Netflix & Shondaland Take Part in New Latinx Incubator

The Latinx House, the Sundance Institute’s Women at Sundance program, Netflix and Shondaland have struck up a partnership for a new program directed toward Latina and nonbinary Latinx directors.

The initiative is for Latina and nonbinary Latinx directors to gain invaluable experience that can help open new doors in the entertainment industry.

The Adelante Directors Fellowship will be a yearlong program that supports the selected directors’ professional development and creates a pipeline to support independent filmmakers as they move forward in their careers and learn more about directing on a series.

The Fellowship includes the opportunity to shadow an episode of a series, a grant to support the artist for the duration of a six-week period while shadowing, a two-day orientation with masterclasses and bespoke support from The Latinx House. Shondaland will be providing shadowing opportunities as part of the program on some of its productions as well.

Applicants for this program will be sourced through targeted outreach from The Latinx House and Sundance Institute. The three selected Latina and non-binary Latinx directors will be announced in early summer.

Olga Segura, producer, activist, entrepreneur and co-founder of The Latinx House, said, “It’s essential that the industry dedicates the resources needed to develop a strong pipeline of Latina and non-binary Latinx directors. We are so excited to be working with Women at Sundance, Netflix and Shondaland, allies who can help us build opportunities for talented creators. We believe it is critical to be working with like-minded partners in Hollywood to accelerate change in the industry. We hope that this Fellowship is just the beginning and will inspire even more studios and companies to open doors for Latinx directors.”

Adella Ladjevardi, associate director for Women at Sundance, added, “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with The Latinx House, Netflix and Shondaland on the inaugural year of the Adelante Directors Fellowship. Women at Sundance continues to support filmmakers from underrepresented communities and recognizes the impact that can be made by working together with our partners to build a more inclusive community of creators. Providing a shadowing opportunity is one of many ways we hope to increase access and exposure for Latina and nonbinary Latinx directors.”

Bela Bajaria, head of global TV at Netflix, said, “We know that great representation on-screen begins with who’s behind the camera. We’re honored to be a part of this incredible coalition to help support Latina and nonbinary Latinx directors who are looking for a pathway into television.”

“Shondaland is committed to finding ways to ensure equal representation both in front of and behind the camera,” said Shondaland’s head of creative production, Tom Verica. “We are incredibly excited to partner with The Latinx House and the Sundance Institute’s Women at Sundance to establish this wonderful program that will mentor and nurture Latina and nonbinary directors.”