
June 19, 2020
AFI Movie Club: DOWN AND OUT IN AMERICA
Directed by Academy Award®-winning actor and filmmaker Lee Grant, DOWN AND OUT IN AMERICA chronicles poverty in America, from struggling farmhands to unemployed urban workers to the newly homeless. AFI DOCS honored Grant at this year’s Charles Guggenheim Symposium, which celebrates the legacy of Charles Guggenheim by recognizing a contemporary filmmaker with a profound respect…

June 13, 2020
AFI Movie Club: ALI
ALI stars Will Smith in the title role and features AFI Trustee Jada Pinkett Smith as Sonji Roi. Will and Jada have been key supporters of AFI through the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation – with an emphasis on supporting and promoting female and nonbinary filmmakers through grants to AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women…

January 15, 2020
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…

October 7, 2019
Universal’s Global Talent Development & Inclusion Group Doubles Number of Filmmakers Selected For 2019 Directors Initiative
American Black Film Festival, New York Latino Film Festival and NBCUniversal Filmmasters Partner With AFI Directing Workshop for Women and Sundance Institute’s FilmTwo Fellowship Today Universal’s Global Talent Development & Inclusion group (GTDI) announced the filmmakers who will participate in the studio’s 2019 Directors Initiative, which exposes directors to the studio production process and connects…

August 6, 2019
Pippa Bianco Discusses the Evolution of Making SHARE and Directing HBO’s Hit Series EUPHORIA
It’s been a busy summer for AFI Directing Workshop for Women (DWW) alumna Pippa Bianco, the talented, rising filmmaker who adapted her Cannes-winning DWW short SHARE into her first feature film. Produced and financed by A24, the film world-premiered at Sundance, where it was quickly scooped up by HBO. In the critically celebrated, riveting and…

April 19, 2017
AFI Presents Eight New Directors
“We’re at a tipping point where we can finally imagine a world where there’s parity, where we can try to heal the world and bring it back from the brink of insanity,” said Robinson. “The thing about a tipping point is that it can easily tip back. So what I need all of you women…

February 7, 2017
Paul Feig Is AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women’s Distinguished Artist
Following a recent kick-off event on campus with DWW’s 2017 Distinguished Artist, filmmaker Paul Feig (BRIDESMAIDS, GHOSTBUSTERS, SPY), the incoming AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women (DWW) Class of 2018 will embark on a year of mentorship, collaboration and creation to make a short film or series — all in preparation for professional success in narrative…

January 13, 2017
AFI Taps 25 Alumnae for Fox Filmmakers Lab
Following a rigorous selection process, AFI selected 25 alumnae from the AFI Conservatory and the AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women (DWW) to advance to the next phase of the Fox Filmmakers Lab.

December 10, 2015
The AFI Interview: UNREAL Creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro
Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (AFI DWW, Class of 2012) continues to receive acclaim and accolades as co-creator of the Lifetime original series UNREAL, which grew from her AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women (AFI DWW) short SEQUIN RAZE. AFI spoke with Shapiro about her series’ meteoric success story, and how her AFI DWW experience shaped her…
July 16, 2015
Jill Soloway Will Give Keynote At AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop For Women Showcase
The 2014 participants of the AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women (DWW) have completed their films and are ready to show off their powerful work next month at the program’s annual showcase — and TRANSPARENT creator Jill Soloway will be there to help celebrate. The DWW invitation-only showcase will take place at the Directors Guild of America in Los…

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