Disney|ABC Television's Directing Program Announces the 2018-2020 Participants

The 15 selected to participate in the program are the following: indie film directors Maria Burton ("A Sort of Homecoming"), Pablo Gomez-Castro ("El Alquiler"), Stephanie Martin ("Wild Horses"), and Marshall Tyler ("Night Shift"); TV movie director Princess Monique ("Seasons of Love"); brand director and entrepreneur Ryan Brown ("The Rough Part"); feature screenwriter Michelle Steffes ("The Interview"); indie film/commercial directors Alonso Mayo ("Fixed") and Phillip Rhys ("The Scarecrow"); digital writer/directors Cynthia Kao ("Groundhog Day For A Black Man") and Marvin Lemus ("Gente-fied: The Digital Series"); commercial/streaming writer/director Dinh Thai ("Monday"); Broadway producer/director and indie film director Coy Middlebrook ("For Spacious Sky"); actor/director and law enforcement professional Jeremy Earl ("Constance Murphy"); and music video and commercial director Bobby Yan ("Marz").

"We are proud that our directing program continues to successfully transition extraordinary, diverse creatives into episodic directing," said Tim McNeal, vice president, Creative Talent Development & Inclusion. "And we are grateful for the support of our creative executives, showrunners and director champions who all help accelerate our participants' careers."

Launched in 2001, the two-year professional directing program aims to connect experienced directors on the cusp of transitioning into episodic directing with their first broadcast or cable assignments. One of the longest-running programs of its kind in the entertainment industry, it offers advanced professional development, shadowing opportunities and direct access to producing directors on hit series, while providing the opportunity to build the support system and networks critical for continued success.

After securing their first television directing assignments through the program, many alumni also have directed additional episodes on Disney|ABC Television series including ABC's "The Good Doctor," "How to Get Away with Murder," "Fresh Off the Boat," the ABC Studios-produced "Criminal Minds," Freeform's "grown-ish" and "The Fosters," and Disney Channel's "Andi Mack." Such alumni include Zetna Fuentes, Regina King, Rob Greenlea, Nzingha Stewart, Pete Chatmon, Jude Weng, Sharat Raju ad Aprill Winney.

About Disney|ABC Television

Disney|ABC Television is comprised of The Walt Disney Company's entertainment and news television properties and radio business. These include The ABC Television Network, which provides entertainment and news programming to viewers via more than 230 affiliated stations across the U.S.; cable network Freeform, which targets millennials; and Disney Channels Worldwide, a portfolio of 120 kid-driven, family-inclusive entertainment channels, including Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, and Radio Disney brands. Disney|ABC also has oversight of the eight ABC Owned Television Stations; ABC Studios, a global leader in the development, production and distribution of entertainment content across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms; and manages The Walt Disney Company's equity interest in A+E Networks, which include channels from A+E, Lifetime and History brands.

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