Reinaldo Marcus Green is giving back to the film school that helped shape his career, and the new program could become a meaningful launchpad for rising talent. The acclaimed director has introduced the Office Hours fellowship at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, creating a mentorship-driven space for graduate filmmakers who want honest guidance on breaking into an intensely competitive industry.
Best known for directing King Richard and Bob Marley: One Love, Green is framing the fellowship around access, candid conversation and practical career-building. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all masterclass, the Office Hours fellowship is designed as a sustained exchange over the academic year, giving fellows direct contact with a working filmmaker who understands both the artistic and business realities of modern cinema and television.
What the Office Hours fellowship at NYU Tisch is designed to do
The new Office Hours fellowship focuses on a challenge many emerging filmmakers face after film school: talent alone is not enough. Green has said that what he needed most early on was access to someone who could answer the questions new directors often do not even know to ask.
That mission shapes the fellowship’s core structure. Fellows will meet with Green in intimate sessions throughout the year, discussing subjects that matter to real careers in film and TV, including:
- Developing an authentic creative voice
- Choosing the right material to pursue
- Working with actors and key collaborators
- Navigating representation and industry relationships
- Handling rejection, setbacks and uncertainty
- Building a sustainable long-term career
In a media landscape where creators are expected to be flexible across features, streaming and premium television, the Office Hours fellowship also reflects how careers are actually built today: through networks, resilience and repeated creative evolution.
Why Reinaldo Marcus Green’s mentorship matters
Green’s involvement gives the fellowship unusual weight. He is not simply an alumnus returning for a ceremonial role; he is an active filmmaker working across film and television at a high level. His breakout feature Monsters and Men premiered at Sundance, while King Richard went on to earn six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and delivered a Best Actor win for Will Smith.
He later co-wrote and directed Bob Marley: One Love, and his television credits include We Own This City and Top Boy. He is also attached to Sky’s adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as director and executive producer.
That breadth is significant. For fellows in the Office Hours fellowship, Green’s career offers a model of how a filmmaker can move between intimate storytelling, large-scale biographical drama and prestige TV without losing a distinct creative identity.
A fellowship rooted in candor, not gatekeeping
What makes this initiative stand out is its emphasis on honesty. Film industry mentorship can often feel abstract or overly polished, but Green’s stated goal is to create a space where young filmmakers can have direct, unfiltered conversations about what the profession truly demands.
That kind of candor is especially valuable for students and recent graduates trying to understand development timelines, representation, financing realities and the emotional endurance required to stay in the game.
Meet the inaugural Office Hours fellowship class
The first Office Hours fellowship cohort includes five filmmakers from NYU Tisch’s graduate film community, either recent alumni or current students. They were selected by a committee that included filmmakers and faculty such as Kasi Lemmons, John Tintori, Chiara Bernasconi and Mia Cioffi Henry.
1. Alex Jiang
Hong Kong-born and New York-based, Alex Jiang explores bodily autonomy and queer desire through folklore and an Asian diasporic feminist lens. Her work has screened at notable festivals including Palm Springs ShortFest and the Taiwan International Queer Film Festival.
2. Maissa Lihedheb
A German-Tunisian filmmaker, Maissa Lihedheb examines identity, performance and belonging through dark humor and emotionally rich storytelling. Her films have appeared at Tribeca, BFI London and El Gouna, and she is developing multiple feature projects.
3. Skyla Page
Writer, director and cinematographer Skyla Page brings a multidimensional visual practice to the cohort. Based in Brooklyn and originally from Chicago, she has earned recognition for her cinematography and is currently developing her debut narrative feature.
4. Andre Shen
Shanghainese writer-director Andre Shen creates work centered on queer longing, emotional exposure and performance. His films have screened internationally, and he is currently preparing a feature while advancing his short-form work.
5. Taylor Sanghyun Lee
California-born filmmaker Taylor Sanghyun Lee works across writing, directing and cinematography. His debut feature project ROUNDS has already drawn major attention through Sundance and other development programs, signaling strong momentum.
Why this fellowship matters for film education and the screen industry
The Office Hours fellowship arrives at a time when emerging directors face both expanded opportunity and intense uncertainty. Streaming platforms, international co-productions, branded storytelling and the creator economy have widened the field, but the route to a stable career remains difficult to decode.
Programs like this matter because they bridge the gap between classroom training and professional practice. They also reinforce a broader truth: the future of film and TV depends on investing in new voices before they are fully market-tested.
For NYU Tisch, the initiative strengthens its role as a pipeline for talent. For the fellows, it provides direct mentorship from a filmmaker who has navigated independent cinema, awards-season success and episodic storytelling.
Read more:
Explore more:
- Explore more stories on Human of Dublin
- Explore features at Luxe Digest
- Explore updates at Daily Digest
Final takeaway
The Office Hours fellowship is more than a prestigious new NYU Tisch program; it is a practical response to one of the biggest barriers facing emerging filmmakers: access to experienced, honest mentorship. With Reinaldo Marcus Green leading the effort and a promising inaugural class already in place, the Office Hours fellowship could become an influential model for how film schools and working directors support the next generation of storytellers in TV and video.
