NAACP Editing Fellowship
NAACP has partnered with Adobe to support the launch of a new Editing Fellowship program to increase diverse representation in the post-production industry.
In Partnership with
A Next-Level Editing Opportunity
The NAACP Editing Fellowship program, in partnership with Adobe, is a 14-week paid fellowship that includes training, mentorship, and hands-on workplace experience created for individuals who have some experience with video editing and are looking to begin their career in post-production.
This Program Includes:
Fellows will gather in Los Angeles to kick off the program with a week-long retreat. Participants will receive four days of Adobe Creative Cloud skills training from an Adobe Certified Trainer, where they will learn editing fundamentals and how to customize their workflows with innovative new features such as Text-Based Editing in Adobe Premiere Pro and Frame.io Camera to Cloud.
Participants will be paired with a mentor for the 14-week program, providing access to one-on-one guidance and career advice. Anticipated mentors include Daysha Broadway, ACE ("Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody," "Insecure"), E.J. Barrois ("The Challenge," "Keeping Up with the Kardashians"), Sandra Montiel, ACE ("The Good Doctor," "Brooklyn Nine Nine"), and Stephanie Filo, ACE ("A Black Lady Sketch Show," "Dahmer"). Learn more about our mentors below.
Notable industry experts across disciplines will discuss different facets of the editing business in special conversations hosted for our fellows. These classes, available on-demand via the NAACP's social channels, will provide insights for anyone interested in pursuing a career in post-production. Learn more about our anticipated featured speakers below.
To gain invaluable work experience, fellows will participate in up to four workplace rotations within the NAACP Content Team and with Oscar-winning post-production company Parallax. Each rotation will span three to six weeks for 20 hours per week. Planned rotations include:
- NAACP Special Events and Social Media Content, creating video assets from NAACP's quarterly event activations (i.e. Image Awards, National Convention, etc.)
- NAACP Video Podcasts, working in-studio helping to develop NAACP podcast content
- NAACP Virtual Production Studio, generating dynamic content for NAACP social media platforms
- Parallax, working with the award-winning post-production company behind "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "BLKNWS" on in-development projects (local fellows only)
Fellows will receive a video editors kit, including a Mac laptop, keyboard, mouse, headphones, and other tools to use during the fellowship. Fellows will also get a free subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud for three years as part of this position.
Meet the Fellows
Alexandria Shaw - Westerville, OH
"It is the utmost honor to be selected for this fellowship. I am humbled to be granted the opportunity to gain invaluable experience and learn directly from esteemed industry professionals committed to diverse and inclusive storytelling."
Derrick Moore - Houston, TX
"As someone deeply inspired by the profound legacy of the NAACP, I am truly filled with joy to have the opportunity to contribute to and become a part of this esteemed organization. The chance to collaborate and forge connections with such established creatives is incredibly meaningful to me, and I eagerly anticipate the journey ahead."
TChara Dennis - Los Angeles, CA
Being selected as a Fellow means the world to me!! It's an incredible opportunity to expand my knowledge, skills, and network in the production industry. I'm eagerly looking forward to meeting and learning from new people who share my passion for editing and storytelling! This fellowship represents a chance to grow professionally and personally, and I'm thrilled at being able to dive deep into the world of editing alongside like-minded peers and mentors.
Tyler Holmes - Virginia Beach, VA
"Being selected as a fellow for an esteemed organization such as the NAACP, which has held a revered place in my household since childhood, is humbling and truly a dream. I'm eager to collaborate with and learn from some of the industry's finest, with the shared objective of amplifying more Black narratives within the film industry."
Meet Our Mentors
Daysha Broadway, ACE
Film and Television Editor
Daysha Broadway, ACE
Film and Television Editor
Daysha Broadway, ACE, is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning film and television editor who has over 10 years of experience working professionally in documentary, scripted, and unscripted television.
A Los Angeles native, Daysha obtained a Masters Degree in Film Editing from the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. Her credits include the box office hit Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody and numerous television shows such as Insecure, A Black Lady Sketch Show, 9-1-1, Twenties, and Boomerang. In addition, she has contributed her talents to documentary features such as Light Girls for the OWN network and Surviving R. Kelly for Lifetime, along with various short films.
Daysha was awarded a Peabody for her work on Surviving R Kelly, and in September 2021, Daysha and the editing team of A Black Lady Sketch Show became the first all-women of color team to win a Primetime Emmy Award in the field of editing. The team won the award for Outstanding Picture Editing in a Variety Series for A Black Lady Sketch Show. In that same year, Daysha was nominated for an ACE Eddie Award for the same title.
