In commemoration of WIF’s 50th year, we are deepening our commitment to advance the careers of women and all people of underrepresented genders through our new Fellowship framework. While we know there are benefits to short term programs, the impact of the lasting relationships we build with our program participants is undeniable. With this understanding, starting in 2023 we are formally dedicating a year of support to all Career Program participants. What does this mean?
Inspired by the success of our Feature Residency partnership with the Black List and Emerging Producers Program, now, all Career Programs (Writing Labs, Financing Intensive, Emerging Producers—now Producer Fellowship) will include a year of executive Mentorship with additional advising from the WIF teams. Fellows across programs will receive mentorship with their program cohorts, as well as access to industry experts and special events.
WIF Mentoring will evolve to exist under the umbrella of the Fellowship framework, so there will not be a separate Mentoring program. However, in effort toward making mentorship available to as many as possible, WIF will be selecting additional groups of Fellows for certain disciplines who will still receive mentorship. There will also be Fellowship cohorts for executive and crafts disciplines.
The biggest shift for WIF Members to be aware of is logistical. To transition to the Fellowship framework, applications for programs will now be open twice a year, with the first half focusing on writers, directors, and cinematographers, and the second half focusing on producers, executives, and crafts.
While we are excited to launch this change, we know there may be questions as we explore the new format and processes. We thank you for your patience and collaboration, and look forward to collectively lifting our community and industry toward genuine equity.
Each fellowship will meet within their cohorts for a year of master classes, networking, and community building. Fellows will also receive mentoring from a professional with extensive experience in their field, either in groups or individually (depending on Mentor availability). Fellows are expected to have at least six sessions with their mentor(s) within a 12-month period. Dates and locations will be determined solely by mentors, and may continue to be virtual for the time being.
Fellows will be selected from the program applications (Writers Fellowship and Independent Producers Fellowship) or the fellowship application (all other disciplines). Disciplines are outlined below.
REQUIREMENTS
- You must be local to Los Angeles in order to participate.
- You must have a clear career focus that you can articulate in your application.
We anticipate the WIF Fellowship as having both mandatory virtual and non-mandatory in-person elements (unless otherwise stated in the program description). In order to attend in-person events, fellows must be able to provide proof of current vaccination, subject to CDC guidelines relating to boosters, and willing to test for COVID-19 prior to the event.
FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES BY DISCIPLINE
- Writers
- Feature Residency – all selected participants will also be Writer Fellows
- Episodic Lab – all selected participants will also be Writer Fellows
- Writer Fellowship – we will provide fellowship opportunities to a small group of Feature Residency and Episodic Lab applicants who are not accepted into the programs.
- Note: only those who apply for the Feature Residency or Episodic Lab will be considered for fellowship.
- Directors
- Director Fellowship*
- Directors of Photography
- DP Fellowship*
- Producers
- Financing Intensive – all selected WIF participants will be Producer Fellows
- Independent Producers Fellowship – also open to those who do not apply for the Financing Intensive
- Line Producer Fellowship – may be combined with other Specialty Producers (below)
- Specialty Producers Fellowship – post producers, non-writing television EPs, etc.
- Final disciplines supported will be contingent on applicant interest
- Executives / Managers / Agents
- Business Fellowship
- Artisans & Crew
- Artisan Fellowship – costume designers, production designers, lighting designers, film editors, etc.
- Crew Fellowship – camera operators, gaffers, grips, non-producing post roles, etc.
- Final disciplines supported will be contingent on applicant interest; all are encouraged to apply
* Thanks to Netflix for their support of the Director and DP Fellowships.
IMPORTANT FELLOWSHIP DATES
(Please see additional dates for each program on the program details pages.)
- October 3, 2022
Applications for Feature Residency, Episodic Lab, Director Fellowship, and DP Fellowship open - October 5, 2022
2023 WIF Fellowship AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) Panel - October 7, 2022
Feature Residency and Episodic Lab AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) Panel - November 7, 2022
Applications for Feature Residency, Episodic Lab, Director Fellowship, and DP Fellowship close - December 12, 2022
Applications for Financing Intensive, Line Producers Fellowship, Specialty Producers Fellowship, Business Fellowships, Artisan Fellowships, and Crew Fellowships open - February 3, 2023
Episodic Lab Fellows notified - February 13, 2023
Applications for Financing Intensive, Line Producers Fellowship, Specialty Producers Fellowship, Business Fellowships, Artisan Fellowships, and Crew Fellowships close - Week of February 22, 2023
Director and DP Fellows notified - March 7, 2023
Episodic Lab begins - Mid-March 2023
Episodic Lab, Director Fellowship, and DP Fellowship begin - Week of April 5, 2023
Feature Residency Fellows notified - Mid-April 2023
Feature Residency Fellowship begins - May 18–22, 2023
Feature Residency Kick-Off weekend (in person) - By May 30, 2023
Financing Intensive Fellows, Line Producer Fellows, Specialty Producer Fellows, Business Fellows, Artisan Fellows, and Crew Fellows notified - May 31, 2023
Financing Intensive, Line Producer, Specialty Producer, Business, Artisan, and Crew Fellowships begin - June 27–28, 2023
Financing Intensive (tentative dates—subject to change)
FAQs
- Which program should I apply to?
Please see the “fellowship opportunities by discipline” listed above. In most cases, you will have an opportunity to apply directly to a fellowship. For writers, you must apply to one of our career programs in order to be considered for the Writer Fellowship. - How can I apply for the Writer, Director, or DP Fellowships?
Applications for these fellowships, or the career programs that participate in these fellowships, will open on October 3, 2022. - How can I apply for the Producer, Business, Artisan, or Crew Fellowships?
Applications for these fellowships, or the career programs that participate in these fellowships, will open on December 12, 2022. More information will be closer to the applications’ opening date. - What if I don’t see my discipline?
If your specific career focus does not fit into any of the fellowships listed, please contact the programs team at programs@wif.org to discuss. - What is on the application?
Although the applications have closed for 2023, you can find PDF versions of the applications to the Director Fellowship HERE, the Cinematographer Fellowship HERE, the Producer Fellowship HERE, the Business Fellowship HERE, and the Artisan & Crew Fellowships HERE.