Universal Filmed Entertainment Group has announced the first eight filmmakers chosen for its “Directors Intensive: Pitch to Premiere” initiative — and seven of the participants are women. Per Deadline, helmers like Clea DuVall (“The Intervention”), Sally El Hosaini (“My Brother the Devil”), and Tanya Hamilton (“Queen Sugar”) were selected for the week-long program.
Universal is partnering with the Sundance Institute FilmTwo program and AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women (AFI DWW) for Directors Intensive, which is “designed to introduce selected filmmakers to executives from Universal Pictures and Focus Features and offer a look inside the studio’s production process from development to distribution.” Duvall, El Hosaini, and Hamilton are all FilmTwo Fellows.
“With this program we hope to create an opportunity that not only leverages the access these two initiatives provide to our studio’s executives, creative partners, and storied lot, but to also establish an inspired and unique network of champions to build upon the directors’ career momentum and development while supporting a new generation of incredibly talented filmmakers,” explained Janine Jones-Clark, senior vp of global talent development and inclusion.
Four AFI DWW directors will also be participating in the intensive: Joey Ally (“Joy Joy Nails,” “Flip the Script”), “New Deep South: House of JXN” helmer Rosie Haber, and narrative shorts directors Tannaz Hazemi (“Before the Bomb”) and Manjari Makijany (“I See You”).
While it’s great to see female filmmakers receive opportunities like this, it’s worth noting that Duvall, El Hosaini, and Hamilton are experienced feature directors who have already broken into the industry — and likely already know about the processes of filmmaking from development to distribution. It’s encouraging to see Universal supporting women filmmakers in this intensive, but there should also be programs designed specifically for emerging directors like Ally, Haber, Hazemi, and Makijany. They are still establishing their careers and presumably stand to gain the most from experiences like Directors Intensive.
