As a recent chair of the DGA Women\’s Steering Committee, I often remind folks that there are already 1200 skilled, accomplished female directors in the guild. And yet the DGA\’s own practices repeatedly push only the directors with the most recent credits. I love that you have gone out of your way to highlight talents who have NOT has a recent opportunity. Clearly, that is the only sensible approach to widening the pipeline.

As a woman director myself trying to get a narrative feature film off the ground I would like to share another mind shift that I believe must take place for our population. Though I have over thirty years experience directing film, with degrees, awards and hours and hours of broadcast television credits, my experience and resume are often under-valued. I am considered a "first time director" by many and repeatedly asked to show a film that looks like the one I hope to direct, as the key piece of evidence that can prove that I can deliver this picture. BUT unless and until producers begin asking a new set of questions that highlight breadth of experience and value the merits of what that director brings to the project, then change will stall.

Hiring practices must change for this list of incredible women, as well as for women like myself. The same old evaluations won\’t work. Fear is a good excuse to hold back the floodgates of change. Let it go!