EXCLUSIVE: Macro and Andreessen Horowitz‘s (a16z) Cultural Leadership Fund have selected seven filmmakers who will participate in the inaugural Epigraph Creator Fellowship. Per Macro and CLF, the fellowship is built on the premise that “creators who have always defined culture should have direct access to the technology tools helping to shape how stories get told.”

In the first-of-its-kind program, Fellows will be provided with frontier AI tools from collaborators OpenAI, ElevenLabs, Gamma, Promise Studios, Descript, Coactive and Curious Refuge. The filmmakers will have direct access to their platforms and tailored instruction on integrating the tools across the creative process.

The inaugural class includes Bianca Lambert, Chazitear Martin, John Burr, Justice Whitaker, Nick Barili, Sulayman Tahir and Tedra Wilson. Their projects have been featured in and recognized by respected showcases and platforms including Tribeca Film Festival, the American Black Film Festival, Slamdance, Essence Film Festival, as well as on streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Paramount+ and Netflix.

Over eight weeks, the Fellows will receive hands-on instruction and production resources, culminating in a public showcase of original work at Macro’s Summer House Creator Summit in Los Angeles this summer.

“Storytellers have always led the way, setting the direction and shaping the culture,” said Stacey Walker King, Chief Brand Officer, Macro. “The Epigraph Creator Fellowship puts the power of today’s technology directly in their hands so they can expand and build the worlds they envision on their own terms. Technology doesn’t lead creativity. Creators do and now they have the tools to go even further.”

“An epigraph frames meaning before the story even begins. We built this fellowship because creators and technologists are shaping storytelling in real time — but too often in silos,” said Judene Small Jean-Louis, Partner, a16z Cultural Leadership Fund.  “Epigraph brings them into the same room, creating real exposure on both sides and shifting how technology and culture come together.”