Fox Launches Global Initiative to Champion Female Directors
At the Fox Studios Lot in Los Angeles last week, top Fox talent and executives gathered to celebrate the launch of the Fox Global Directors Initiative (FDI), a multi-year program from 21st Century Fox and Fox Audience Strategy to promote diverse voices in film, broadcast, cable, and digital. In its first year, FDI will focus on championing the work of female directors. Its inaugural class consists of 20 Director Fellows.
"Our 20 Director Fellows are a reflection of the many talented directors who are at the core of great, authentic entertainment," said Dana Walden, Chairman and CEO, Fox Television Group. "These amazing women have achieved tremendous recognition for their work, and they represent exactly the kind of globally diverse creative talent that we want to be in business with here at Fox."
The Fellows were selected from a global pool of creative talent and span a range of media including film, television, and commercials. They include a mix of established talent and rising stars, such as Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Emmy nominee Jennifer Arnold, and Oscar nominees Steph Green and Jessica Sanders. The full list of fellows, including complete bios of each, is available at FoxAudienceStrategy.com.
For six-weeks, the Fellows will participate in the Fox Directors lab, an in-depth mentorship program with executive across 21st Century Fox entertainment businesses, including FX, FOX Broadcasting, Fox Film, Twentieth Century Fox Television, and Fox International Channels. At the end of the six weeks, five finalists will be selected for a 10-month program that gives each finalist the chance to produce a Fox-branded short.
"We could not be more pleased with the response to what we believe is an extraordinary opportunity to cultivate relationships with directors from global backgrounds," said Nicole A. Bernard, Executive Vice President, Fox Audience Strategy, The Fox Group. "The caliber of the Director Fellows that have committed to participate in the Fox Global Directors Initiative is a direct result of our referring partners and the abundance of diverse talent that they represent."
Fox's partners on this project include Women in Film, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, Sundance Institute, AFI Directing Workshop for Women, Outfest, and Film Independent, FDI's curating partner.
