WIF (short for Women in Film, Los Angeles) has announced the 2026 cohort for its year-long fellowship program, as part of the organization’s commitment to advancing the careers of women, nonbinary and trans people across the entertainment industry.
The class — a mix of directors, producers, writers, cinematographers, crew members, execs and scholars — will take part in events, educational sessions and workshops, and be mentored by Hollywood professionals as they work toward their career goals.
“In this moment when our industry faces unprecedented challenges and the progress toward gender equality is sliding backwards, we are doubling down on supporting talented storytellers. Each fellow brings a distinct voice and creative vision, and we are excited to see their talents flourish while building the networks that will help propel their careers,” WIF CEO Kirsten Schaffer said in a statement. “We’re especially proud to welcome the first cohort of Scholar and Curator Fellows, investing in the next generation of thought leaders whose fresh perspectives will help shape a more expansive cultural landscape.”
The WIF Fellowship Program is made possible through the support of Falguni Lakhani Adams and Marla Charlton; the 2026 WIF Business Fellowship cohort is supported by STARZ through its #TakeTheLead commitment; and the WIF Director and Cinematographer Fellowship circles are supported by Netflix.
A full list of 2026 WIF Fellows is below:
Artisan and Crew Fellows
Alaysia Sierra, music supervisor
Aneesa Meador, editor
Ava Porter, title designer
Elika Rezaee, editor
Elissa “E” Alcala’, costume designer
Gracie Simonett, editor
Jenn Hoang, script supervisor
Judybelle Camangyan, sound designer
Kayla McIntyre, composer
Kesha Brooks, music supervisor
Madeline Abiera, assistant director
Madison Anglin, composer
Mandy Woo, composer
Maureen Marchetti, editor
Mel Guérison, composer
Molly Bolten, sound editor
Murphy Li, production sound
Naya Simone, casting director
Rajarajeshwari ‘RJ’ Ragampudi, production designer
Terese Classen, casting director
Tiana Ni, production designer
Business Executives
Maddy Myer
Rebecca ‘Toyin Doherty
Samantha Schoen
Yang Fei
Cinematographers
Hannah Platzer
Lisa Janae
Louise YunJu Chen
Quinn Thomashow
Directors
Jhanvi Motla
Kateryna Kurganska
KK Apple
Nikki Taylor Roberts
Wendi Tang
Producers
Margaux Lee
Masora Fukuda
Nazanin Nematollahi
Sarah Ahmed
Valeria Lopez
Casey Naranjo
Kiri Kraatz
Scholars and Curators
Imani Davis
Jiyeon Kim
Kathy Michelle Chacón
Writers
Adriana Ducassi
Amanda Kohr
Briana Pozner
Bo Shim
Eva Reign
Julia Prescott
Katie Waldron
Monisha Dadlani
Paige Wesley
Sessen Mengist
Tania Dominguez-Rangel
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