HBO Announces Semi-Finalists for 2020 HBOAccess Directing Fellowship

HBO has selected the top twenty-five emerging directors for the semi-final round of the 2020 HBOAccess Directing Fellowship. The program supports directors who are interested in a career in television by giving them the opportunity to shoot a pilot presentation which will air on HBO, HBO GO, HBO NOW and HBO Max.

The application portal, which opened in February, accepted over 1,500 submissions. Directing fellows selected for the program typically take part in a series of master classes delivered by industry professionals which culminates into the production of a pilot presentation working with scripts from the HBOAccess Writing Fellowship. The goal is to prepare and position each director to helm their first episode of television.

However, due to the current disruption from COVID-19, the program will undergo some changes. "In light of the current gathering restrictions, we have made some exciting adjustments on how we are reimagining this program for 2020 and 2021," said Kelly Edwards, Senior Vice President of Talent Development, WarnerMedia Entertainment. "With production temporarily halted, the program will be pivoting to a virtual workshop until restrictions are lifted. This will give us the opportunity to expand the program to include a larger class. Instead of three participants, we will invite up to ten finalists to participate in this year's program. By delaying the selection of our 3 fellows to spring of 2021, we can accomplish two things at once - extending the opportunity to take part in the workshop to more candidates, and also allowing for more flexibility as things play out with regard to production."

The 25 semi-finalists include: Juan Pablo Arias Muñoz, Brandon Broussard, Emil Gallardo, Devin E. Haqq, Tarik Jackson, Tiffany Kontoyiannis Guillen, Erin Lau, Huay-Bing Law, LeRon Lee, Denise Moreno, Afia Nathaniel, Faraday Okoro, Lanre Olabisi, Solomon Onita Jr., Rammy Park, Jessica Petelle, Eric Pumphrey, Aemilia Scott, Sarah Smith, Portlynn Tagavi, Sabina Vajrača, Zao Wang, Ashley Williams, Marielle Woods, and Hao Zheng.

Candidates advancing to the final round will be notified on June 1st.

The HBOAccess Writing and Directing fellowships alternate each year. Submissions for the 2021 HBOAccess Writing Fellowship will open on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 through FilmFreeway.

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