Alliance of Women Directors was founded in 1997 by alumnae of the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women as a community of peers to share information and support one another’s career advancement.
In the decades since our inception, our values haven’t changed. Today we are an inclusive collective of over 400 professional women-identifying and gender nonbinary directors working together to affect positive, lasting change in the entertainment industry. A relentless advocate for gender parity, AWD believes it is vital that stories are told from all perspectives. Representation matters.
AWD is committed to substantially increasing the number of working women-identifying and gender nonbinary directors in film, television, commercials and new media by:
- Providing professional support for members in the form of hands-on craft enrichment, education, and mentorship
- Developing and leveraging relationships with industry partners
- Partnering with like-minded organizations to increase our reach and impact
Alliance of Women Directors’ members range from recent graduates to award-winning veterans. Each has achieved professional status by having directed at least one long or short-form narrative film, television program, documentary, commercial or new media program that has been recognized by the creative community. We hope you’ll join us as a member, ally, volunteer or donor.
If you are looking to hire a director for a project, search our directory of AWD members based on genre, format, and more. Click here to view directors.