The Directors Guild of America’s Women’s Steering Committee has announced its seventh class of mentors and mentees. The mentorship program pairs mid-career women and nonbinary directors with established mentors to help them navigate the early days of their careers.
Lucia Aniello (“Hacks,” “Broad City”), Mike Flanagan (“Carrie,” upcoming “The Exorcist: Martyrs”), Boots Riley (“I Love Boosters,” “Sorry to Bother You”), Karyn Kusama (“Jennifer’s Body,” “Girlfight”) and former DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter (“Mad Men,” “Homeland”) are among this year’s cohort of mentors.
“It is our mission to cultivate and strengthen the careers of our SQUAD cohort,” said directors and program co-leaders Karla Braun, Jess Brunetto, Tiffany Frances and Alexis Ostrander in a joint statement. “We believe these incredibly talented directors deserve every opportunity to reach the next level and beyond.”
“Amid the ongoing contraction of our industry, the WSC and DGA’s commitment to building this community is more meaningful than ever,” the statement continues. “Together, we are creating a space where we can support, champion and empower one another. We are inspired by these mid-career directors and cannot wait to see what they accomplish next.”
The WSC Squad Mentorship Program, which first began in 2021, is a nine-month curriculum aimed at cultivating a collaborative community of directors equipped with the tools and knowledge that will lead members toward success, while also having discussions about the challenges that women directors face in the process.
In addition to Braun, Brunetto, Frances and Ostrander, the WSC is co-chaired by directors Shaz Bennett, Jade Jenise-Dixon, Valerie Weiss and alt co-chair Liz Ryan.
The seventh class of mentor-mentee pairs are Lucia Aniello and Carmen Angelica; Abe Sylvia and Shaz Bennett; Kat Candler and Sabrina Doyle; Shannon Murphy and Claire Fowler; Gandja Monteiro and Saray Guidetti; Mike Flanagan and Anna Halberg; Boots Riley and Tiffany Johnson; Geeta V. Patel and Manjari Makijani; Karyn Kusama and Kate Sullivan; Jake Schreier and Alissa Torvinen; Lesli Linka Glatter and Mallory Thompson; and Laura Belsey and Kristin Windell.
