Disney Entertainment Television Unveils 2024-2025 Directing and Writing Program Participants
The DET Directing Program is a highly selective, one-year initiative that guarantees the opportunity to direct on a Disney scripted or unscripted series.
By: Josh Sharpe Feb. 06, 2025
Disney Entertainment Television (DET) has announced the latest cohorts for the 2024-2025 Directing Program and 2025 Writing Program, two of the entertainment industry’s most impactful talent development initiatives. The programs nurture the next generation of creative talent by connecting emerging writers and directors with opportunities across DET’s scripted and unscripted television slate.
“This year’s cohorts have already begun making their mark with their creative vision and bold storytelling,” said Tim McNeal, senior vice president, Creative Talent Development and Inclusion, DET. “As part of the Directing and Writing Programs, this exceptional group of talent will have even more opportunities to shape the future of television, both here at Disney and across the industry.”
2024-2025 DET Directing Program
The DET Directing Program is a highly selective, one-year initiative that guarantees the opportunity to direct on a Disney scripted or unscripted series, as well as offering professional mentorship, on-set shadowing experiences, and unparalleled access to Disney’s creative executives for learning and networking.
This year, the program is adding 20th Television and ABC’s “9-1-1” to its impressive roster of scripted directing opportunities and is significantly expanding its unscripted slate to include ABC’s “American Idol” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” as well as Freeform’s “Project Runway.” Other directing opportunities include “The Chi,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “General Hospital” and “The Rookie.”
“We’re building on our collaboration with the Directing Program so that more emerging directors will receive the invaluable opportunity to learn firsthand from world-class creators, while also bringing their unique perspectives to some of our most beloved unscripted shows,” said Rob Mills, executive vice president, Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment, Walt Disney Television. “We’re excited to share their work with viewers at home when their episodes debut later this year.”
The 2024-2025 scripted directing cohort includes Karla Braun, Shawn Pipkin-West, Sarah Smith, Kate Sullivan, Ashley Williams and Kelly Yu. The unscripted cohort includes Jaclyn Amor, Ana Breton, Dara DiGerolamo, Tiana Gandelman and Roger Melvin.
Since its founding in 2001, the DET Directing Program has nurtured the careers of notable alumni including Pete Chatmon (“Interior Chinatown,” “High Potential”), Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther” franchise, “Anthem”), Regina KING (“Insecure”), Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr. (“Shōgun”), Amin Kaderali (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Jude Weng (“Only Murders in the Building”) and Hannah Fidell (“Pam & Tommy”).
2025 DET Writing Program
For more than 35 years, the DET Writing Program has helped to launch aspiring television writers into successful careers through staff writing opportunities on Disney scripted series.
Throughout the program, writers participate in advanced creative workshops, refine their portfolios, and meet and learn from DET creative executives, producers, showrunners and program alumni. Each participant is a contract employee of Disney for one year, with weekly salary and benefits, or until they staff on a show and are compensated at WGA scale. The program has maintained a nearly 100% annual staffing rate for more than a decade.
The 2025 cohort includes Monib Abhat, Mike Carreon, Jason Cho, Neda Davarpanah, Fatima Eldigair, Ananya Hegde, Andrina Smith and Alie Turfe. Eldigair has also been selected as the second annual FX Singleton Scholar. The scholarship honors the life and legacy of legendary director, producer and mentor John Singleton by offering mentorship from FX and special staffing consideration on a FX series.
Notable program alumni include Raamla Mohamed (“Reasonable Doubt”), Ayanna Floyd Davis (“The Chi”), Anthony Sparks (“Mike,” “Bel-Air”), Sabir Pirzada (“Ms. Marvel”), Janine Salinas (“Snowfall”), Tash Gray (“Reasonable Doubt”) and Luvh Rakhe (“Dave”).
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