Alliance of Women Directors collaborates with Sponsors and Partners that believe in and work toward gender parity in the entertainment industry. These partnerships elevate our collective ability to advocate for and support women directors.
AWD Directing Members can check their AWD Member Center or inboxes for the discount and waiver codes, as well as information on how to contact partners.
ONGOING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
NEW COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Complimentary Development Coaching Sessions + 10% Off for AWD Directing Members
Emmeline Hankins is offering AWD Directing Members a limited number of complimentary 30-minute Development Coaching Sessions (link in Member Center). Bring a development question you’re wrestling with, whether it’s a script or pitch issue, confusing notes, figuring out your comps, or deciding which project to pursue next.
AWD members also receive 10% off One-Draft and Full Rewrite Coaching when booked and begun by December 11, 2026.
Emmeline is a producer and educator with 20+ years of experience in film and TV. She was a speaker at Back to Set 2026 and is a Workshop Leader for the 2026 STARZ x AWD Creative Leadership Lab.
Our AWD Directing Members are invited to an afternoon with the Women Independent Producers for an intimate conversation on what makes the producer-director relationship work, and what happens when it doesn’t?
Saturday, Oct. 24th from 1-3:30p PT
Emerson College Los Angeles Center (5960 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028)
RSVP link in Member Center.
This Tales From the Set conversation brings independent producers and directors together for an honest look at one of filmmaking’s most essential partnerships. Through candid stories from the making of a completed and released film, we’ll explore how directors and Producers can build trust and collaborate from development through distribution—and why Producers should be included, valued, championed, and supported throughout the journey.
This series is part of Women Independent Producers’ “Thank A Producer (TAP) Initiative” a mission-driven advocacy campaign that amplifies the visibility, value, and wellbeing of independent producers. It honors the often-invisible labor and leadership they provide in creative development, project sustainability, and the push for a more equitable industry. At its core, the TAP Initiative is about repositioning independent producers—not just as behind-the-scenes facilitators, but as vital cultural architects who shape storytelling, champion equity, and uphold artistic integrity
CURRENT FESTIVAL PARTNERSHIPS
AWD Directing Members can check their AWD Member Center or inboxes for the discount and waiver codes.
The Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA) proudly presents the 8th Annual BESLA Film Festival, a celebration of storytelling excellence within the African-American experience.
Submit via Film Freeway. Deadline is Oct. 2nd. There are no submission fees.
This year’s festival will take place during the 46th Annual BESLA Conference, October 28 – November 1, 2026, in Mexico.
From the festival: We invite filmmakers from around the world to submit short films (10 minutes or under) that explore African-American stories or are created by African-American filmmakers (director or producer).
Four finalists will be selected to screen before an audience of top entertainment, sports, and media industry leaders.
The Best Film in Competition will have the opportunity to be featured on BET.com and may be highlighted across BET’s media platforms (pending approval).
This is more than a screening—it’s an opportunity to showcase your work, gain recognition from influential industry professionals, and join a network of creatives and leaders shaping the future of entertainment.
Submit by October 2, 2026, and let your voice be heard.
We are specifically interested in narrative, over documentary.
Justice for My Sister is hosting their 3rd Annual Justice for My People Film Festival on Thursday, October 8th in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles. Purchase tickets HERE. AWD Directing Members can check their Member Center for a discount code.
Nava Mau (Baby Reindeer) will present her short film All the Words but the One and participate in a panel about Trauma-Informed Filmmaking. The festival will take place at the Japanese American National Museum (100 N Central Ave, Los Angeles CA 90012). The red carpet starts at 3p. The main event is from 5:00 – 9:30pm.
SCARY GIRLS is a celebration of bold, original horror-comedy short films directed by women and nonbinary filmmakers. The event features a curated short-film screening, followed by a live Monster Bash concert and Halloween party — all designed to champion emerging voices and build community within the entertainment industry.
October 10th in WeHo.
4PM: Doors Open
5-7PM: Screening and Filmmaker Q&A
7-8PM: Monster Bash Cocktail Hour
8-10PM: Monster Bash Live Concert!
Costumes & Halloween-inspired attire are welcome.
Purchase tickets HERE. AWD Directing Members can check their Member Center for a discount code.
The Tasveer Film Festival & Market is offering our members 20% off their festival all-access badge.
Tasveer is the Only Oscar® Qualifying South Asian Film Festival in the World. It runs Oct 13th-18th, 2026 in Seattle, WA and brings six days of bold cinema from across South Asia and its diaspora. South Asia encompasses Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet, and the communities that carry those stories worldwide.
Purchase tickets HERE. AWD Directing Members can check their Member Center for a discount code.
