The STARZ x AWD Creative Leadership Lab is a professional development program designed to support women and gender-expansive directors who are poised for episodic television and ready to strengthen the leadership skills that sustain long-term directing careers.
Created through an ongoing partnership between STARZ and Alliance of Women Directors, the program focuses on a pivotal moment in a director’s career: the transition from landing a first episodic opportunity to becoming a trusted, repeat hire.
Through mentorship, industry access, and public recognition at BACK TO SET: Working Directors Intensive, the Creative Leadership Lab equips directors with the leadership, communication, and creative authority needed to thrive on professional television sets.
Program Overview
The STARZ x AWD Creative Leadership Lab provides six selected directors with focused mentorship, professional development, and meaningful industry visibility.
Participants will engage in a structured four-week mentorship experience with accomplished episodic or producing directors. These conversations are designed to address the real leadership demands of directing television, including navigating set dynamics, communicating with showrunners and producing directors, and translating creative vision into efficient on-set execution.
2026 Fellows
This year’s fellows are Josie Andrews, Cris Gris, Tiffany Frances, Christina YR Lim, Alejandra López and Tessa Slovis. Each has experience either directing episodic television or shadowing episodic directors on set. Additionally, they were also recognized for their strong creative vision and readiness for leadership roles.