On September 19, the Women’s Steering Committee (WSC) meeting preceded by the panel discussion, The Past, Present & Future of DGA Diversity Committees, a conversation about the Guild committees dedicated to the diversification of the industry. In a conversation moderated by Director/WSC member Jen McGowan, Directors Ashley Eakin (Disability Committee member), Annetta Marion (Focus on Women Committee Co-Chair), Princess Monique (African American Steering Committee Co-Chair), SJ Main Muñoz (Latino Committee Co-Chair) and Kimberly Peirce (LGBTQ+ Committee Co-Chair); UPMs Liz Ryan (Women’s Steering Committee ex-officio Co-Chair) and Canella Williams-Larrabee (Eastern Diversity Steering Committee Co-Chair) and 1st AD Luc OuYang (Asian American Committee member) discussed the work of the Guild committees dedicated to the diversification of the industry, their history and the outlook for the future.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS:

Director Ashley Eakin Eakin’s directorial credits include episodes of Best Foot Forward and Growing Up and the short film Forgive Us Our Trespasses. She has been a DGA member since 2021 and is a member of the Disability Committee.

Director Annetta Marion Marion’s directorial credits include episodes of Oprah’s Master Class, Mission Juno and The 47th Floor. She recently produced and second unit directed Davis Guggenheim’s documentary, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. A DGA member since 2009, Marion serves as an alternate on the DGA National Board and as a co-chair of the Focus on Women Committee, is a member of the Eastern Diversity Steering Committee and has served on the Eastern Directors Council.

Director Princess Monique  Monique’s directorial credits include the movie for television, Seasons of Love; and episodes of Grand Crew, The Goldbergs, Our Kind of People, Black-ish, Greenleaf; and the documentary short, Nerdist the Impact of Black Panther. She has been a DGA member since 2019 and serves as a co-chair of the African American Steering Committee.

Director SJ Main Muñoz  Main Muñoz’s directorial credits include episodes of Manifest, The Cleaning Lady, American Horror Stories, Dynasty, 9-1-1: Lone Star, Chicago Med, The Rookie, Ordinary Joe and Chicago P.D.; as well as numerous short films. In 2020, Main Muñoz was the only Latina narrative Director to be invited into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A graduate of the DGA Television Director Mentorship Program, she has been a member of the Guild since 2020 and previously serves as a co-chair of the Latino Committee.

Director Kimberly Peirce  Peirce’s directorial credits include the feature films Carrie, Stop-Loss and Boys Don’t Cry; the movie for television Impact; episodes of P-Valley, Kidding, Dear White People, Six, I Love Dick, Halt and Catch Fire, Game of Silence, American Crime, TURN: Washington’s Spies and The L Word. She has been a DGA member since 2004 and serves as a co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Committee and as an alternate of the DGA National Board.

UPM Liz Ryan  Ryan has worked on over 70 movie and television productions throughout the world as a Director, Producer, Production Manager or Assistant Director. Her UPM credits include features such as Maria Burton’s A Sort of Homecoming; John Sayles’s Go for Sisters and Walter von Huene’s Ancient Warriors; Beth McCarthy-Miller’s movie for television, Amy’s Brother; and series such as All American: Homecoming, Station 19, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Aquarius. A DGA member since 1985, Ryan has served as a co-chair of the Women’s Steering Committee, as a member of the DGA National Board and is a member of the Western AD/UPM Council and the DGA Diversity Task Force. In 2008, Ryan received the DGA Frank Capra Achievement Award in recognition of her career achievements and service to the Guild.

UPM Canella Williams-Larrabee  Williams-Larrabee has nearly 20 years of experience in the film and television industry, her credits include episodes of series such as Evil, Raising Dion, NCIS: New Orleans and the DGA Award-nominated limited series, The Undoing. A DGA member since 2019, Williams-Larrabee serves as the Chair of the Eastern AD/UPM Council, as a co-chair of the Eastern Diversity Steering Committee and as a Second Alternate member of the DGA National Board.

1st AD Luc OuYang  OuYang’s Assistant Directing credits include features such as Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally, Wes Craven’s Scream, Robert Zemeckis's Contact and Peter Weir’s DGA Award-nominated Master and Commander, the Far Side of the World; episodes of series such as Mad Men, Youth & Consequences and Cherish the Day; and over 200 commercials. She has been a DGA member since 1986 and served on the Asian American Committee since its inception, currently serves on the Special Projects Committee and has served on the Western AD/UPM Council.

Director/WSC member Jen McGowan (moderator)  McGowan’s directorial credits include the feature films Rust Creek and Kelly & Cal and episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, The Twilight Zone, Titans and The Purge. She has been a DGA member since 2019 and serves as a member of the Women’s Steering Committee and as a co-chair of the Committee’s WSC’s Squad program dedicated to supporting mid- career DGA Women Directors.

ABOUT THE COMMITTEE:

The Women's Steering Committee (WSC) was created to advance the professional interests of its members, and to heighten their visibility and career opportunities in the entertainment industry. The WSC currently promotes diversity through sponsoring net-working events, screenings and seminars, and fosters relationships between the members to provide support, mentoring and networking opportunities. The WSC’s current Co-Chairs are Tara Miele, Shawn Pipkin-West and Liz Ryan.

• For more information about the WSC, click here to visit their webpage.