Variety reports that Paul Feig has been selected as the distinguished artist for the American Film Institute Conservatory’s Directing Workshop for Women. Operating for more than 40 years, the DWW’s alumni include Maya Angelou, Anne Bancroft, Cicely Tyson, and hundreds of more women seeking to refine their gifts in service of the art of film. Past faculty at the workshop include artists-in-residence Jamie Babbit (But I’m A Cheerleader) and Monster director Patty Jenkins, plus dozens of industry insiders and teachers.
Feig has, of course, been a long-time advocate for women in film, filling his roster with comedies starring some of the funniest actresses working in Hollywood today. “To meet with this amazingly impassioned group of diverse, talented filmmakers is a dream come true,” he said in a statement announcing the decision, which will see him serve as a mentor and teacher for the upcoming crop of students. “I salute the AFI for their strong support of female storytellers. We need their voices more than ever,” he continued, expressing a very sweet sentiment that made us feel slightly bad for immediately reaching for this video as a reaction to a male director being asked to lead a director’s workshop for women:
Ron Swanson could not be reached for comment at this time.