Proof of Concept Selects Eight New Filmmakers for 2026 Accelerator Program Supported by Netflix

Proof of Concept, the filmmaker accelerator founded by Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett, Emmy-nominated producer Coco Francini and Stacy L. Smith, has announced the eight filmmakers selected for its second cohort. Supported by Netflix, the initiative is designed to help women, trans and non-binary creators develop proof-of-concept shorts that can serve as launchpads for larger film and television projects.

The 2026 class includes filmmakers Taylor Bakken, Jessica Barr, Asmahan Bkerat, Rachel Goldberg, Jessica Kozak, Alejandra López, Sam Mandich and Olivia Peace.

Each participant will receive $50,000 in production funding to create a short film, along with mentorship opportunities and access to industry professionals. The completed projects will premiere in a curated showcase later this year.

Explaining the mission behind the accelerator, Blanchett and Francini said, “We built this program to provide tangible support for filmmakers whose work might otherwise be overlooked, and to create space for their ideas to evolve. By investing in their projects and supporting their creative development, we are working to expand access and ensure that more inclusive, dynamic storytelling reaches audiences.”

Smith, founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, emphasized the importance of creating pathways for underrepresented storytellers. “These 8 filmmakers have incredible depth of skill and originality, and we believe it’s critical to create more opportunities to support their projects. By investing in new voices and removing the barriers that have historically limited access to the industry, we aim to ensure that these talented creatives have a real pathway to bring their stories to life and thrive in the entertainment industry,” said Smith.

The accelerator was launched in 2024 to address persistent industry barriers facing stories centered on women, trans and nonbinary experiences. According to research from the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, women directed just 7% of 1,900 major films studied, while women and girls accounted for only 39% of leading roles in top-grossing films released in 2025.

The program’s inaugural cohort has already delivered notable results. Ten short films funded through the initiative screened at festivals including CinePride, the Busan International Film Festival, the American Black Film Festival, HollyShorts and the American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival. Several projects also earned awards recognition, including Ella by Niki Taylor-Roberts, which won at the NAACP Image Awards, and A Man Who Takes Pictures of Flowers by Yoo Lee, which secured honors at Oscar-qualifying festivals.

The newly selected filmmakers represent a diverse range of genres and storytelling approaches.

Taylor Bakken’s project, The Mushroom Man, is set in a moisture-soaked dystopian world where moss is considered beautiful and mold is deadly. The story follows an outcast whose healing fungi become the key to keeping a loved one alive.

Jessica Barr’s Mitzvah centers on a 13-year-old girl preparing for her Bat Mitzvah while coping with her mother’s cancer diagnosis. A chance encounter with two older teenagers offers her a brief escape from grief and a glimpse of independence.

In the documentary The Oracle, Asmahan Bkerat follows Hasna, a 14-year-old girl living in the ancient caves of Petra. Guided by her grandmothers, Hasna balances adolescence and community responsibilities as outside pressures threaten her family’s traditional way of life.

Rachel Goldberg’s dark comedy Holy Shit! follows a young woman whose urgent search for a restroom unexpectedly entangles her and her best friend in an increasingly bizarre extortion scheme.

Jessica Kozak’s supernatural drama Open Your Eyes tells the story of estranged sisters Alice and Cole, whose reunion after their mother’s death is disrupted by the arrival of mysterious neighbors and resurfacing childhood trauma.

Alejandra López’s speculative thriller The 51st State imagines a future in which Puerto Rico has become America’s newest state. The story follows a young woman whose arrest at a militarized checkpoint ignites conflict between government forces and a growing resistance movement.

Sam Mandich’s Hey Mr. blends coming-of-age drama with psychological horror. As a sheltered teenage girl prepares for her Catholic confirmation, she develops feelings for a new friend and begins confronting unsettling questions about identity, sexuality and faith.

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