About the ACTION! Narrative Apprenticeship Program
An initiative of Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum (NWFF), the ACTION! Narrative Apprenticeship Program is now in its fourth year, generously supported by the Butler Family Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Norcliffe Foundation, and Vogt Family Foundation and with equipment support from Koerner Camera Company, Glazers Camera and Foundry10. The program is geared towards individuals who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or living with a disability, for whom on-set experience on narrative film sets has historically been difficult to access at intermediate and professional levels.
ACTION! is modeled after NWFF’s RGPro Apprenticeship Program, which pays mentors and apprentices to create productions together on feminist film sets, with the apprentices leading the creative vision.
Summer 2024 Program Overview
The Fourth Annual Narrative Apprenticeship Program will take a script from concept through production and post-production, to create a final finished film that is a collaboration between mentors and apprentices. Apprentices must be able to commit to the entire duration of the program, especially on the in-person film shoot days.
Available roles are as follows:
APPRENTICES
Eight (8) apprentice roles will be available during the Pre-Production and Production stages and will be compensated at a rate of $25 / hour. Must be available between May 31 and August 3; please see timeline below. (* Note: Writer / Director will also play a role during the Post-Production phase)
- Producer (~35 hours allotted)
- 1st Assistant Director (~35 hours allotted)
- Writer / Director * (~55 hours allotted)
- Cinematographer (~35 hours allotted)
- 1st AC (~35 hours allotted)
- Gaffer / Grip (~35 hours)
- Production Sound (~35 hours allotted)
- Production Designer (~35 hours allotted)
Three (3) apprentice roles will be available for Post-Production stages, and will be compensated at a rate of $25 / hour. Must be available between July 21 and September 7.
- Editor (~40 hours allotted)
- Sound Editor (~20 hours allotted)
- Color (~20 hours allotted)
Artists, mentors, and apprentices who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color), living with a disability, femme, gender non-conforming, LGBTQ+, undocumented, and/or live in unincorporated King County are strongly encouraged to apply.
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Accessibility
Film production days are expected to be long (10 hours+), and certain roles may require the lifting of heavy objects. However, applicants who identify as living as living with a disability are encouraged to apply. If you would like to request accessibility services because you have concerns about being on-set, the application contains an "Access Needs" section where you can provide more details, including any requests or questions, so that the apprenticeship program can try to accommodate a diverse cohort.
Exact schedules will be determined between mentors and apprentices. Some* roles may meet virtually, though production prep days and production days will require being in-person, on-set, during a specific schedule.
Should you anticipate that you may experience a barrier in applying, please email Education Director Netsanet Tjirongo at Netsanet@nwfilmforum.org. This will in no way affect your chances of being selected.
*50% in-person meetings are required for the following positions: Cinematographer, 1st AC, Gaffer/Grip, Production Designer
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Eligibility & Criteria
The Narrative Apprenticeship Program is intentionally designed for emerging BIPOC, LGBTQ2SIA+, gender-expansive, and artists living with a disability who have extensive experience working on their own creative projects but are looking for expanded opportunities on a professional film set. The ideal candidate has a fundamental understanding of their chosen field of filmmaking and is seeking to elevate their craft into intermediate or advanced levels through hands-on work experience and mentorship.
Selected apprentices must be able to say “Yes” to the statements listed below.
- You are a filmmaker who identifies as BIPOC, LGBTQ2SIA+, gender-expansive, and/or living with a disability
- You are an intermediate-level filmmaker who aspires towards a more advanced creative practice in one or more of the stated roles (ie: Producer, Writer / Director, Cinematographer, etc.)
- You are able to commit to the program timeline as outlined, especially on production and production prep days (July 7-9)
- You are 18 years of age or older
- You can provide a W9 and Social Security Number (SSN) or **Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) if selected for this Apprenticeship Program
Ineligible creators:
- Those who do NOT identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ2SIA+, gender-expansive, and/or living with a disability;
- Those who work professionally full-time as one of the listed roles;
- Those who are just beginning their filmmaking journey and have not worked on projects of their own or of others;
- Those who are unable to commit to the program timeline, especially shoot dates;
- Those who have already created, produced, written, or directed their own feature film
If you have any questions about roles, eligibility, or anything else, please feel free to email Executive Director Derek Edamura at derek@nwfilmforum.org.
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Application Timeline
- Monday, March 17, 2025 at 9:00am PST - ALL Applications Open
- Friday, April 11th, 2025 at 6:00pm PST - Info Session
- Friday, May 2nd, 2025 at 6:00pm PST - Info Session
- Monday, May 5th, 2025 at 11:59pm PST - ALL Applications Close
- May 9 - May 18, 2025 - Interviews with Finalists
- Monday, May 19th, 2025 - Final Cohort Selections and Notifications
- Saturday, May 31st, 2025 - Kickoff Meeting, Pre-production begins
Program Timeline
Within each phase, exact dates and times of meetings will be arranged with cohort members based on availability. Mentors and apprentices can expect weekly small group check-in's as well as occasional large group meetings, virtual or in-person. All film production prep days and (2) film production days must be in-person.
