AFI DWW+ Announces 2026 category

The American Film Institute (AFI) has officially announced the eight film makers for the upcoming AFI DWW+ category for 2026, where each of them will take a short film production course. Indiewire shares the chapter exclusively here.

The artists chosen for the AFI DWW+ Class for 2026 are Ragini Bhasin, Reena Dutt, Maja Fernqvist, Melissa Fisher, Ran Jing, Eunice Levis, Caconne Martin-Berkowicz, Destinee Stewart.

Each participant went through a strict selection process and was finally chosen from 20 contestants in the final who met with a final selection paradise. AFI has also announced that Mary Jamura (AFI DWW 2020) has been called the technical director of AFI DWW+ Guest for the 2026 category.

“For more than 50 years, AFI DWW+ had a meaningful impact on the industry,” said Susan Roskin, Dean of the American Institute of the American Institute. “We are honored that AFI DWW+ Alum and Trailblazing, Mary Jamura will direct the new regiment while creating their films and showing their unique visions. We look forward to watching the 2026 chapter that flourishes as directors and inspires the next generation of the directors.”

“I have changed AFI’s DWW my life – the short movie that I produced in the program has become my communication card that launched me in his TV career,” said Jamura. “Film makers in Safi are not only my best friends, but we continue to provide each other with support and comments in our continuous projects. I am honored to be able to return the favor to the program that gave me a lot, to design the curriculum that prepares this amazing new collection for success. Now more than ever. We need to raise sounds like their fingers to contribute to the films that we all love and feel a dream. “

Jamora will work as a guide for DWW+ participants during the production and industry show course, which will be held in the spring of 2026.

AFI DDW+ appeared in 1974 as a guiding workshop for women. Since the start of the program, DWW+ has trained more than 350 filmmakers who present a voice of actress’s representative views. Conditions include Leslie Lina Grat, Sayyen Hider, Daem Davis, Marian Jeanpitet, Lee Grant, Maya Angelo, Anne Bancroft, Cecison Tyson, Joan Woodward, Ellen Borsin, and more.

BIOS for participants this year below, with the language of filmmakers.

Rajini Bhasin

Ragini Bhasin is a writer/director in South Asia and graduated from the Chapman Film University specializing in daily excitement and socially conscious films with a feminist lens. Her shore in many Academy Award festivals, including two modern shorts in Palm Springs Shortfest, were shown. Her films also appeared at the WARP List Festival, and she was chosen as the choice of Vimeo employees, and distributed by ARTE, Shortstv, Argo Channel and PBS. She was awarded the Macrae Memorial Award from WiF, and was the new expatriate in BAFTA (2021-2024), and won the Julia S. Gouw’s short challenge for the film hosted by Cape and Janet Yang Productions, and was a separate project independently to direct his colleague.

Rina Dot

RENA DUTT is devoted to the new and re -imagined texts that attract conversations through unexpected stories from AnneRheard. Her short film, which was found to start conversations within the adopted community, was used, and many bodies were supported by noraw.org and survivors, and called for weapons repair. As a product, her films were shown in more than 80 festivals including Sundance, Outfest, SF Dance and Frameline. She was a former fellow in SFFILM and Tap and Film Independent. DUTT is also a theater manager working at the regional level in the United States of America and opens her next production in Long Beach in March.

Maga Ferankvist

Maja Fernqvist is a multiple prize -winning creative manager, and has many years of experience in the advertising industry. Fernqvist focuses on telling stories in shrewd and visual ways. Her work includes music videos, artistic films, commercial ads and short films that have been officially chosen by film festivals such as La Short Fest and Brooklyn Film Festival. Fernqvist was chosen by Lionsgate to direct a short movie from the world of Twilight Saga and was chosen as one of the emerging managers to display new directors. Fernqvist has received global recognition from the Cannes International Creativity Festival, Clios, and British television advertising prizes.

Melissa Fisher

Melissa Fischer is a prominent director, writer and multi -industry with more than 12 years of award -winning Oscar experience like Damien Chazelle’s La La Land and First Man, and Amy award -winning offers like Glow and The Topout. Fisher’s works, which graduated from Dodge College of the Dodge Film at Chapman University, graduated with artistic skill with poetic images to create an exciting drama of passion, address social justice topics and highlight marginalized societies. The last short buses in Fischer focused on immigration and sexual identity, and won many awards, including the Academy Award for the Academy Award at Atlanta Festival in Cinema.

Ran Jing

Ran Jing is a national writer and director, famous for her model for the first time, which appeared in China’s Fariti, won multiple awards in the Academy Award festivals, and had a theatrical release in China. Jing was named one of the 25 best books in ISA, and Jing has written features for Ruyi movies. She was a former artist in Storyboard in Blue Sky Studios, and she worked on famous films such as spies in camouflage, peanut film and ice age distinction. Hollywood and China are deeply taught to the depth of the character that depends on the character that explores the topics of identity and belonging.

UNIS Levis

Writer and director, UNICE Levis, from the first generation of Dominican America from Bronx, New York. Levis’s work focuses on bending stories that explore technology, race, gender, history and the identity of the diaspora. She was recently a colleague of 2024 Nalip Media Accessator, and an intense colleague in LAB at Starz #takenthelead. Levis was a colleague of Stowe Story and Women Women of Color Film Leavator. The last short, Ro & The Stardust, which is the fantasy of bi -language space, is currently flowing on Netflix. Levis is an assistant professor in a movie and holds a master’s degree from New York University.

Checkkun Martin Berkovic

Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz is a writer and director whose work explores desire, strength and female dynamics. TV writing credits include harsh Amazon intentions and Amazon’s I know what she did last summer. As a director, the Martin-Berkowicz short movie was shown for the first time in SXSW and is now on Vimeo, where he got the selection of employees. The previous short was shown, in sync, at the Maryland Film Festival and is broadcast on NoBudge. Martin-Berkowicz is the teammate of Sony Picure TV 2024 and develops her first orientation. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Distin Stewart

Destinee Stewart is a director and writer from Dallas, Texas, now based in Los Angeles, who explores identity, flexibility and communication. Her latest movie, the other partners, for the first time in 2024 at the Riverrun Film Film Film Festival, was shown in the Oscar and its features, and a hand in water, which is a psychological horror, by Bendfilm: Basecamp and Cucalorus in writing. She develops her short movie of the concept for her advantage and hand in water. Previously, Dubbing Productions International for Netflix has been collaborated on international projects such as Love is blind and represented in his shadow.