E.J. Barrois
Editor and Director
E.J. Barrois
Editor and Director
E.J. Barrois is an Editor and Director with over 20 years of experience in both scripted and unscripted productions. He holds a degree in Communications from the University of New Orleans and is based in Los Angeles, California. In his free time he enjoys motorcycling, going to the movies, and is a lifelong video gamer.
Sandra Montiel, ACE
Film and Television Editor
Sandra Montiel, ACE
Film and Television Editor
Sandra Montiel, an award-winning film and television editor, discovered her love for film at the age of 13 in Peru when her uncle, a filmmaker, read her a screenplay during a day out. Despite her father's wishes for her to study business, Montiel pursued a degree in film at the University of Southern California, where she found her passion for editing. Through editing, she was able to exercise her creativity and have control over the final product. Her career started as an assistant editor working with Paul Thomas Anderson (Punch Drunk Love), Roman Coppola (CQ), and Alex Cox.
As a television and feature film editor, she has worked for various production companies (NBC, MTV, Netflix, Fox, ABC, Sony) on renowned projects by Lorne Michaels, David Caspe, Prentice Penny, and Jerry Bruckheimer among many others. Montiel's works include acclaimed projects such as ABC's "Happy Endings", Universal Television's "Brooklyn 99" and most recently the highly celebrated romantic-comedy "The Valet," a remake of the French film, "La Doublure," set against the backdrop of celebrity culture, which premiered on Hulu in 2022. Her most recent project is Lionsgate's "About My Father", featuring Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro. Born in Peru, Sandra is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and French.
Montiel is a member of the American Cinema Editors (ACE) and is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the film industry. She has served as a mentor for the ACE Diversity Mentorship Program, which aims to provide underrepresented editors with the opportunity to learn from experienced editors in the field. With her talent, dedication, and passion for storytelling, Montiel continues to be a prominent figure in the world of film editing.
Stephanie Filo, ACE
Television and Film Editor
Stephanie Filo, ACE
Television and Film Editor
Stephanie Filo, ACE is a four-time Emmy, as well as Peabody and ACE Eddie Award-winning Film/Television Editor and activist based in Los Angeles, CA and Sierra Leone, West Africa. She serves on the board for Girls Empowerment Sierra Leone, a social impact and feminist-based organization for Sierra Leonean girls aged 11-16. She is one of the co-founders of End Ebola Now, an organization created in 2014 to spread accurate information and awareness about the Ebola Virus and its impact through artistic community activism.
Aside from editing television and film, Stephanie spends much of her spare time producing and editing social action campaigns and documentaries, primarily focused on the rights of women and girls worldwide. Some of her notable campaigns include her work with the United Nations, International Labour Organization, and the Obama White House Task Force's It's On Us campaign to combat campus sexual assault. Her charitable work has been featured in Forbes Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, Telegraph UK, Yahoo, Al Jazeera, XWhy Magazine, and various others. Her work on the news documentary series "Mental State" earned her an Emmy nomination for the episode "Aging Out" about youth aging out of the American foster care system. She earned an Emmy win for her editing on the Mental State episode "Separated" which covered ICE deportations, making herself and Nzinga Blake the first Sierra Leonean women to ever win an Emmy award.
In 2021, she won a Primetime Emmy award for her work on HBO's "A Black Lady Sketch Show", making her team the first all-Women of Color editing team to take home the award for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming. In 2022, she made history again as a member of the first all-black editing team to be nominated for and win both an Emmy and an ACE Eddie for "A Black Lady Sketch Show". Most recently in 2023, she has made history again, as the first Picture Editor and first Black editor to ever be Emmy nominated for 3 different series at the same time.
Parallax
Award-winning Post-Production Company
Parallax
Award-winning Post-Production Company
Parallax is a post-production company at the forefront of artistic exploration.
Our portfolio boasts diverse projects, from Beyoncé's iconic "Lemonade" to art installations and The Daniel's, "Everything Everywhere All at Once", which has earned us a reputation for meticulous curated, boundary-pushing work. Our collaborative approach, "The Swarm," involves multiple editors exploring the craft through experimentation and collaboration to create visually stunning and emotionally resonant narratives.
