Geneviève Agar selected as future leader by Television Academy Foundation

Aspiring cinematographer Geneviève Agar of Miami, Florida, has been selected for the prestigious Bob Bennett Future Leaders program by the Television Academy Foundation in Hollywood. She is one of just 10 students selected amongst the Foundation’s forty summer interns for the initiative.

Agar, who recently completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in cinematography from the American Film Institute Conservatory, is a cinematography intern on a variety of television shows this summer through the Foundation’s 2024 Internship Program.

The Bob Bennett Future Leaders program, established in 2023 by the Robert M. and Marjie Bennett Foundation, supports select students from the internship program by providing financial assistance, professional development and leadership training.

Despite the growing focus on diversity and inclusion across various sectors, women remain markedly absent from key creative roles behind the camera, particularly in cinematography. According to a 2023 report by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University*, the percentage of women cinematographers rose just 3 percentage points over the last 25 years, from 4% in 1998 to 7% in 2022. Many female cinematographers report facing challenges in securing jobs and gaining recognition for their work.

Several factors contribute to this disparity, including gender bias, lack of mentorship and limited access to opportunities, which the Foundation hopes to offset through its programs. By recognizing and addressing the barriers that prevent women from thriving in these roles, the Foundation offers access and opportunities to help facilitate a more inclusive media industry.

“It’s a huge honor for the Television Academy to choose me for the 2024 cinematography internship,” said Agar. “It’s a vote of confidence in both my current abilities as a storyteller and the possibilities that my future may hold as a filmmaker. It’s incredibly valuable for me to shadow an ASC cinematographer on a union set. Often when I’m on a professional set, I’m too busy working as a camera assistant or operator to have the time or space to observe what the cinematographer is doing. Additionally, this internship allows me to shadow a professional cinematographer in both pre- and post-production, which is such a rare and crucial experience for beginning cinematographers.

“Until I started working on my MFA in cinematography from AFI, I had never been to film school, so everything I knew came from starting as a camera production assistant in Miami where I started my career,” said Agar.

“While there’s far more women in the camera department now compared to 10 years ago, there’s still very few women of color in the camera, grip and electric [production] departments,” continued Agar.

The Television Academy Foundation shapes the art of creating television by engaging and educating the next generation of television professionals providing essential resources that help them discover their voices, refine their skills and forge rewarding careers in every sector of the television industry. The Internship Program provides over 50 students from across the nation with hands-on work experience, mentorships and opportunities for accelerated career development in more than 30 disciplines annually.