ReFrame Rise - Co-presented with Hulu
ReFrame Rise™ is a comprehensive and customized two-year sponsorship program that provides high-level endorsement and career acceleration for experienced female directors who are poised to lead commercial features and high-profile television shows.
Research shows that sponsorship, as opposed to mentorship, can enhance and accelerate a person’s career trajectory. A sponsor is an advocate who can propel a candidate to the top of a hiring list and provide access to the industry’s most powerful networks. ReFrame™ sponsorship differs from traditional mentorship in that it depends on a cross company collaboration of industry leaders to select, guide, and ultimately endorse the director—moving beyond career advice to actively landing jobs. ReFrame Rise directors will be paired with a team of three sponsors who will provide support based on the individual goals of the filmmakers.
Current studies demonstrate that there is a seven to 10-year gap in the careers of women who create content. There are gender barriers at each stage of the production process that cause “drop-out” patterns that hinder women filmmakers’ traction and success in Hollywood—a pattern that has not changed in the last 15 years. Findings illustrate that gender representation needs to address the barriers affecting women of all backgrounds, as only seven of the 1,200 top-grossing films from 2007-2018 were directed by women of color. Through ReFrame Rise, we hope to advance our philosophy that inclusive representation in media and diverse storytelling can transform the world by allowing us to better understand and connect with one another.
As before, the Reframe Rise program provides a two-year 2-year sponsorship program intended to accelerate high-level sustainable careers for mid-career women and non-binary directors. Beginning this year, we will be expanding the program to be a mixed cohort of directors and cinematographers.
To accompany the program’s expansion, we’re also evolving our selection process. Alongside ReFrame Rise nominations submitted to us by our Ambassadors and allied organizations, we have opened the submissions process for expressions of interest in the 2022-24 Rise fellowship. The expression of interest form is for individuals who wish to nominate themselves for consideration in the ReFrame Rise program. Once the process for expressions of interest is completed, the ReFrame staff will invite selected individuals to move forward to the submission process based on their desired role (e.g. Director or Cinematographer). Subsequently, our staff selects a shortlist of candidates for the ReFrame Rise Committee to review; and together we determine the final cohort of 8 to 10 Rise Protégés (50% cinematographers, 50% directors).
Applications for the 2022 intake are now closed.
For support, please contact reframe@wif.org. Please note this program is for mid-career directors and cinematographers and requires applicants to have held the role of director or cinematographer on at least one distributed feature film or episodic television series.
Current Class of ReFrame Rise
“It’s been a privilege to work with Women In Film and the team of Ambassadors to select this remarkable cohort of female directors who are ready for the next stage in their careers. These eight directors have the talent, voice, ambition and commitment needed to change the industry and expand the diversity and breadth of stories being told. This is a community wide effort, where everyone in the industry has a role to play in changing the narrative and ensuring the success of our pilot year. ”
REFRAME RISE SPONSORS
ReFrame would like to thank co-presenting sponsor Hulu, and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for their support of ReFrame Rise.