Directors Guild Names Seventh Class of Women's Mentorship Program
The Directors Guild of America's Women's Steering Committee has announced the seventh class of its WSC Squad Mentorship Program, according to Variety. The program pairs established directors with mid-career women and nonbinary directors, meaning people who have several projects behind them but are still building their careers.
The new class lists five mentors. Lucia Aniello is paired with Carmen Angelica. Mike Flanagan is paired with Anna Halberg. Boots Riley is paired with Tiffany Johnson. Karyn Kusama is paired with Kate Sullivan. Former DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter is paired with Mallory Thompson.
Each pairing runs as a nine-month curriculum. Mentees work with their mentors on the specific areas where they want help, whether that is developing projects, handling a studio meeting or planning a career move. The guild's own description of the program says it tries to match each mentee with the mentor she chooses.
The program is not new. It first began in 2021, when the committee paired 10 established filmmakers with mid-career directors. The seventh class is the latest group to go through that cycle, which has now run for several years.
The committee itself dates back further. The DGA Women's Steering Committee was created in 1979, and six female guild members founded it, including Susan Bay, Nell Cox, Joelle Dobrow and Dolores Ferraro, according to the DGA's website. Its stated goal is to advance the professional interests of its members.
For anyone outside the industry, the guild matters because it represents the people who direct film and television, and its committees shape how those directors are supported. Mentorship is one of the few routes where a newer director can get a direct, sustained conversation with someone who has already made the same climb. Mentors are usually working directors with their own schedules, so a nine-month commitment is a real use of their time.
The DGA's leadership is also in the news this year. Christopher Nolan serves as the guild's president, and Russell Hollander is its national executive director, according to the DGA's press releases. The guild and the studios' bargaining group reached a tentative agreement on June 9, 2026, according to the same releases.
The next milestone on the guild's calendar is the 79th Annual DGA Awards, set for Saturday, January 30, 2027, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
