Career Programs

This flagship program welcomes Fellows from all areas of the entertainment industry for a year of mentoring, master classes, network building, and one-on-one career strategy sessions.

The general deadline for the 2026 Fellowship application has passed. WIF Members at the Creative level and above receive a deadline extension until January 14, 2026, at 11:59pm PST.

The Business Fellowship is generously supported by STARZ. The Director and Cinematographer Fellowships are generously supported by Netflix.

The Episodic Lab is offered to promising non-professional television writers to hone their pilots and career strategy through workshops and master classes. All selected participants will also become WIF Writer Fellows in the annual Fellowship Program. The next application cycle will open October 1, 2025, and will close November 3, 2025.

The Episodic Lab is generously supported by the Golden Globe Foundation and ShivHans Pictures.

WIF’s Shorts Night showcases exceptional short films created by members of WIF, including WIF fellows and alumni. A Q&A with the creators follows the screening. The next edition of WIF Shorts Night will take place in December 2025. 

WIF’s Emerging Careers program provides filmmakers with opportunities for early career advancement. Through public and accessible programming, the program aims to foster meaningful connections and skill-building. INSIGHT provides  spaces that elevate historically underrepresented voices and expands outreach to ensure that WIF reflects the world we live in. 

For promising non-professional feature writers, to hone their projects through a weekend residency of workshops, networking, and writing sessions.

A two-day workshop, co-presented by WIF and The Sundance Institute, meant to equip emerging producers and their filmmaking teams with financing strategies advised by industry executives and leading financiers. 

For participants early in their producing careers, to gain the information and entry points needed to advance through master classes and group advising.

Thanks to eMinutes for their historical support of this program.

Through this fund, a select group of films have been awarded grants in cash and in-kind gifts, enabling them to complete production; many going on to gain distribution, receive top honors at film festivals, and win accolades including Oscars and Peabody awards.

Thanks to Stella Artois for their historical support of this program.

Mentoring Circles and Peer Mentoring together offered a safe and open environment for established women to cultivate the next generation of women seeking professional guidance as they built their careers and networks.

Mentorship is now a built-in component of every WIF Fellowship!

This multifaceted program offered support and funding for short-form content, which included mentoring for writers, directors, creative producers, and line producers, as well as resources to hire women-focused crew.

This program was made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Combining WIF’s years of expertise in nurturing women and non-binary creatives with comprehensive support, the WIF Shorts Lab supported by Google provided three filmmaking teams with the funds and support needed to produce a short film.