Female Forward

Overview

Female Forward is an NBCUniversal scripted directing program operated under the NBCU LAUNCH umbrella brand, which houses the company's inclusion efforts across its entertainment television portfolio. The program places selected women directors as the credited director of an episode on an NBCUniversal scripted series, providing them with a fully paid, professional directing credit on a network or streaming production. This is not a shadow or observational program - participants direct actual episodes of NBCU shows as fully credentialed episodic directors.

Founded in 2018 by NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke in partnership with veteran TV director Lesli Linka Glatter, Female Forward was created after a broadcast pilot season in which no NBC pilots were helmed by a female director. The program was the first scripted directing initiative in the television industry to guarantee that participants would helm at least one episode by the culmination of the program. Directors shadow on up to two episodes of their assigned NBCU scripted series before receiving an in-season assignment to direct an episode of that same series.

Female Forward runs alongside the NBCU LAUNCH TV Directors Program (formerly the Emerging Director Program, founded in 2009), which focuses on ethnically diverse male and non-binary directors. Together, the two programs form NBCU's scripted directing pipeline. The 2024-26 class of the combined TV Directors Program includes 4 directors attached to NBCU series including "Law & Order," "The Irrational," "St. Denis Medical," and "Chicago Med."

A Telemundo track was added in 2022 in partnership with Telemundo's Mujeres Imparables (Unstoppable Women) initiative, allowing two Female Forward applicants who are fluent in Spanish to shadow and direct on a Telemundo scripted series.

What It Offers

Female Forward participants receive:

• A full episodic directing assignment on an NBCU scripted series, with the standard directing fee for that production. This is the program's core offering - unlike shadow programs that provide observation without credit, participants emerge with a verified directing credit.
• Shadowing on up to two episodes of the assigned series before the directing assignment, providing exposure to the production workflow, set culture, and post-production process.
• Mentorship from the showrunner, producing directors, and studio executives associated with the production. Each program director is also paired with an alumnus who serves as a mentor throughout the process.
• Curated workshops led by veteran TV directors Mary Lou Belli and Bethany Rooney, covering the practical and creative tools needed to helm an episode.
• Professional network building through NBCU LAUNCH's industry relationships, including introductions to agents, managers, and showrunners.
• A professional episodic credit on an NBC network, Peacock, or Telemundo series, which serves as the foundation for building an episodic directing career.

Eligibility

• Applicants must identify as women.
• Candidates must have directing experience in their respective fields, including feature films, short films, music videos, commercials, digital content, or unscripted programming.
• Candidates can have no more than one scripted television directing credit. The program is designed for directors who need their first or second episodic credit.
• For the Telemundo track, applicants should be fluent or have full professional proficiency in Spanish.
• A DGA membership may be required for participation (check current requirements on the NBCU LAUNCH website).

Application Process

Applications open through the NBCU LAUNCH website. The 2024-26 class was announced in 2024, and NBCU LAUNCH indicated applications for the next class would open in the second half of 2025. Application windows have varied by cycle - some years opened in November and closed in December, others opened in spring.

Required Materials (based on prior cycles):

• Letter of recommendation (not from a talent representative)
• Resume detailing previous directing jobs
• Bio
• Reel
• Up to three work samples
• Responses to two essay questions

Finalists are typically notified several months after the application deadline, with the program cycle beginning in the following production season.

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 NBCU credit is substantially better positioned to get the next assignment than a director with no episodic history. Alumni of Female Forward and the TV Directors Program have gone on to direct additional episodes of NBC shows including "The Blacklist," "Chicago Fire," "Good Girls," and "Superstore," as well as series on Netflix, Fox, and Peacock. Notable alumni include Kat Coiro, Hanelle Culpepper, Rashaad Ernesto Green, and Nzingha Stewart from the Emerging Director Program, and Kim Nguyen, Brenna Malloy, SJ Main Munoz, and Dinh Thai from recent classes who now serve as mentors to new participants.

Notable Alumni and Track Record

The program has been running since 2018 (Female Forward) and 2009 (TV Directors Program / Emerging Director Program). The 2024-26 class includes Parisa Barani ("Law & Order"), Winter Dunn ("The Irrational"), Nina Kramer ("St. Denis Medical"), and Liz Sargent ("Chicago Med"). The 2022-23 class included Tayo Amos ("Chicago Fire"), Gia-Rayne Harris ("Chicago P.D."), and Elisabeth Rohm ("Law & Order"), among others.

Eight members of the inaugural Female Forward class were invited back to direct additional episodes of NBC shows. Livi Newman, an alumna of the inaugural class, went on to direct the feature adaptation of "Where the Crawdads Sing." Alumni regularly move into ongoing episodic directing careers across network, cable, and streaming platforms.

Who Should Apply

Women directors with professional directing experience in any format (features, shorts, documentaries, commercials, music videos, digital content) who want to build an episodic television career and need a first credited episodic directing assignment to enter the market. The program is specifically designed for directors who have no more than one scripted TV credit. Directors who already have multiple episodic credits are outside the program's scope.

See Also

For related directing programs, see the Emerging Director Program listing for Film Independent's labs and fellowships. For planning a directing career that combines film and television work, see Film Festival Strategy: Getting Your Film Seen. For understanding the role and responsibilities of a director on set, see the Director glossary entry.