Starz Partners With Alliance of Women Directors for Mentorship Program

Starz announced that it has partnered with the Alliance of Women Directors (AWD) to increase representation of female directors. The network is launching the STARZ #TakeTheLead Directors Program, a mentoring program that will lead those participating to direct their first television episode.

The application will be available May 1–15 for any AWD members on the AWD website. The opportunity is open to anyone who has not directed an episode of television yet. Six will ultimately be selected to participate in the program.

“More women and people of color behind the camera translates to stories onscreen that are more authentic and reflective of our world,” said AnnaLea Arnold, Executive Director at AWD, in a statement. “By amplifying narratives by, about, and for women, STARZ is making impactful change in the industry and has raised the bar of what inclusion looks like. We’re happy to be a partner on STARZ’s #TakeTheLead initiative and look forward to creating even more opportunities for women and people of color.”

Recently, Starz released the findings of a study it commissioned with UCLA’s Center for Scholars & Storytellers. The study found that onscreen and off-screen, Starz has made a sustained commitment to hiring women and people of color. Onscreen, Starz series leads were 57.9% women, and 63.2% people of color. Off-screen, Starz’s directors were 49.3% people of color and 43.7% women, and Starz showrunners were 54.6% women and 45.5% people of color—this latter figure was 53% above the industry average.

Starz is also hosting a monthly series of Transparency Talks as part of its #TaketheLead Initiative to encourage the entertainment industry to invest in stories by and about women and underrepresented groups. The next Transparency Talk will be on May 13. The talks will lead to the first-ever Starz Summit, an all-day event centered around diversity. 

“We’re proud of the opportunities we’ve created for female and diverse directors thus far, but know there is more we can do,” said STARZ President and CEO Jeffrey Hirsch in a statement. “We dedicated our first Transparency Talk to shine a light on how important it is to have representation behind the camera, and we’re thrilled to launch STARZ #TakeTheLead Directors Program with AWD. Since mentoring programs don’t always materialize into staff opportunities, we’re excited that this program includes a commitment to not only support, but ultimately hire talented directors who just need an opportunity to put their skills into action.”