From thought-provoking documentaries to music videos, our work spans various genres and industries, showcasing our versatility and dedication to exceptional storytelling. At Parallax, we constantly redefine the art of editing and push the envelope to deliver transformative visual experiences that leave a lasting impact.
Meet Our Speakers
Lee Daniels
Director, Producer, Screenwriter
Lee Daniels
Director, Producer, Screenwriter
Lee Daniels is an Academy Award® nominated filmmaker whose work is trademarked by authenticity and candor, providing audiences with a unique experience and raw character insight with each of his projects.
In 2001, Daniels founded Lee Daniels Entertainment, a full-service production company that is home to inclusive storytelling and serves as a platform for diverse and underrepresented voices to create authentic and original content. LDE made its feature film debut with MONSTER'S BALL, making Daniels the first African American producer of an Academy Award®-winning and nominated film. He is best known for his Academy Award®-winning film PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE, which was nominated for six Academy Awards®, including nominations for Daniels in the categories of "Achievement in Directing" and "Best Motion Picture of the Year. In 2013, he released the critically acclaimed box office smash LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER, which tells the story of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), an African American butler who served at the White House during seven presidential administrations between 1957 and 1986.
Daniels wrapped production on his next film, THE DELIVERANCE, an exorcism thriller for Netflix, which he wrote, directed, and produced. The project stars Mo'Nique, Andra Day, Glenn Close, Aunjanue Ellis, Omar Epps, and Caleb McLaughlin. The film is inspired by the true story of a mother who believed her children became demonically possessed.
In February 2021, Daniels' latest feature, THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY, was released by Hulu. A drama based around the court case of famed singer Billie Holiday (Andra Day) after she was arrested at her apartment for the possession of narcotics, Daniels both directed and produced the film. Daniels' work with Andraon the film yielded her a Golden Globe Award® for "Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama" and a Best Actress Academy Award® nomination.
On the small screen, Daniels created the hit television series EMPIRE (FOX,) where he wrote and directed the pilot and continued to serve as an executive producer on the series until its season six finale in April 2020. The ground-breaking drama, starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, with Timbaland producing the show's original music, premiered in January 2015 and broke rating records during its first season.
In May 2021, Daniels signed a new multi-year overall deal with 20th Television, extending his previous deal with the studio that began in 2014. He continues to create, develop, write, direct, and supervise new projects under his Lee Daniels Entertainment banner. His recent projects include the critically acclaimed hit series THE WONDER YEARS, MS. PAT. Daniels is serving as co-writer and executive producer on the untitled biographical series, which will explore Sammy Davis Jr. through the lens of his racial identity and his complex relationship with the Black community. The eight-episode series is based on the book, "In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr." and will star Elijah Kelly in the leading role.
Following the success of the Grammy-Award® winning soundtrack of THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY, Daniels unveiled Lee Daniels Music, a global joint venture with Warner Recorded Music that encompasses recorded music projects, including soundtracks, as well as artist signings.
In late 2022, Daniels expanded into theater as the producer of the critically acclaimed Broadway comedy, AIN'T NO MO'. Written by, and starring, Jordan E. Cooper, the youngest American playwright in Broadway history, AIN'T NO MO' dared to ask the incendiary question, 'What if the U.S. government offered Black
Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa?' The answer came in the form of an outrageous and high-octane comedy about being Black in today's America. AIN'T NO MO' received six Tony nominations for Best Play, Best Direction, Featured Actor, Featured Actress, Costume Design, and Sound Design.
In addition to his successful film and television career, Daniels is also a passionate advocate and philanthropist. He sits on numerous boards including The Public Theater and Ghetto Film School, a non-profit which helps to educate, develop, and celebrate the next generation of great American storytellers. Daniels is also a longtime LGBTQIA activist, as well as a strong supporter of many charitable organizations.
Danny Gonzalez
Visual Effects Artist and Co-Founder, Perception
Danny Gonzalez
Visual Effects Artist and Co-Founder, Perception
From a very young age, Daniel Gonzalez was a passionate entrepreneur. It was
instilled in him by his father who owned a restaurant called El Prado and grew
to start his own DJ business while in college. He started his career at R/GA after
graduating from St. John's University where he received a BS in Business. For 6+
years he led the visual effects team for feature films, global ad agencies, and
broadcast networks. In the Fall of 2001, Gonzalez co-founded Perception with an
RGA colleague, Jeremy Lasky. They formed a motion graphics studio that lead the
revolution in creating groundbreaking design and visual effects on the desktop.
