As part of the DGA’s decades-long commitment to push for industry inclusion, the Guild has conducted the Television Director Mentorship Program that pairs members who aspire to expand their TV-directing careers (protégés) with veteran directors (mentors) who serve as their professional guides to the working world of episodic television. The structured, intensive career development program, which has been executed in 2018, 2019, and 2020, has now added 34 graduates from the East and West Coast sessions in 2022. On Thursday, October 20, the Guild held the first graduation ceremony for the East Coast participants; the graduates of the West Coast program were recognized at a separate event in June of 2022.
“Through mentorship and in-depth training from seasoned episodic director members, we have created opportunities for members across all DGA categories to deepen their skills and provide a robust pipeline of diverse talent for our industry,” said Lesli Linka Glatter, DGA president. “My personal thanks to our terrific mentors who have so willingly supported the Guild’s commitment to providing opportunities for the next generation of storytellers.”
For nine months they were exposed to the latest technical skillsets and best practices in preparation for a career in directing episodic television. The Television Director Mentorship Program is part of the DGA’s Director Development Initiative, which focuses on education, networking and career development. The combined programs aim to set members up for success through professional development so that they can turn new opportunities into long-term careers.
Breannah Oppenhuizen, Diversity & Inclusion Program executive for the DGA, stressed the Guild’s long-term commitment, “The DGA looks forward to continuing the DDI Mentorship program with the release of the application for its 2023 cycle slated for early next year. The newest iteration of the program will reintroduce career development workshops as a key secondary component in addition to the craft workshops and monthly learning events.”
Graduating Protéges and Mentors – 2022 Cycle
East Coast Graduation – October 20, 2022:
- Lloyd Lee Choi mentored by Rob Hardy
- Jennifer Derwingson-Peacock mentored by Michael Pressman
- Yor-El Francis mentored by Norberto Barba
- Melissa Haizlip mentored by Seith Mann
- Kris Lefcoe mentored by Andy Cadiff
- Eduardo Letamendi mentored by Michael Smith
- Seyi Peter-Thomas mentored by Laura Belsey
- Lydia Dean Pilcher mentored by Michael Slovis
- Sarah Pirozek mentored by Timothy Busfield
- Susanna Styron mentored by Nicole Kassell
West Coast Graduation – June 18, 2022:
- Steve Acevedo mentored by Mel Damski
- Amy Aniobi mentored by Todd Holland
- R. Dianne Bartlow mentored by Mary Lou Belli
- Daniel Bydlowski mentored by Leonard R Garner Jr.
- Anna Chi mentored by Jet Wilkinson
- Alycia Cooper mentored by Ken Whittingham
- Stephanie Cristancho mentored by Michael Goi
- Miguel Cruz mentored by Jaffar Mahmood
- Patrick Cummings mentored by Jeffrey Blitz
- Rylee Ebsen mentored by Mark Cendrowski
- Sean Frank mentored by Carl Seaton
- Eli Gonda mentored by Bill D’Elia
- Cellin Gluck mentored by Viet Nguyen
- Corey Grant mentored by Victor Gonzalez
- Joy Lane mentored by Lee Rose
- Annetta Marion mentored by Kabir Akhtar
- Carmen Marrón mentored by Allan Arkush
- Andrew Molina mentored by Ed Ornelas
- SJ Main Muñoz mentored by Andy Wolk
- Pratibha Parmar mentored by Ron Underwood
- Chell Stephen mentored by Tessa Blake
- Jay Torres mentored by Bethany Rooney
- Scott Weintrob mentored by Lee Rose
- Ssong Yang mentored by Rodrigo Garcia
Harvey Weinstein hit with new sex crime charge in New York
Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new sex crime charge in New York, as he awaits retrial in his landmark #MeToo case.
Details of the new allegations were not immediately available. He was charged with committing a criminal sex act.
The jailed ex-movie mogul has long maintained that any sexual activity was consensual.
Prosecutors revealed last week that Weinstein had been indicted on additional sex crime charges that weren't part of the case that led to his now-overturned 2020 conviction. But the new indictment was sealed until his arraignment.
Prosecutors have said that the grand jury heard evidence of up to three alleged assaults — two in hotels in the Tribeca neighborhood and one at a lower Manhattan residential building. The purported incidents took place from the mid-2000s to 2016, prosecutors said.
But it's not clear whether any of those allegations underlie the new indictment.
While bracing for the new charges, Weinstein also is awaiting retrial after New York state's highest court this spring overturned his 2020 conviction on rape and sexual assault charges involving two women. The high court, called the Court of Appeals, ordered a new trial, which is tentatively scheduled to begin Nov. 12.
The Court of Appeals ruled that the then-trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations that were not part of the case. That judge's term expired in 2022, and he is no longer on the bench.
Prosecutors have said they'll seek to fold the new charges into the retrial, but Weinstein's lawyers say it should be a separate case.
Weinstein, who also was convicted in 2022 in a Los Angeles rape case, remains behind bars while awaiting his New York retrial.
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