September 12, 2024 (LOS ANGELES, CA) – The Latinx House, in partnership with the Sundance Institute, Netflix, and Shondaland are pleased to share the new cohort of Latina and non-binary Latine directors as part of the Adelante Directors Fellowship: Barbara Cigarroa, Iliana Sosa, and Michelle Salcedo. The Adelante Fellowship provides recipients the opportunity to shadow an episode of a series, a grant to support the artist for the duration of up to four weeks while shadowing, a two-day orientation with masterclasses, and bespoke support from The Latinx House. The fellowship, launched in 2022, creates unparalleled opportunities and invaluable experiences for directors to gain hands-on experience, and tools to create a new pipeline for them to break into the entertainment industry. 

This year’s fellows had the opportunity to shadow directors on the upcoming Netflix limited series Black Rabbit and the final season of the Shondaland TV show, Station 19. 

Barbara Cigarroa, a celebrated Mexican American filmmaker and Sundance Feature Film Program Fellow has earned international recognition for her work. In 2019, Filmmaker Magazine named her one of the “Top 25 New Faces of Independent Film”. Iliana Sosa, a filmmaker based in Austin, Texas, draws inspiration from her upbringing in El Paso as the daughter of Mexican immigrants. In 2022 she won two top awards at the SXSW Film Festival with her movie What We Leave Behind.  Michelle Salcedo is an award-winning director known for the Cuban period romance Cinnamon Skin and the action-packed, female-driven feature Switch & Bait. Her films blend a commitment to authentic representation with a visually stunning, cinematic style.

“As a Latina filmmaker, I understand firsthand the challenges and barriers that exist within our industry. The Adelante Directors Fellowship, now proudly in its second year, was created to dismantle these barriers and cultivate an environment where Latine talent is seen,” said Olga Segura, creator of the Adelante program and co-founder of The Latinx House. “This year, with the invaluable support of our partners and the inclusion of three incredibly talented fellows, we continue our commitment to elevating Latine excellence in film and television. Each fellow brings a unique perspective that enriches the industry and will contribute profoundly to the diverse landscape of storytelling that shapes our world.” 

“Each of these directors are seasoned filmmakers bringing years of independent film experience with them; it’s extremely fulfilling to witness these powerhouse producers and teams not only embrace them but advocate for them, at the doorstep of their TV careers,” said Jandiz Estrada Cardoso, Sundance Institute Episodic Program Director.

The continuation of The Adelante Directors Fellowship aims to also help bridge the gap of Latine creators in the entertainment industry to earn their fair share in terms of equal pay. Data from the human rights organization Justice for Migrant Women found that Latinas working full time, year-round in the arts, design, entertainment, sports and media are paid just 73 cents to the dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic male workers in these industries. The fellowship sets creators up for opportunities where their talents are valued and met with the resources to set them up for success. 

Applicants for this program were sourced through outreach from The Latinx House and the Sundance Institute. For more information about The Adelante Directors Fellowship, please email [email protected]. 

ABOUT THE LATINX HOUSE 

The Latinx House is a gathering place for people who appreciate and support the Latinx community and who celebrate Latine excellence in film and entertainment. It is also a space to discuss pressing societal issues and the content creation related to these stories. It provides engagement, activation and community-building opportunities. The Latinx House was founded by social entrepreneur and activist Mónica Ramírez, filmmaker and activist Alexandra Martinez Kondracke, and producer and entrepreneur Olga Segura. For more information, please visit www.thelatinxhouse.org.

ABOUT THE NETFLIX FUND FOR CREATIVE EQUITY

The Netflix Fund for Creative Equity is a dedicated effort to help train creatives for job opportunities on Netflix productions and set talent up for success in entertainment. Since its launch in 2021, Netflix has partnered with over 80 organizations in more than 50 countries.

ABOUT SUNDANCE INSTITUTE
As a champion and curator of independent stories, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings a global cohort of working artists together to learn from Sundance advisors and connect with each other in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Through the Sundance Institute artist programs, we have supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Big Sick, Bottle Rocket, Boys Don’t Cry, Boys State, Call Me by Your Name, Clemency, CODA, Drunktown’s Finest, The Farewell, Fire of Love, Flee, The Forty-Year-Old Version, Fruitvale Station, Get Out, Half Nelson, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hereditary, Honeyland, The Infiltrators, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Little Woods, Love & Basketball, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Mudbound, Nanny, Navalny, O.J.: Made in America, One Child Nation, Pariah, Raising Victor Vargas, Requiem for a Dream, Reservoir Dogs, RBG, Sin Nombre, Sorry to Bother You, The Souvenir, Strong Island, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Swiss Army Man, Sydney, A Thousand and One, Top of the Lake, Walking and Talking, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, and Zola. Through year-round artist programs, the Institute also nurtured the early careers of such artists as Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Gregg Araki, Darren Aronofsky, Lisa Cholodenko, Ryan Coogler, Nia DaCosta, The Daniels, David Gordon Green, Miranda July, James Mangold, John Cameron Mitchell, Kimberly Peirce, Boots Riley, Ira Sachs, Quentin Tarantino, Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, and Chloé Zhao. Support Sundance Institute in our commitment to uplifting bold artists and powerful storytelling globally by making a donation at sundance.org/donate. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.

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