Perception is a cutting-edge design lab pioneering the visionary process of Science
Fiction Thinking to architect the future. Gonzalez co-leads new business
initiatives inspire future innovations for clients, shape the company's growth,
while overseeing a full-time staff of 15.
Gonzalez has been a keynote speaker and presenter at: The Savannah Film
Festival, Boeing Design Summit, and others. He has also lectured on design and
was a guest speaker at OTIS, SCAD, SJU Design, Carnegie Mellon's ETC and NYU
ITP. He has given presentations and workshops at some of the biggest tech giants in the world including Samsung, SpaceX, Intel, Microsoft, IBM, Northrop
Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, Audi, Mercedes, Ford, FCA, and Apple.
Gonzalez has been featured in dozens of design and industry publications and he
has garnered many of the most prestigious awards in the design world including,
Fast Company, CNet, Engadget, Variety, tech Crunch, Car & Driver, The Art
Director's Club, AIGA, Broadcast Design Association/Promax, CLIO,
International Andy Awards, AICP, Telly Awards, nominated for an Oscar for Best
Visual Effects and The Motionographer Awards. Most recently, Perception's title
design work on Marvel Studios' Disney+ series 'WandaVision' was nominated for
an Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design and won the SXSW Audience
Award for Title Design. Other accolades include a feature in Crains, El Pais,
Business Rockstars and numerous podcasts as well as judging at ADC, Promax and
BDA. He also co-hosts The Perception Podcast which has guests from the design,
film, automotive, science, and other industries.
Gonzalez is passionate about design and anything in the automotive world, he
currently has a collection of over 2000 Hot Wheels.
Carla Gutierrez, ACE
Documentary Editor
Carla Gutierrez, ACE
Documentary Editor
Carla Gutiérrez, ACE is an Emmy and Eddie nominated documentary editor. She edited the Oscar-nominated films RBG and LA CORONA. Her latest film, JULIA, about renowned chef, and television personality Julia Child, premiered at Telluride and was an official selection of the Toronto Film Festival. She also edited the Emmy-nominated PRAY AWAY (Netflix Original, Tribeca premiere).
Carla's work has received awards at Sundance, Tribeca, Berlinale, Outfest, the Critic's Choice Awards, the National Board of Review Awards, and the DuPont Columbia Awards. She has been a creative adviser for the Sundance Edit Lab, and a mentor for the Firelight Producers' Lab, The Karen Schmeer Diversity Program, and the Tribeca Film Fellows program. Carla is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures and the American Cinema Editors. She received a Master's in Documentary Film from Stanford University.
Craig Mizrahi
Co-Head of Production, Innovative Artists
Craig Mizrahi
Co-Head of Production, Innovative Artists
Craig Mizrahi is the co-head of the Production division at Innovative Artists, representing creatives for feature film, television and advertising content, based domestically and abroad. These include Producers, Directors, Cinematographers, Production Designers, Costume Designers, Film Editors, Stunt Coordinators, VFX Supervisors and ADs. In 2015, Craig was honored with Variety's annual "New Leaders" Award. Craig is a leading proponent in his field for the inclusion of diverse artists on set and equal pay for women. When not fighting for his clients, he spends much time giving back to the next generation of industry artists as a frequent guest presenter at the renowned American Film Institute, and has been a panelist at the ICG, MPEG, cinegear and many film festivals.
Dayna Lynne North
Creator, Showrunner, Screenwriter, and Executive Producer
Dayna Lynne North
Creator, Showrunner, Screenwriter, and Executive Producer
Dayna Lynne North is a film and television writer, producer, cultural curator, and self-described 'Delightful Disruptor' of the status quo. Recently, she co-created and executive produced THE BEST MAN: FINAL CHAPTERS, the adaptation of the iconic Best Man film franchise by Malcolm D. Lee. Dayna has also signed a two-year overall deal with Sony Pictures Television under her Loud Sis Productions banner. Under the terms of this deal, North will create, develop, write, produce, and supervise comedies and dramas across all platforms.
