Alliance of Women Directors
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| Abbreviation | AWD |
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| Motto | Vision Focus Action! |
| Formation | 1997 |
| Type | 501(c)(3) |
| Purpose | Education, support and advocacy for women directors in the entertainment industry |
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Co-Chair
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Eleonore Dailly |
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Co-Chair
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Jennifer Warren |
| Jacqui Barcos, Sarah Bullion, Marty Elcan, Rachel Goldberg, Hilari Scarl, Michelle Steffes | |
| Website | http://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org |
The Alliance of Women Directors (AWD) is an American 501c(3) nonprofit organization created to support education and advocacy for women directors in film, television, and new media. The AWD, established in 1997, has over 150 members and is based in Los Angeles.
The AWD works to support and promote the work, visibility, and professional development for female directors through a variety of programs including screenings, educational events, and industry parties both for their members, and the general public.
The Alliance offers a "TV Shadowing Program" providing opportunities for new directors to learn from experienced directors at work. The AWD is a nominator for the Fox Global Directors Initiative and an allied organization of the Women Filmmakers Initiative.
The AWD helps its members make professional connections. In 2014, Maria Burton was hired as director of A Sort of Homecoming when the film's producer consulted the AWD to find a suitable candidate. In 2008, Victoria Rose Sampson won a competition for her film, Need for Speed, after being notified about the contest via the Alliance.
According to their press kit, the Alliance believes in "foster[ing] a community of professionals to advance the art, craft and visibility of women directors in the world of film, television and new media" and promotes the idea that it is "vital that stories are told from all perspectives".Eleonore Dailly, co-chair of the AWD, in an interview with Elle magazine, described the group's goals as, "debunk[ing] this myth that there aren't enough female directors. There are highly trained female directors who can handle thrillers and action films just like male directors can handle romantic comedies."
Director Maria Burton was the co-chair of the Alliance for six years. Describing the problem to the LA Daily News, Burton said "through all the years, through all the genres, in front and behind the camera, women are vastly underrepresented." Speaking as an AWD board member, director Jacqui Barcos told The Huffington Post on the lack of women-directed films at Cannes, "complex dramas [...] tend to be difficult to finance in the U.S. If they are complex, the only way to get them financed is to have a big-name director, because then the investors are assured it'll be a masterpiece. And many of the most talented female directors are still relatively unproven, so investors don't want to take a chance." Similarly, Barcos told Variety that it was important to demonstrate that "a woman director can deliver a commercially successful film that is outside the romantic comedy ghetto".
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