SeriesFest and Shondaland are proud to announce the continuation of the Women Directing Mentorship for our milestone fifth partnership cycle. This rewarding competition is designed to discover aspiring female directors with a unique voice and provide a launchpad for their career. The Women Directing Mentorship is anchored with the prestigious opportunity to shadow a director for an episode of a Shondaland original series and a $5,000 stipend to use during their mentorship.
2023 Cycle 4 Winner: Gia-Rayne Harris
“Shondaland has long been known to defy industry standards through dynamic female characters, but we have also always felt it was important to have equal representation behind the camera. To have talent and sets that reflect the world we live in has always seemed natural. We’re happy to partner with SeriesFest on this mentorship initiative to continue providing opportunities for women directors.”
Shonda Rhimes
Rachel Myers, the recipient of the inaugural mentorship shadowed director Tessa Blake on Episode 306, “Ice Ice Baby” of the Shondaland series, Station 19. Since her Cycle Two win, Tamika Miller has directed three episodes of Station 19 on Seasons 5 and 6. Jennifer Morris, Cycle Three’s winner, shadowed for a Shondaland show, and we are excited to share more information about the most recent winner, Gia-Rayne B. Harris, soon!
“Thank you Shondaland and SeriesFest for this amazing opportunity. This next step towards my future feels incredibly surreal. Thank you all for believing in me and for reminding me that making great work with great people is entirely attainable. I’m looking forward to learning from and growing with all of you!”
Gia-Rayne B. Harris (Cycle Four Winner)
Submissions for Cycle 5 of the Women Directing Mentorship are open now through December 19, 2023, and the winner will be announced in March 2024. You can find more information on the application process here.