Dayna is currently in development with writer/director Morgan Cooper and Gabrielle Union's I'll Have Another Productions on the half-hour comedy BLACK COFFEE. Dayna was a writer/Executive Producer on the first three seasons of HBO's Emmy-nominated, zeitgeist-shifting INSECURE, co-created by and starring Issa Rae. She was also a Consulting Producer on the Television Critics Association and Peabody Award-winning SWITCHED AT BIRTH. Prior to that, she was co-showrunner and Co-Executive Producer on VH1's SINGLE LADIES. Dayna was also a Co-Executive Producer on the ABC Family drama, LINCOLN HEIGHTS, which garnered the NAACP Image award for Best Drama, as well as the Gabriel Award for Best Entertainment. She was a writer/producer on the first two seasons of the CW's pop culture phenom, VERONICA MARS, starring Kristen Bell. She also wrote the holiday-themed Lifetime biopic, AN EN-VOGUE CHRISTMAS.
In 2019, Dayna teamed up with founder/CEO Bridgid Coulter on the founding advisory board of Blackbird, House of Coworking – the first-ever private global co-working space designed by and for women of color. She is also on the Entertainment Committee for Time's Up and a member of Time's Up Women of Color, which aims to create a society free of gender-based discrimination in the workplace and beyond. Dayna is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, and a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Jasan Pagni
Production Agent/Partner, WME
Jasan Pagni
Production Agent/Partner, WME
Jasan Pagni is a Production Agent/Partner at WME. Born and raised in San Diego, Jasan graduated from UCSB and then began his career in accounting. He worked for Ernst and Young for three years, obtaining his CPA license. However, he soon realized that his true passion lay in the entertainment industry.
After a short venture pursuing a screenwriting career, including a Nicholls Quarterfinalist, Jasan joined the Paradigm Agency as an assistant, where he rose through the ranks and became an agent in 2003. He joined WME in 2010 and was promoted to partner in 2017, continuing his focus on Production clients, mainly in the areas of Line Producer, Director of Photography, Production Designer and Editor.
Shaheed Qaasim
Television Editor
Shaheed Qaasim
Television Editor
Shaheed Qaasim is a television editor with more than 25 credits in editorial. After 25 years in the industry, spending 20 of those years in editorial, he has worked in a wide variety of genres including award-winning hit shows like Modern Family, Reboot, Deadwood, and most recently known for his work on the hit show Poker Face. His enthusiasm for storytelling is only matched by his dedication to the craft of editing, his technical expertise, and love for swing dancing. He is a member of the Television Academy.
Christine Steele
Adobe Certified Instructor
Christine Steele
Adobe Certified Instructor
Christine Steele is an Emmy and Telly award-winning filmmaker. She's worked across genres editing animated and narrative feature films, broadcast television series and multiple documentaries, and won a Promax award for her editing on Disney marketing campaigns. Christine designs and develops creative content while leading and supporting teams of media professionals to deliver compelling, high-quality film and video. She brings 25 years of experience in film, media and communications to every collaboration, and she's worked for Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, Warner, Paramount, Showtime, Fox, Frontline, Electronic Arts, ABC, CBS, BBC and PBS. As a charismatic speaker and an Adobe Certified Instructor, Christine supports the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences communities by teaching, mentoring, and hosting interviews and panel discussions at events such as Sundance and SXSW Film Festivals, the Adobe MAX Creativity Conference and The NAB Show.
Louiza Vick
Co-Head, Motion Pictures, WPA
Louiza Vick
Co-Head, Motion Pictures, WPA
Louiza Vick, from St. Petersburg, Russia, earned her degree from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. Louiza started her career working in commercial production for companies such as Anonymous Content, The Directors Bureau, and Caviar while serving as a development consultant at Sony Television International for Russian programming division. In November 2008, she joined Paradigm's Production Department and got her start learning the ropes of below-the-line representation. In April 2010, WPA brought her onboard as an Agent serving its roster in Motion Pictures.
Moving swiftly, she expanded WPA's client roster to include editors. Louiza is tirelessly passionate in her search for interesting filmmakers and matching them with the right talent and personalities from her flock. Louiza's eye for talent is unmatched and she is continually successful in building and crafting rounded careers for the next generation of talent. In 2014, she was named as one of Variety's Hollywood New Leaders. Two years later, in 2016, Louiza was made Partner and is currently the Co-Head of the Motion Pictures Department at WPA.
Equity matters, and it is incumbent upon those of us who sit in positions of power and authority to help identify solutions to advance diversity and inclusion both in front of and behind the lens. It's an honor to work with a like-minded partner in Adobe, which shows up at the table with ideas and resources that make a tangible impact.
- Kyle Bowser, Senior Vice President, NAACP Hollywood Bureau