THE 2012 ENROLLMENT CYCLE IS NOW CLOSED.
2013 cycle information will be posted online in the Winter of 2012.
The Women In Film Mentoring Program nurtures emerging talent in the entertainment industry by connecting individual WIF members with established professionals for a period of one year during which they benefit from one-to-one interaction. Matches between mentors and mentees are made according to career interest and compatibility.
We give participants the opportunity to build a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the entertainment industry by exposing them to the perspective of someone with sustained, hands-on experience. The nature of the mentoring relationship depends on the individuals and what they bring to the table.
Typically mentees can expect:
- 4 One-on-one meetings to discuss career plans
- Observation of process and best practices
- Advice on balancing work and personal life
- Social networking
- Participation in ongoing projects, when possible
Only current members at our General level or above are qualified to apply. Student and/or Associate level members are NOT eligible. Our goal for this program is to have professionals with exstensive experience in their field help and support people who are on their way up.
During the placement process we consider the applicants’ current levels of experience and their short and long-term goals. As a prerequisite to joining the Women In Film Mentoring Program, applicants are asked to attend a program seminar. At the seminar, candidates turn their applications, and the Mentoring Committee will give an overview the program. After the seminar, applications are reviewed at the WIF office, and the matches are made upon availability in the following months.
We search for mentors from all realms of the Entertainment/Media community, but our program also gives our established members an opportunity to give something back. By acting as mentors these volunteers keep the doors open for the next generation of women media makers whether they dream of the sound stage, the editing room, or an executive office.
The standard program cycle runs for one year, but relationships often extend beyond the official period. During that time, the mentee and the mentor will meet at least four times. After the first meeting both parties can determine how best to communicate. The goal of this Program is NOT for the mentee to get a job or an agent – it is simply to make a contact in the industry and to get advice and guidance from an established professional.
Our Mentoring Program is currently chaired by Linda Weitzler, a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with decades of experience in the industry.
Women In Film Mentors have included:- Sharon Lawrence, Actress – Projects include: “NYPD Blue”, “One Tree Hill”, “The Mentalist”
- Kathy Kinney, Actress – Projects include: “The Drew Carey Show”, “My Name is Earl”
- Jane Feinberg, Fenton & Feinberg Casting – Projects include: Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Godfather Part II, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- Rick Pagano, Pagano/Manwiller Casting – Projects include: X-Men: The Last Stand, Hotel Rwanda
- Mike Fenton, Fenton & Feinberg Casting – Projects include: American Graffiti, Chinatown, Marathon Man
- Melissa Leo, Academy Award Winning Actress – Projects include: The Fighter, “Homicide”
- Jamie Tarses, Producer – Projects include: “Mr. Sunshine”, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”, “Hawthorne”
- Adam Stone, VP of Development at Mandalay Pictures
- Hollace Davids, Senior VP Special Events NBC Universal
- Steven Felder, Producer of “CSI-Crime Scene Investigation”
- Monica Levinson, Producer – Projects include: Borat, Zoolander, The Insider
- Tracy Verna, Co-Executive Producer of “The Price is Right”
- Harry Ufland, Producer – Projects include: Snow Falling on Cedars, The Last Temptation of Christ
- Zoanne Clack, Writer – Projects include: "Grey's Anatomy"
- Rowena Arguelles, Agent - Creative Artists Agency
- Kathryn Bigelow, Academy Award Winning Director – Projects include: The Hurt Locker, K19-The Widow Maker, Near Dark
- Catherine Hardwicke, Director – Projects include: Thirteen, Twilight, Red Riding Hood
- Ron Howard, Actor, Director, Producer – Projects include: “Arrested Development”, A Beautiful Mind, Splash, Frost/Nixon, “Happy Days”
- Cathy Konrad, Producer – Projects include: Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma, Scream
- Marion Rosenberg, Executive Producer – Projects include: Revolutionary Road, Hollow Man, The Deer Hunter
