American Film Institute Launches Two Cinematography Programs For Women Sponsored By 21st Century Fox

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The American Film Institute (AFI) announces the inaugural AFI Cinematography Introductory Intensive for Women (CIIW), sponsored by 21st Century Fox. The tuition-free program, taking place on the AFI campus in Los Angeles, August 3-6, 2018.

The Cinematography Intensive will introduce the fundamentals of visual storytelling to women who are interested in a career in cinematography. In addition, Twentieth Century Fox Film and AFI will partner to launch the Fox DP Lab for recently graduated female cinematographers from the AFI Conservatory.

The AFI Cinematography Introductory Intensive for Women, a four-day workshop led by world-class AFI Cinematography faculty and master-level guests, will inform participants about a cinematography career — with production workshops, discussions, screenings of the work of pioneering female cinematographers and more.


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The workshop will encourage participants to continue their studies and become a working professional in the field, with the goal of increasing the number of women working in cinematography. The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) will also support CIIW through their ASC Vision Committee, which is dedicated to the advancement of underrepresented cinematographers and their crews, regardless of race, gender or age.

Submissions open today, June 4, and the deadline to apply is June 15. Application and requirements are here.

Additionally, Fox and AFI will partner to launch the Fox DP Lab for 10 to 15 recently graduated female cinematographers from the AFI Conservatory. The Fox DP Lab will include master classes aimed to demystify the hiring process. Participants will meet with executives responsible for recommending and approving cinematographers in film and television; they will see a studio film and/or Fox series in process; and have the opportunity to hear from fellow cinematographers working at Fox for career guidance. Applications for this program — exclusively for AFI Cinematography alumnae — will open in August 2018.

"Following our incredibly successful partnership with AFI to develop the Fox Filmmakers Lab, this new initiative to grow and develop female DPs is a natural extension of our ongoing efforts to diversify and strengthen the talent pool in this vital creative discipline," said Stacey Snider, CEO and Chairman of Twentieth Century Fox Film. "Rachel Morrison's recent Academy Award® nomination should be the norm — not the exception — for female DPs, and our hope is that programs like the Fox DP Lab will create even more opportunities for the next generation of talented, up-and-coming female DPs throughout the entertainment industry."

The CIIW is spearheaded by AFI Conservatory Cinematography Discipline Head Stephen Lighthill, ASC, and Director of Nancy Malone Inclusion Initiatives at AFI Tessa Blake. "Less than 4% of film and television programs have a female cinematographer. Even in an industry rife with gender discrimination, the lack of parity is striking," said Lighthill. "The AFI Conservatory Cinematography program has been a leader in the field — and by piloting this initiative, which supports female cinematographers as they begin their exploration of the field, AFI and Fox will give diverse and deserving DPs greater opportunity to enter the industry."

The AFI Conservatory Cinematography program has propelled female cinematographers to great success, including trailblazer Rachel Morrison, the first woman ever nominated for the Academy Award®for Best Cinematography for MUDBOUND and the first to shoot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with BLACK PANTHER, as well as two-time Grammy® Award winner Melina Matsoukas (Beyoncé's "Formation," INSECURE, as director), Ava Berkofsky (INSECURE), Carolina Costa (FLOWER), Autumn Durald (PALO ALTO), Mimi Leder (THE LEFTOVERS, as director) and Lisa Wiegand (LAW & ORDER TRUE CRIME), among others.

21CF Global Inclusion nurtures diverse voices and stories, both in front of and behind the camera, through a variety of partnerships, initiatives and programs, including the Fox Writers Lab, Fox Television Directors Lab and the Fox Filmmakers Lab in partnership with AFI.

About the ASC
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the art of filmmaking. Since its charter in 1919, the ASC has been committed to educating aspiring filmmakers and others about the art and craft of cinematography.


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About the AFI Conservatory
The AFI Conservatory has been named the #1 film school in the world. In 1969, the AFI Conservatory opened its doors to an inaugural class that included Terrence Malick, Caleb Deschanel and Paul Schrader. Today, the AFI Conservatory offers a two-year MFA degree in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. Aspiring artists learn from the masters in a collaborative, hands-on production environment with an emphasis on storytelling. Alumni of this elite program include Andrea Arnold, Darren Aronofsky, Julie Dash, Steve Golin, Patty Jenkins, Janusz Kamiński, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas and Robert Richardson, among others.

About the American Film Institute
The American Film Institute was established by presidential proclamation in the White House Rose Garden, and launched its national mandate on June 5, 1967 — to preserve the heritage of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers. AFI's founding Trustees included Chairman Gregory Peck, Vice Chairman Sidney Poitier, Francis Ford Coppola, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Jack Valenti and George Stevens, Jr., as Director.