Applications Now Open for the Austin Film Society’s 2023 Creative Careers Program

 

MEDIA CONTACT
Will Stefanski
Will@austinfilm.org

Applications Open January 3 for Creative Careers, a Unique Workforce Development Program for Underrepresented Groups Interested in Breaking Into the Competitive Film and Creative Media Industries

January 3, 2023, AUSTIN, TX— After a successful first year of the Austin Film Society’s unique creative media workforce development program, Creative Careers, AFS announces applications are open for the spring 2023 program cycle. Applications will be accepted starting January 3 and will remain open until January 20.

The Creative Careers program is designed to expand access to jobs for Austin-area creatives who are looking to break into the film and television industry. By providing training, mentorship, and networking opportunities to participants, AFS is able to embed its graduates into the vibrant, creative workforce of Austin and Texas at large. The program is focused on supporting emerging professionals from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the film industry nationally, including those who identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a community of color, as a woman, or as someone with a disability.

For more information about the Creative Careers program and how applicants can apply, click here.

The program first launched in the fall of 2021 in partnership with the City of Austin and the GTOPs (Grant for Technology Opportunities Program) grant. Today, AFS has served over 30 participants with a 95% graduation rate. Creative Careers is run through Austin Public, a creative hub providing locals with access to equipment and training, and is led by AFS’s Director of Community Education Rakeda Ervin. “AFS Creative Careers offers tools for those who might not otherwise be able to pursue their dreams,” says Ervin. “By developing diverse talent and perspectives, we are strengthening the workforce and helping emerging creatives break into the industry.”

The Creative Careers program has three pathways that meet candidates where they’re at in their professional journeys: the AFS Internship Pathway is a six-month stipend-paid internship and training curriculum for 18-24-year-olds who want to pursue media production careers as an alternative to or in conjunction with a college degree; the Immersive Training pathway is also stipend-paid for three months followed by on-the-job opportunities to shadow professionals, work with mentors, and receive production assistant training; and the Continuing Education Pathway is designed for those who already have a bit of industry experience, offering them production and professional development courses beyond equipment certification to expand their skills toward career advancement. 

Those interested in the application process can sign up for a free webinar hosted by AFS Community Education staff on January 12 or watch a recording of the webinar they hosted on November 30, 2022. Both sessions aim to answer questions about the program and application logistics. Interested candidates can learn more through AFS’s website.

To watch the November 30 webinar for the upcoming Creative Careers application cycle, click here

About Austin Film Society

Founded in 1985 by filmmaker Richard Linklater, AFS creates life-changing opportunities for filmmakers, catalyzes Austin and Texas as a creative hub, and brings the community together around great film. AFS is committed to racial equity and inclusion, with an objective to deliver programs that actively dismantle the structural racism, sexism and other bias in the screen industries. AFS supports filmmakers from all backgrounds towards career leaps, encouraging exceptional artistic projects with grants and support services. AFS operates Austin Studios, a 20-acre production facility, to attract and grow the creative media ecosystem. Austin Public, a space for our city’s diverse mediamakers to train and collaborate, provides many points of access to filmmaking and film careers. The AFS Cinema is an ambitiously programmed repertory and first run arthouse with broad community engagement. By hosting premieres, local and international industry events, and the Texas Film Awards, AFS shines the national spotlight on Texas filmmakers while connecting Austin and Texas to the wider film community. AFS is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

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