The Producers Guild of America (PGA) is proud to announce that it is now accepting applications at www.pgadiversity.org for its 14th annual POWER of DIVERSITY Master Workshop. A flagship program of the Producers Guild, representative of its commitment to inclusion, The POWER of DIVERSITY workshop is designed to foster the development of aspiring and seasoned producers bringing their diverse perspectives to television, film, documentary and digital media. In the past thirteen years, the workshop has inspired top creative talents to even greater success in the industry.
This program provides participants with master classes headlined by today’s top producers, as well as one-on-one mentoring with members of the Producers Guild Diversity Committee. Topics are tailored to the participants and their individual projects, and include a broad range of state-of-the-art producing skills, such as story, development, pitching, packaging, financing, marketing, multiplatform distribution, and new media opportunities.
For this highly selective program, only ten producers per year are chosen out of a world-wide applicant pool. Non-PGA members are encouraged to apply. The POWER of DIVERSITY workshop is offered FREE of charge to those selected. Applications will be accepted until 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday, March 5, 2018 and the eight-week workshop will run two nights per week from mid-May through mid-July in Los Angeles.
“Studies show that greater diversity in front of and behind the camera results in a higher return on investment, proving that inclusion is not only the right thing to do, but is also smart business,” said Julie Janata and Sasheen Artis, Chairs of the PGA Power of Diversity Master Workshop. “We are thrilled to be a part of this tectonic shift to empower all underserved voices in media. From the founding of the Power of Diversity Master Workshop, our mission has been to celebrate all ethnicities, all religions, all genders, all sexual orientations, all ages, all levels of ability, and veterans, by giving creative producers the tools to bring their full passion and unique voice to the screen.”
Workshop participants have gone on to produce top television shows and major films, including LaToya Morgan (two-time NAACP Image Award-nominee for “Turn: Washington’s Spies,” “Into the Badlands”), Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (“S.W.A.T.”, “Sleepy Hollow,” “CSI: NY,” “Southland”), Ben Lobato (“Ice,” “Queen of the South,” “Justified”), Hollie Overton (“Shadowhunters,” “The Client List”) and Sarah DiLeo (“Bless Me, Ultima”).
Past speakers have included world-renowned producing talents such as Mark Gordon (“Grey's Anatomy,” “Criminal Minds”, “Saving Private Ryan”), Bruce Cohen (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “Milk,” “American Beauty”), Bruna Papandrea (“Big Little Lies,” “Gone Girl,” “Milk”), Lori McCreary (“Madam Secretary,” “Invictus”), Marshall Herskovitz (“Nashville,” “The Last Samurai, Traffic”), Shonda Rhimes (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” “How To Get Away With Murder”), Damon Lindelof (“The Leftovers,” “Lost,” “Star Trek Into Darkness”), Paris Barclay (“Empire,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “NYPD Blue”), Caryn Mandabach (“Nurse Jackie,” “That 70s Show,” “The Cosby Show”), Lindsay Doran (“Nanny McPhee,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “The Firm”), Luis Barreto (“America’s Next Top Model,” “The Mole,” “LA Ink”), Ali LeRoi (“Everybody Hates Chris,” “Are We There Yet?”), Ralph Winter (“X-Men” franchise, “Fantastic Four” franchise), and Bonnie Arnold (“How To Train Your Dragon” franchise, “Toy Story,” “Dances With Wolves”), among many others.
In addition, the PGA Diversity Committee has fostered partnerships with international producers’ organizations, bringing producers from around the world into the POWER of DIVERSITY Master Workshop, and in exchange, conducting the workshop on four continents, in Jordan, South Africa, Brazil and Taiwan.
For further information and application, please go to pgadiversity.org.
About the Producers Guild of America (PGA)
The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media. The Producers Guild has more than 8300 members who work together to protect and improve their careers, the industry and community by providing members with employment opportunities, seeking to expand health benefits, promoting fair and impartial standards for the awarding of producing credits, as well as other education and advocacy efforts such as encouraging sustainable production practices. For more information and the latest updates, please visit Producers Guild of America websites and follow on social media:
Websites: www.producersguild.org, www.pgagreen.org, www.pgadiversity.org
