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The American Film Institute believes in the power of diverse voices to drive culture forward. As America’s leading filmmaker training program, the AFI Conservatory is committed to establishing equity in education, career advancement and visual storytelling.

AFI Cinematography Intensive for Women (CIW) is a tuition-free, four-day workshop designed for aspiring cinematographers committed to their journey toward a professional career as cinematographers, who have some on-set experience working in the field and are looking for additional training to help them advance in their education, craft and career.

Hands-on master classes in the fundamentals of cinematography constitute the core of the program, along with exposure to professional tools and techniques, appreciating and analyzing specific work crafted by professional women cinematographers, plus discussions about the current environment of the film industry and what it means to navigate such environments as women, nonbinary and historically underrepresented cinematographers. The goal of the program is to provide participants with a toolkit to secure on-set experience in the field and first-hand industry insights demonstrating the path to professional career success.

2022 CIW Participants

ANJULI ARREOLA-BURL

GUISEL CONTRERAS

SARAH CROWLEY-KELLY 

HANNAH FREEMAN

NICKY FUCHS

ALLYSON HOOVER

LEEANN LEONARD

MIRIAM OUCHI

ANGÉLICA PÉREZ-CASTRO

AJA PILAPIL

REBECCA RICHARD

SUSIE SHIRCLIFF

OLIVIA STEED

AMBER STEELE

OLGA WAGNER

DEMI WALDRON

Stephen Lighthill, Cinematography Discipline Head, AFI; President of American Society of Cinematographers (Photo by: Michael Pessah, ASC)

CIW is spearheaded by AFI Conservatory Cinematography Discipline Head Stephen Lighthill, ASC. The AFI Conservatory Cinematography program has propelled women cinematographers to great success, including trailblazer Rachel Morrison (MUDBOUND, BLACK PANTHER), the first woman ever nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Cinematography, as well as two-time Grammy® Award winner Melina Matsoukas (Beyoncé’s “Formation,” INSECURE, as director), Paula Huidobro (Academy Award® Best Picture winner CODA), Ava Berkofsky (INSECURE), Carolina Costa (HALA, WANDER DARKLY), Autumn Durald Arkapaw (LOKI, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER), Polly Morgan, ASC, BSC (LEGION) and Mimi Leder (THE MORNING SHOW, as director), among others.


The Cinematography Intensive for Women is presented by PANAVISION, with additional support from The Walt Disney Studios.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions about the program.

AFI’s cinematography workshop provides a great forum for women to harness their creative passion for cinematography, and Panavision is proud to support these women.

— Kim Snyder, CEO and president, Panavision.

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