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AFI Directing Workshop for Women Announces New Class of 2021

Congratulations to the eight new participants selected for the AFI Directing Workshop for Women Class of 2021: Michelle Krusiec, April Maxey, Mary Angélica Molina, April Moreau, Kelly Pike, Jessica Shields, Lucretia Stinnette and Em Weinstein.

“We are thrilled to welcome these eight artists into the AFI family and can’t wait to see their unique stories on the screen,” said Susan Ruskin, Dean of the AFI Conservatory and EVP of the American Film Institute.

Since its inception in 1974, the DWW has graduated over 300 alumnae, including accomplished filmmakers such as Lesli Linka Glatter (HOMELAND), Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (UNREAL), Tricia Brock (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK), Neema Barnette (LUKE CAGE), Jennifer Getzinger (MAD MEN) and Hanelle Culpepper (STAR TREK: DISCOVERY).

Past faculty and mentors who have championed the DWW mission include Ava DuVernay (WHEN THEY SEE US), Patty Jenkins (WONDER WOMAN), Kimberly Peirce (BOYS DON’T CRY), Jamie Babbit (RUSSIAN DOLL), Issa Rae (INSECURE) and Lena Waithe (MASTER OF NONE).

The participants will begin their tuition-free training in January, and the program will culminate in the production of a short film. Read the full bios of the Class of 2021 here.