{"id":57987,"date":"2020-07-31T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-31T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icrowdnewswire.com\/?p=2684336"},"modified":"2020-07-31T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-07-31T17:00:00","slug":"disney-launchpad-unveils-directors-for-inaugural-shorts-incubator-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipsnews.net\/business\/2020\/07\/31\/disney-launchpad-unveils-directors-for-inaugural-shorts-incubator-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Disney Launchpad Unveils Directors For Inaugural Shorts Incubator Program"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Clockwise from upper left: Ann Marie Pace, Aqsa Altaf, Hao Zheng, Stefanie Abel Horowitz, Moxie Peng and Jessica Mendez Siqueiros<\/span>Courtesy of Disney<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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EXCLUSIVE:<\/strong> As diversity becomes more of a staple rather than a trend in Hollywood, Disney<\/a> is stepping up to the plate to amplify underrepresented voices with the inaugural Disney Launchpad<\/a>: Shorts Incubator program. Filmmakers Aqsa Altaf<\/a>, Stefanie Abel Horowitz<\/a>, Jessica Mendez Siqueiros<\/a>, Ann Marie Pace<\/a>, Moxie Peng<\/a> and Hao Zheng<\/a> were revealed as this year’s participants.<\/p>\n

Launchpad is an immersive program in where the aforementioned six directors, who represent diverse perspectives, will produce original, live-action short films. They will have the opportunity to be considered for an exhibition on Disney+ and possible further development. The program also includes professional and storytelling classes led primarily by the program’s educational partner, the American Film Institute.<\/p>\n

“We are so excited to work with these six wonderful and talented directors who have so much to say to the world and have such beautiful ways of saying it,” said Mahin Ibrahim, Director, Diversity & Inclusion<\/a>, Market, at The Walt Disney Studios, and the leader of the Launchpad program. “We look forward to bringing their visions to life here in the Disney Launchpad program.”<\/p>\n

Submissions for the program opened in June 2019. Applicants were required to submit a short script, an essay explaining how they come from an underrepresented background or have a diverse perspective, a resume, a lookbook, and a directing sample. The filmmakers were selected earlier this year for the program which included pre- and post-production as well as additional classes to bolster their talent.<\/p>\n

The filmmakers have been paired with creative executive mentors from across The Walt Disney Company. Under the guidance of their mentors and their own creative directorial skills, the filmmakers were challenged to create original films that fell under the inaugural theme of “Discover”.<\/p>\n

Due to the pandemic,  the directors have been working on their script and connecting with their mentors remotely for the first half of the program. Despite production delays due to the COVID-19 crisis, they are now in the process of casting their films and selecting crew so they’re ready to commence production as soon as it is safe to do so.<\/p>\n

Read the bios of the filmmakers for the first-ever  Disney Launchpad: Shorts Incubator program:<\/p>\n