Women In Film Production Program

Overview

Women In Film (WIF) Los Angeles operates a Production Program designed to give women directors hands-on production experience and professional mentorship during active film production. The program is one of WIF's career development initiatives and sits alongside the WIF Finishing Fund as a practical intervention at a specific point in a woman filmmaker's career: the transition from having a project developed to having a project made.

WIF has operated in Los Angeles since 1973 as an advocacy and professional development organization for women in film and television. Its programs reflect a practical theory of change: that access to production resources and experienced mentorship during actual production is more transformative for women directors' careers than networking events or educational programming alone.

What It Offers

The Women In Film Production Program provides selected women directors with:

• Production support resources including access to equipment, crew connections, and production services through WIF's industry partnerships
• Mentorship from established women directors and producers who provide guidance during the development and production process
• Access to WIF's professional network in Los Angeles, which includes directors, producers, executives, agents, and other industry professionals
• A professional development framework that connects the specific production experience to broader career goals
• Visibility within the WIF community and potential consideration for WIF's other programs, including the Finishing Fund, for projects that advance to post-production

Program structures and the specific resources provided vary by cycle. Filmmakers should review the current program guidelines on the WIF website for active opportunities.

Eligibility

Applicants must identify as women and must be the director of the project. The program is primarily oriented toward Los Angeles-based filmmakers or those with a strong professional connection to the Los Angeles film community. Both documentary and narrative fiction projects may be eligible depending on the current program focus.

WIF membership is generally required or strongly advantageous for program participation. Membership is open to women professionals in film and television at tiered annual rates.

WIF as an Ecosystem

The Women In Film Production Program is most valuable understood in the context of the full WIF ecosystem. WIF's advocacy work, professional events, mentorship programs, grant programs (including the Finishing Fund), and connections to the Los Angeles industry create an environment where women directors can develop relationships over time rather than through one-off encounters. Long-term membership in WIF compounds in value as those relationships deepen.

Who Should Apply

Women directors in Los Angeles who are developing or producing a short or feature-length film and who want production support and mentorship from the WIF community during the production process.

See Also

For WIF's post-production support, see the Women In Film Finishing Fund listing. For planning a film production schedule, use the Production Schedule Calculator.