DGA Announces 2024 Television Mentorship Program Participants

EXCLUSIVE: The Directors Guild of America has tapped a new class of filmmakers to participate in the 2024 Television Mentorship Program.

The eight-month program is a professional development tool for members who are interested in directing episodic television. It is designed to help current members hone their skills and further their careers in the television industry.

Each participant is paired with an experienced episodic television director, who will act as a mentor to expose their protégé to interactive education and training related to these aspirations. The selection process for this year’s crop ran from August 2023 to March 2024 and included more than 200 applicants.

“The DGA‘s Television Mentorship Program is a testament to our dedication in developing the next wave of episodic directors,” DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter said in a statement. “By pairing aspiring members with experienced industry veterans, we are empowering them to hone their craft and gain invaluable insights that will help them for years to come. I extend my gratitude to all of the mentors who have generously shared their expertise, helping to cultivate, nurture and support a vibrant and inclusive future of storytelling.”

The 2024 Television Mentorship Program participants are below in alphabetical order:

Western Region:

Phillip Rhys Chaudhary mentored by Shaz Bennett

Johnson Cheng mentored by Jeffrey Blitz

Anna Halberg and Spenser Cohen mentored by Tessa Blake

Jarrett Conaway mentored by Stephen Cragg

Will Joines and Karrie Crouse mentored by Nathan Hope

Juliana Curi mentored by Mary Lou Belli

Samantha Dock mentored by Chris Long

Courtney Franklin mentored by Alec Smight

Claire Fowler mentored by Rebecca Asher

Jeannette Godoy mentored by Iain B. MacDonald

Rami Hachache mentored by Anna Mastro

Gia-Rayne Harris mentored by Joanna Kerns

Jean Lee mentored by Tucker Gates

David Mahmoudieh mentored by Jaffar Mahmood

Henry Mason mentored by Chris Long

Anjali Nayar mentored by Ken Fink

Lisbon Okafor mentored by Sharat Raju

Tchaiko Omawale mentored by Michael Nankin

Talia Osteen mentored by Greg Beeman

Shawn Pipkin-West mentored by Pete Chatmon

Jessica Rae mentored by Andrew Wolk

Alvaro Ron mentored by Philip Sgriccia

Molly Smith mentored by Robert Cohen

James Takata mentored by Bethany Rooney

Cynthia Wade mentored by Maggie Kiley

Eastern Region:

Shari Carpenter mentored by Maggie Kiley

Jon Delgado mentored by Andrew Fleming

Quincy Ledbetter mentored by Nick Copus

Allison Miller mentored by Timothy Busfield

Arthur Muhammad mentored by Jeremy Podeswa

Jamaal Parham and Bashan Aquart mentored by Pete Chatmon

Amy Rice mentored by Jessica Lowrey

Joan Stein Schimke mentored by Elizabeth Rosenbaum

Nikki Taylor-Roberts mentored by Geoff Shotz