Members of Riverrun Int’l Film Festival‘s Curatorial Filmmaking Fellowship and Community Programmers (listed below) will be watching AWD members’ films for this amazing partnership! Also included is 50% off submission fees. Submit via Film Freeway.
Screeners include Fellow Christalyn Hampton (2026 Oscar Nominee for “The Devil Is Busy”) on Doc Shorts, Liz Sargent (2026 Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, “Take Me Home”) on Narrative Features, and Avalon Fast (“CAMP”, “Honeycomb”) focusing on Queer cinema. We also have community programmers, Taja Seafus (DOSE Arts Collective), Tiffany Albright (Founder, Queer Fear Film Festival), and arts consultant Brittany K. Giles-Jones.
Important dates:
Late Deadline: Monday, November 2, 2026
Final Deadline: Monday, December 7, 2026
From the festival: Named one of Moviemaker Magazine’s “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” in 2026, the RiverRun International Film Festival is a filmmaker and community-first celebration of bold cinematic visions that break the status quo and work for a more equitable and just world. We’re also an Academy Award qualifying festival in the Documentary Short and Animated Short categories!
We are happy to again partner with the Cascadia Int’l Women’s Film Festival to offer 50% off their submission fees! Submit via Film Freeway.
IMPORTANT DATES:
November 9: Short Film Regular Deadline
November 30: Short Film Late Deadline
From the festival: CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival celebrates its 11th season April 22-25, 2027 to showcase exceptional films by women directors from around the world. To date, CASCADIA has proudly presented the work of more than 330 women directors. Approximately 30-40 films will be screened over the course of the four-day in person festival. An online version of the festival takes place after the in person festival to provide accessibility for those unable to attend an in-person screening and promote our filmmakers with greater audience exposure.
The festival is located in Bellingham, WA, a city of 100,000 in the Pacific Northwest and situated halfway between Seattle, WA. and Vancouver, BC, Canada.
CASCADIA presents programs of short subject films, feature narrative and documentary films. Festival films are followed by Q&As with filmmakers. CASCADIA also hosts networking events, including the Saturday night Directors’ Party, industry panel discussions, a Script Studio and a special reception and program with its Honored Guest. Selected filmmakers are offered complimentary accommodations through our home host program and receive a screening fee and festival laurels.
CASCADIA strongly suggests anyone considering submitting to review the Official Selections from the previous festival found on our website.
We are happy to partner with the Worldwide Women’s Film Festival! They will program an AWD BLOCK of films and offer their early bird submission fee for short films ($25) on all deadlines.
Submit via their Film Freeway page.
Late deadline: October 31
From the festival: The Worldwide Women’s Film Festival supports women in film by educating and empowering women in the collaborative endeavor of filmmaking while we shine a light on women’s stories and other diverse experiences across all genders.
We are excited to partner with Cinequest Film Festival to offer 50% off submission fees!
Submit through Film Freeway.
From the festival: Cinequest is a legendary empowerment bastion for over 300 films, television projects, and media experiences. As we prepare for the 36th edition of Cinequest in 2027, we invite you to showcase your work at the festival voted “Best Film Festival” by USA Today readers.
Cinequest programs 85 to 90 percent of its festival from paid submissions annually, one of the highest percentages among the world’s most influential film festivals.
Cinequest connects artists, innovators, media, and audiences as people converge to experience a powerful mix of immersive stories from around the globe and breakthrough technologies. Cinequest’s stellar reputation rests not only on its ability to curate a compelling lineup, but also on its success in securing distribution for many of its honored filmmakers. Netflix, IFC Films, Amazon, MSNBC Films, Roadside Attractions, 1091 Pictures, Oscilloscope, Sony Pictures, Magnolia Pictures, Kino Lorber, eOne, Lionsgate, PBS, and HBO are just a few of the many companies that have signed deals with Cinequest success stories.
As an Academy qualifying festival for the short film categories, Cinequest proudly honors the winners of its Best Short Narrative and Best Short Animation awards with a chance at every filmmaker’s dream: Oscar gold.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Regular: October 12, 2026
Late: October 23, 2026
Special Film Freeway Extended November 1, 2026
We are thrilled to again partner with the Latina Independent Film Extravaganza to offer 40% off submission fees!
Submit via Film Freeway.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Late Deadline : December 1, 2026
The Latina Independent Film Extravaganza (LIFE) is a film festival dedicated to championing Latina directors and expanding opportunities for Latina voices in film. Through screenings, panels, and community-driven programming, LIFE creates space for bold storytelling while connecting filmmakers to industry access and real pathways forward. By elevating voices both on screen and behind the camera, LIFE is helping shape a more inclusive future for cinema.