- Saturday, May 31, 2025 - July 17, 2025 – Pre-Production Phase
- Friday, July 18, 2025 – Film Production Prep
- July 19 & 20, 2025 – Film Production Days
- July 21, 2025 - September 7, 2025 – Post-Production Phase
- September 19 to 28, 2025 – Local Sightings Film Festival Premiere
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Application Materials
All mentor and apprentice applicants will need to provide an Artist Biography, an Artist Values Statement, Work Samples, and answer two Narrative Questions. Apprentices who are applying for the writer-director role will be required to submit an additional Screenplay Sample for consideration for the final project.
Please view the Application Guide for tips and best practices.
- Artist Values Statement is how the selection panel can better understand how your values as an artist and helps connect them with your work samples.
- Some examples you could share are: your intentions for the work that you embark on, the thematic content you address, or impacts your work has had on you, your audience, or community. What prompts you to be a creator? What internal and/or external factors does your work respond to?
- You will have the option to submit your Artist Values Statement in video, audio, OR written format, but not both. If more than one is submitted, the selection panel will only read the written submission.
- Video or audio have a maximum duration of 90 seconds.
- Text can include up to 300 words.
- Artist Biography tells the brief, personal journey of you as an artist.
- Some details you can share are: where you are based, where you grew up (if relevant to your work), your medium(s) and work process, how you came into your medium(s), any special techniques you use, notable recognitions or community work, and/or personal milestones that have shaped your work and evolution.
- You will have the option to submit your Artist Biography in video, audio, OR written format, but more than one. If more than one is submitted, the selection panel will only read the written submission.
- Video or audio have a maximum duration of 45 seconds.
- Text can include up to 150 words.
- Narrative Questions allow you to elaborate on your filmmaking past and hopes for the future.
- Please describe your experience with filmmaking.
- How will this apprenticeship program help you reach your goals as a filmmaker, particularly in narrative filmmaking?
- Work Samples should be relevant to the on-set role(s) applicants are applying for, if possible. Videos, images, and text documents are allowed. Each application’s work sample(s) will be evaluated for no more than 8 minutes by each member of the selection panel, so please lead with your best samples, regardless of file type.
- Video submissions will be reviewed for a cumulative total of no more than 8 minutes.
- A descriptive section will allow you to describe your work samples in greater detail.
- Work Sample Descriptions provide concrete details to help the selection committee understand the context of your work samples. Some details to include may be:
- Project title and completion year of each sample
- A brief sentence that introduces or sets up the work sample
- Your role (example: “I was the writer and director of this short film.”)
- Screenplay Sample (applicable to writer-director apprentice applicants only) is an eligibility requirement for all writer-director applicants. The individual whose script is selected will also be the writer-director apprentice, and their script will serve as the final project which the ACTION! Narrative Apprenticeship Program undertakes collectively. Completed scripts should be no more than 6 pages, formatted in standard screenplay format. Must be an original work of the applicant and include a logline or description.
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Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on each individual’s:
- Eligibility within the above stated parameters;
- Conversational interview with Northwest Film Forum team
- Positionality and intersectionality of historically underrepresented, underserved, and underresourced identities;
- Intermediate level of experience within film and previous work samples;
- Artist’s demonstrated commitment to build their creative practice;
- Likelihood that the apprenticeship opportunity will present a significant career development opportunity, particularly around narrative filmmaking
In addition to each individual, mentors and apprentices will also be selected based on perceived synergy between the cohort as a whole, to create the most empowering and supportive filmmaking experience possible. Factors which will be considered include:
- Synergy between each mentor and apprentice pairing
- Balance in levels of experience, skillsets, creative interests, and working styles
- Alignment in shared vision of filmmaking ethos
Selection Panel
Applications will be reviewed by the mentorship team using the above selection criteria, with priority considerations given to artists who have historically been undervalued and underrepresented in the mainstream film industry.
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Equity Statement
In recognition of the role of the arts as a vehicle for social change, Northwest Film Forum is committed to undoing systems of oppression and dismantling racist, sexist, and inequitable systems in our lives and organization. These values will be carried forth in the selection process.
Privacy & Security
As an applicant, your data and content will only be viewed by select members of the Northwest Film Forum team. Any content, including any script samples, will not be used or shared publicly without your consent. The cohort will be publicly announced in May, with each mentor and apprentice's bio and photo. Applicants who are not selected will not have their information or identities disclosed publicly.
Contact
Reach out to Executive Director Derek Edamura at derek@nwfilmforum.org for feedback requests, eligibility, or any questions you have about applying.
Please read our FAQ here.
Please view the Application Guide for tips and best practices.