The alliance is part of Lifetime’s Broad Focus initiative to provide women with more opportunities to write, develop, produce and direct content for the network. For over 40 years, AFI DWW has been committed to increasing the number of women working professionally in screen directing.

The shared goals between these two organizations further ensure opportunities are made available to qualified women on an equal basis.

AFI DWW alumnae and their projects created during the program have received many accolades this year: 2015 Cannes Cinéfondation First Prize winner Pippa Bianco (AFI DWW, Class of 2014) for her AFI DWW short film SHARE; Sian Heder (AFI DWW, Class of 2005), whose first feature film TALLULAH, based on her AFI DWW short MOTHER, will head to Sundance 2016; and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (AFI DWW, Class of 2012), whose AFI DWW short SEQUIN RAZE is now the award-winning Lifetime series UNREAL.

Bios for the AFI DWW Class of 2015, pictured above, are here.

(Source: blog.afi.com)