The Academy Gold Rising Program is a talent development, diversity and
inclusion initiative designed to enhance internship experiences under
the Academy brand. The initiative ultimately helps cement, strengthen
and clarify long-standing but independent efforts to address concerns of
accessibility and opportunity for underrepresented communities
throughout our country.
LOS
ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is proud to
announce commitments from 25 partner companies in the fifth year of its Academy Gold Rising program.
Gold Rising, formerly called Academy Gold, is an entertainment industry
internship enhancement and mentorship program for students and young
professionals from underrepresented communities. The summer program will
be virtual for the second time, enabling interns to participate from anywhere
in the world.
Alongside the Academy, participating partners include AMC Networks, Annapurna
Pictures, The Black List, BRON Studios, Circle of Confusion, Creative Artists
Agency (CAA), DTS (part of Xperi Corporation), The Walt Disney Company, Dolby
Laboratories, Evolve Entertainment Fund (Mayor’s Office), Formosa Group LLC, FotoKem,
Fremantle, Illumination Entertainment, Monkeypaw Productions, Moving Picture
Institute, NBCUniversal Filmed Entertainment Group, Paradigm Talent Agency, Paramount
Pictures, Participant, Shout! Factory, Streamland Media, United Talent Agency
(UTA) and WarnerMedia.
“Over the past five years, the Gold Rising program has steadily evolved and
grown, ushering hundreds of alumni into the start of their careers. We
are eternally grateful to our incredible partners who help open doors to a more
inclusive field and bring dreams closer to reality for this talented group of
young people,” said Academy governor and Education and Outreach Committee chair
Wynn P. Thomas. “Along with my fellow members of the Academy, I look
forward to meeting and mentoring this new class as they begin their journeys.”
“During a time with so many unprecedented challenges for artists, filmmakers
and young professionals looking to explore their futures, the Gold Rising
program will continue to offer participants meaningful, relevant and hands-on
experiences to help them find their way in our industry,” said Academy COO Christine
Simmons. “As we continue to push towards equity and inclusion across all
aspects of the Academy and greater film community, we’re excited to support new
and past Gold Rising interns throughout their careers and can’t wait to see how
they make their mark on the future of filmmaking.”
This summer, 100 students (including six interns placed within the Academy and
the Academy Museum) from across the United States and abroad will participate
in Gold Rising. The eight-week program, which concludes with a graduation
ceremony on August 7, offers participants networking opportunities with Academy
members and industry professionals, a variety of panel discussions on every
aspect of filmmaking, and career preparation sessions.
Each of the partners will sponsor up to three of their interns for the program,
which kicks off today, June 16, with a two-day orientation that includes
Academy governors, members and other industry speakers, studio and agency
panels, virtual tours of the Academy’s Film Archive, Margaret Herrick Library
and Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and a look into the Oscars® and
Scientific and Technical Awards.
The program also has a production track with online technical workshops and
masterclasses for students interested in cinematography, costume design, film
editing, production design and sound. The 35 participants in this track
are from California State University Northridge, Exceptional Minds Academy, Los
Angeles Film School, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, New York Film Academy
and select local community colleges from the Academy’s Community College Film
and Media Arts Consortium.
Gold Rising interns will hear from more than 120 panelists and speakers over
the course of the program. Highlights include:
Social Justice in Film
Panelists: Arthur Dong (writer-director), Laura Kim (EVP Marketing,
Participant), Dawn Porter (director-producer), Marjan Safinia
(director-producer)
Moderator: Rosalina
Jowers (Senior Manager, Social Impact Communications, Participant)
Authentic Storytelling in the LGBTQIA+ Space
With GLAAD’s Associate Director of Transgender Representation and documentary
film producer Alex Schmider
Getting to the Soul of “Soul”
Panelists: Matt Aspbury (cinematographer), Pixar Animation Chief Creative
Officer Pete Docter (director-writer), Ian Megibben (cinematographer), Kevin
Nolting (editor), Kemp Powers (writer-director), MontaQue Ruffin (animator)
Moderator: Audrey Cleo Yap (multimedia journalist)
Let’s Talk About It: Hollywood and Mental Health
Presented by Shaina Gonzales (licensed clinical social worker and founder of
Therapeutic Bridges)
Moderator: Dana Richie (filmmaker, producer, and founder of Backlot
Productions)
Upon completion of the program, all Gold Rising interns will be paired with an
Academy member for an eight-month mentorship. This past year, members
from every branch volunteered their time and support to the program, including
such mentors as Khadija Alami, Ruth Carter, Nicolás Celis, Jon M. Chu, R.J.
Cutler, Hugh Jackman, Yong Duk Jhun, Meg LeFauve, Tom McCarthy and Virgil
Williams.
Gold Rising affords top film entertainment, technology, production services and
digital media companies an opportunity to recruit and educate a nationwide pool
of diverse talent. To date, there are 365 past Gold Rising program
participants. The 2021 class is from 45 universities and is composed of
78% underrepresented racial/ethnic communities, 61% women, 43% LGBTQ+ and 17%
with disability.
Gold Rising, led by program directors Bettina Fisher and Niti Shah, is a part
of Academy Gold, a global
talent development and inclusion initiative that provides creative individuals
of diverse backgrounds with access and resources toward achieving their career pathways
in filmmaking. Programs under the Academy Gold umbrella also include Gold
Fellowship for Women, the Student Academy Awards, and the Academy Nicholl
Fellowships in Screenwriting. All past participants and award recipients
of these programs become a part of the Gold Alumni Program, which provides
networking opportunities, access and career advancement services and offers
affinity groups for Black and African American, Latinx, Asian American and
Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+ and women alumni to network with others who share
similar identities, backgrounds and experiences. The program also tracks
participants’ career progression and successes through a database, offering a
diverse talent pipeline for the industry.
Academy Gold Rising is supported by a grant from The James Irvine
Foundation. Additional support is provided by The Walt Disney Company,
Gucci Changemakers, and the Ruderman Family Foundation.
The Academy Gold Rising Production Track is made possible in part by the
JPMorgan Chase Foundation and the Dwight Stuart Youth Fund.
Other funding is provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and
Culture, Critics Choice Association in honor of Chadwick Boseman, and Leon
Silverman.
For more information about the Gold Rising program, visit https://www.oscars.org/gold-rising.
