and leading financiers. 

For participants early in their producing careers, to gain the information and entry points needed to advance through master classes and group advising.

Thanks to eMinutes for their historical support of this program.

Through this fund, a select group of films have been awarded grants in cash and in-kind gifts, enabling them to complete production; many going on to gain distribution, receive top honors at film festivals, and win accolades including Oscars and Peabody awards.

Thanks to Stella Artois for their historical support of this program.

Mentoring Circles and Peer Mentoring together offered a safe and open environment for established women to cultivate the next generation of women seeking professional guidance as they built their careers and networks.

Mentorship is now a built-in component of every WIF Fellowship!

This multifaceted program offered support and funding for short-form content, which included mentoring for writers, directors, creative producers, and line producers, as well as resources to hire women-focused crew.

This program was made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Combining WIF’s years of expertise in nurturing women and non-binary creatives with comprehensive support, the WIF Shorts Lab supported by Google provided three filmmaking teams with the funds and support needed to produce a short film.