Disney Directing Program Unveils 2022-2023 Participants
The participants for Disney Entertainment Television Content (DET) have been selected for the 2022-2023 DET Directing Program.
“We’re pleased to once again guarantee episodes to talented, first-time television directors via our Directing Program,” said Tim McNeal, senior vice president, Creative Talent Development & Inclusion. “We continue to be grateful for the ongoing support and partnership of our participating Disney productions, showrunners and producers, and our creative executives and senior leaders, who remain committed to fostering and championing diverse directing talent at our company.”
Launched in 2001 and run by DET’s Creative Talent Development & Inclusion (CTDI) department, the DET Directing Program previously provided access, mentorship, shadowing assignments and advanced professional development to directors on the cusp of episodic television directing.
In partnership with participating Disney series, this year’s program will commit episodes to directors on the following shows: BUNK’D (Disney Branded Television), The Chi (20th Television), General Hospital (ABC), The Good Doctor (ABC/ABC Signature), The Rookie (ABC/ABC Signature), Single Drunk Female (Freeform/20th Television) and The Villains of Valley View (Disney Branded Television).
Some of the alumni of the DGE Directing Program include Tessa Blake (A Million Little Things), Pete Chatmon (black-ish), Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), Zetna Fuentes (Jane the Virgin), Regina King (Insecure), Marvin Lemus (Gentefied), Jaffar Mahmood (Young Sheldon), Nzingha Stewart (Little Fires Everywhere) and Jude Weng (grown-ish).
The program also merged with the former Fox Directors Lab/Fox Global Directors Initiative after Disney’s acquisition of Fox, whose notable directing alumni include Bert and Bertie (The Great), Marta Cunningham (Modern Love), Sydney Freeland (Reservation Dogs), Steph Green (Watchmen), Maggie Kiley (Riverdale), Alexis Ostrander (Cruel Summer), Marcus Stokes (9-1-1).