The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is proud to announce the launch of the 2018 Academy Gold internship enhancement and mentorship program for students and young professionals from underrepresented communities.

Currently, there are 22 entertainment industry partners committed to the program, including Annapurna Pictures, Creative Artists Agency, Deluxe, The Walt Disney Company, Dolby Laboratories, FotoKem, FremantleMedia, HBO, Illumination Entertainment, IMAX, Lionsgate, Overbrook Entertainment, Panavision, Paramount Pictures, Participant Media, Snap Inc., Sony Pictures, Technicolor, Twentieth Century Fox Film, Universal Pictures, Univision and Warner Bros.

“We’re extremely proud to launch the second year of the Academy Gold program,” said Academy Governor Nancy Utley, Education Committee chair and president of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

“Our industry partners, who are as committed to creating opportunities for promising young people as we are at the Academy, have acted on that commitment by providing extraordinary learning environments,” Utley said. “With their support, this initiative is creating positive, meaningful and visible change in our industry.”

“Thanks to a dynamic group of partners, we can build on the success of our pilot year to continue to offer an enriching experience for our Gold interns and opportunities to propel their professional growth,” said Edgar Aguirre, the Academy’s director of talent development and inclusion.

Each partner will sponsor up to three interns for the eight-week summer program, which offers participants exclusive networking opportunities with Academy members and industry professionals, screenings and educational workshops.

Internships are available to undergraduate and graduate college students with an emphasis on high-quality, underrepresented talent in order to help them acquire the knowledge, skills and connections to achieve success as they navigate full-time, above- and below-the-line entertainment industry careers.

Last summer, 69 interns (including 18 interns placed within the Academy) participated in the inaugural Academy Gold program and had an opportunity to learn firsthand about every aspect of filmmaking – from finance to production – from Academy members and other industry professionals.

“The success of Academy Gold is due, in part, to the fact that the program doesn’t stop after the eight-week internship experience,” said Bettina Fisher, the Academy’s director of educational initiatives.

“At the end of the summer, each Gold intern is paired with an Academy member to serve as a mentor for their career goals, and several program alumni have already secured jobs in our community,” Fisher said. “We’re looking forward to welcoming the next class of up-and-coming talent.”

For more information about the Academy Gold program, visit www.oscars.org/AcademyGoldProgram.