Realscreen’s Dialog Mentorship Program, a transformative initiative designed to foster connections for mid-level executives from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color backgrounds across unscripted programming and production, is expanding the scope in its fourth year by partnering with NATPE. This expansion will broaden the program to encompass the scripted side of the industry as well.
The program will identify up to ten exceptional executives chosen from the Dialog candidate submission pool and pair them with senior-level mentors who will share their experience to assist mentees in achieving the next echelon of their career goals. Mentors confirmed to be part of the 2024/2025 program so far include Grace Moss, VP of DE&I Pipeline Programs at Warner Bros. Discovery; Brie Miranda Bryant, SVP of Unscripted Development & Programming at Lifetime; Robyn Lattaker Johnson, Agent and Media Consultant; Ryann Lauckner, Chief Strategy & Operating Officer at Fulwell73; Bree Frank, SVP of Physical Production at Evolution Media and Founder of Hue You Know; David Cornwall, Managing Director at Scorpion TV; and J.C. Mills, President & Head of Content at Cineflix Productions. More mentors will be confirmed soon.
Realscreen EVP Mary Maddever referred to the amplification of voices that the program enables: “This program addresses a critical goal — increasing diversity of voices at the leadership level. Seeing the impact it’s had in the first three years on the unscripted side, we jumped on this opportunity to expand its scope by partnering with NATPE, and we’re delighted to announce the continued industry support and participation of our founding partners, A+E Networks and Warner Bros. Discovery," stated.
Meanwhile, NATPE’s Executive Director, Claire Macdonald mentioned the importance of balanced representation: “NATPE is extremely excited to add the Dialog initiative to its programs, recognizing that there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure balanced representation across the entertainment industry at a global level. We’re honored to be able to share this opportunity with execs across all genres," commented.
All program participants will receive a pass to the co-located 2025 Realscreen Summit and NATPE Global events in Miami, to meet their mentors and further expand their networks. The program has several highlights. Firstly, individualized pairings with mentors are expertly positioned to provide bespoke, actionable feedback on plans and objectives, with a minimum of two hours of mentoring per month between October 1, 2024, and May 1, 2025. Additionally, mentorship as a cohort via three virtual workshops will be facilitated by Realscreen/NATPE between October 1, 2024, and May 1, 2025. These workshops will cover topics such as pitching, dealmaking, budgeting, negotiating, and financing. Lastly, participants will receive complimentary access to the Realscreen Summit & NATPE Global from February 3 to 7, 2025, in Miami.
To be eligible, candidates must identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color, be currently employed at a Director level (or equivalent) or higher at an established media production, broadcast, or digital media company, or have equivalent freelance experience. Additionally, candidates must have a minimum of three screen credits or commensurate experience within the entertainment community, be able to present a detailed plan of their goals and aspirations in the industry, and have no previous participation in the Dialog program.
By fostering a supportive community, Dialog contributes to the long-term transformation of the entertainment industry. Realscreen and NATPE believe that championing diversity and inclusion can drive innovation, creativity, and excellence. Submissions are opening on July 18, 2024.