AFI FEST 2026

AFI FEST is the American Film Institute’s annual international film festival held in Hollywood. The festival showcases feature films and short films from around the world, with a strong emphasis on emerging filmmakers and bold storytelling. AFI FEST is an Academy Award®, BAFTA, and BIFA-qualifying festival for short films.

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Pink Apple Queer Film Festival

One of Switzerland’s largest LGBTQ+ film festivals. It showcases films exploring queer life and culture. Notably, submission is free of charge. Awards include cash prizes for Best Film (CHF 3,000) and Best Short (CHF 2,000).

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Film Independent Episodic Lab 2026

Film Independent’s Episodic Lab supports writers and creators developing original long-form episodic TV pilots with story and industry mentorship, workshops, and a final networking/pitch event.

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Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellowship

The Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellowship is an official year-long artist development program for emerging filmmakers aged 18–25, offering mentorship, community, and a professional cash artist grant to support the creation of new work.

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Adobe Podcast – Enhance Speech

A free AI tool that removes background noise and sharpens frequencies to make spoken audio sound like it was recorded in a professional studio. Perfect for fixing dialogue recorded on set in noisy environments or voiceovers recorded on phones.

Mixkit – Free Assets for Video Projects

Curated by Envato, Mixkit offers a massive library of free stock video, stock music, sound effects, and video templates (for Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve). Unlike many free sites, most assets require no attribution.

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Creative Services Intern — CBS New York (Paramount)

Paramount’s official Creative Services internship in New York offers real, on‑site production experience in promotional content creation for broadcast, digital, and social platforms. Interns work with video production teams on shooting, editing, and creative projects tied to local and network programming.

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Resident Director – Disney Cruise Line

Disney is hiring a Resident Director based in Toronto to oversee the artistic quality of their theatrical productions. The role involves directing rehearsals, maintaining show integrity, and leading creative teams at DCL's state-of-the-art rehearsal facility.

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Female Directors Directed Just 8.1% of Top Films in 2025 – SF Chronicle

A new USC Annenberg study reveals a sharp decline in female directors helming top 100 box office hits, dropping to 8.1% in 2025 from 13.4% the previous year. Despite the dip, critics note that women still represent 20% of this year’s Oscar Best Director nominees.

Estimated read: 4 min

Amazon MGM Studios Official Premiere Coverage Melania — Reuters

Amazon MGM Studios’ official press release coverage confirms the black-carpet premiere of the documentary Melania at the Kennedy Center — a $75 million production set for widespread U.S. theatrical release. This signals how major streamers are investing heavily in documentary content alongside scripted films.

Estimated read: 3 min

Sue Townley Monkress

Writer, Bartlesville, OK

Sue Townley Monkress is the writer of "Long Horizon," an exciting story of a young woman in 1914 Oklahoma who dreams of a career outside the home.  And builds an oil empire.  Seeking production company to bring this engaging drama to the screen.

Check out Sue’s spotlight