{"id":24032,"date":"2021-10-18T11:04:58","date_gmt":"2021-10-18T18:04:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/presskitchen.com\/?p=24032"},"modified":"2026-01-28T09:50:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T09:50:29","slug":"honor-society-director-jazeel-gayle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo.techsystintel.com\/press_kitchen_dev\/honor-society-director-jazeel-gayle\/","title":{"rendered":"On Shots, Honor Society Director Jazeel Gayle Discusses How Director Mentorships Need a Diversity Update"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Honor Society<\/a> director\u00a0Jazeel Gayle<\/a>\u00a0was presented with a chance to submit to an incredible mentorship program. The irony was, he didn’t need it at this stage in his career. Here, he breaks down if mentorship is as attainable to new filmmakers as it should\u00a0be.<\/h3>\n

Recently, through a close friend, I got the opportunity to join a mentorship program opening with a coveted mentor.<\/p>\n

There was just one small issue – I didn\u2019t need it. I felt humbled and honored, but I knew I had the reel and work experience to help me secure other jobs, where a director just starting their career could use this kind of mentorship program instead. Had the position come knocking three-to-four years ago, I would have jumped at the chance.<\/p>\n

I wondered why my chances of landing such an opening only increased as I earned more career experience…and not before? Where were these opportunities when I could have used them the most? Or, more broadly, are mentorship programs as attainable to new filmmakers as they could be?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a Black, Gay, Immigrant filmmaker. The doors to fellowship and mentorship programs are wide open for me. I say this because I need to acknowledge my privilege, even in this area. Meanwhile, I have the privilege of working with women and WOC directors and hearing their conversations about the industry. Mentorships like these are a frequent topic. Through their anecdotes about applications, both successful and not, I gained a clearer understanding of the fraught entry circumstances. These programs seem to be undermining their mission statement with their selection process.<\/p>\n

Imagine you are a possible applicant who doesn\u2019t live in a coastal city with a bustling production industry. You\u2019re talented and pining for an opportunity, but your reel is relatively non-existent. You may have some things you shot for your local church, or public access channel. Your reel is going to be competing with mine. That, to me, is insane. But if you look at who\u2019s accepted into these programs, you\u2019ll notice their reels are all well-defined bodies of work.<\/p>\n

I won\u2019t name any specific program. For two reasons. Out of respect for the participants and the organizers. And because I don\u2019t have to. Because the problem is universal. Take a look at any of those fellowships, mentorships, intensive, labs etc. Can our hungry wide-eyed filmmaker who only has well-intentioned local videos on his or her reel compete with the people these programs have selected? And if not ask yourself what do they have to do to get there? And is that attainable for them?<\/p>\n

What, then, can mentorships change about how they accept applications and structure their programs? If barriers to entry entail too much legwork, but programs still need to ascertain the knowledge of their applicants, they can find a happy medium to pursue:<\/p>\n