Female Forward
A CBS directing initiative providing women directors with episodic television directing opportunities and mentorship to build credits in scripted drama and comedy.
Overview
Female Forward is a CBS Television Studios initiative designed to increase the number of women directing episodic television. The program places selected women directors as the credited director of episodes on CBS scripted series, providing them with a fully paid, professional directing credit on a network television production. This is distinct from a shadow directing or observational program -- participants direct actual episodes of CBS shows as a fully credentialed episodic director.
Episodic television directing is one of the most consequential professional arenas in American entertainment. A strong episodic directing career provides consistent high-level employment, significant creative latitude, and a financial stability that most independent film directors cannot match. For women directors, who are statistically underrepresented in episodic directing across all networks, programs like Female Forward represent one of the most direct pathways into this work.
What It Offers
Female Forward participants receive:
- A full episodic directing assignment on a CBS scripted series, with the standard directing fee for that production
- Pre-production, production, and post-production experience across the full episode delivery cycle
- Mentorship from the showrunner, producing directors, and studio executives associated with the production
- A professional episodic credit on a CBS network or streaming series, which serves as a foundation for building an episodic directing career
- Industry introductions generated through the CBS production and studio relationships
The directing assignment is the program's core offering. Unlike shadow programs that provide observation without credit, Female Forward participants emerge with a verified directing credit that agents, managers, and showrunners can evaluate.
Eligibility
Applicants must identify as women and must have a professional directing background -- typically feature film, short film, documentary, or commercial work -- that demonstrates the visual and logistical skills required to direct a scripted episodic production. Applicants without prior episodic experience are eligible; the program is designed precisely to provide that first episodic credit.
CBS Entertainment and CBS Television Studios announce program application windows through their diversity and inclusion channels. The current eligibility requirements and application process should be confirmed directly with CBS.
The Episodic Credit Problem
One of the most circular barriers in the television industry is the requirement for episodic credits to get episodic work, when episodic credits can only be earned by getting episodic work. Diversity directing programs like Female Forward break this cycle by providing the first credit without requiring a prior one. The professional credibility this generates compounds quickly: a director with one strong CBS credit is substantially better positioned to get the next assignment than a director with no episodic history at all.
Who Should Apply
Women directors with professional directing experience in any format who want to build an episodic television career and need a first credited episodic directing assignment to enter the market.
See Also
For related episodic directing programs, see the Alternative Directors Program listing. For planning a directing career that combines film and television work, see Film Festival Strategy: Getting Your Film Seen.
