Above the Line Education Forum + Mentorship
The Above the Line program provides educational and mentorship opportunities for early to mid-career Washington State producers and directors who identify as members of historically underrepresented communities.
Annually, the Education Forum provides 15 weeks of online sessions, panel discussions, and workshops with industry experts covering business of film skills including: legal basics; budgeting; financing; production; and marketing and distribution.
The Above the Line Education Forum + Mentorship program is available at no cost to those selected to participate. The program includes scholarship funds to support each active participant.
Education Forum graduates may apply for a six month mentorship to further develop a long form narrative or documentary project with the support of in-state and out-of-state film professionals.
Who is this program for?
The program is designed to level up business of film skills and is best suited for early to mid-career producers and directors, in both narrative and documentary film, who have previously steered film projects and teams and are looking to make projects on a larger scale and to a higher industry standard.
Ideal candidates will have developed a base of foundational film skills and knowledge either in a school setting and/or through hands-on experience.
An individual is eligible for the Above the Line Education Forum if they meet all of the requirements below.
Applicant must identify as an individual from a historically underrepresented (i.e. marginalized) community.
Underrepresented communities definition — Underrepresented communities refers to groups of persons who have been relegated to an unimportant or powerless position such that they are prevented from participating fully in decisions affecting their lives. People may experience further marginalization because of their intersecting identities. They are often communities or populations that face systemic economic, political, social, and cultural barriers, many of them embedded in local laws and norms. The term encompasses communities with a shared experience of marginalization stemming from circumstances beyond their control. Underrepresented communities often include Black, Latino, Indigenous and American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color, members of religious minorities, refugees, migrants, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQIA2S+) persons, rural communities, formerly incarcerated persons, persons experiencing homelessness, and persons with disabilities.
Applicant of record for the program is a Washington resident producer or director.
Applicant of record may not have participated in the Above the Line Education Forum previously.
Applicants must be 18 years old or older at the time of application.
Applicants must be able to provide a social security number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
Note: Individuals must graduate the Education Forum in order to be eligible for the Mentorship.
Application Information
Use the resources below to get to know the application process ahead of the next application window.
Find answers to common questions about the Above the Line Education Forum + Mentorship.
Curious what the application looks like? Check out the preview questions document below.
The Guidelines & Criteria include all you need to understand the ins and outs of the program.
