EXCLUSIVE: Lucy J. Mukerjee has joined Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith’s media company Firelight Media, geared toward nonfiction cinema by and about communities of color, as the new director of its flagship Documentary Lab.

An 18-month fellowship that provides emerging filmmakers of color with customized mentorship from prominent leaders in the documentary world, as well as funding, professional development workshops and networking opportunities, the Documentary Lab has thus far helped to advance the careers of over 100 filmmakers, including Dawn Porter, Yoruba Richen and Peter Nicks.

Mukerjee succeeds Sabaah Folayan, who for the past year has served as the Lab’s Interim Director. She comes to Firelight Media with over 20 years of experience producing films, programming festivals, and overseeing artist development programs. Her previous roles include Senior Programmer at Tribeca Festival, Director of Programming at Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Festival and NewFest New York’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival, and Programming Director at Tasveer South Asian Film Festival, as well as several other leadership roles for festivals and artist program initiatives. Mukerjee is also the co-founder of the Programmers Of Colour Collective, a global professional development group for BIPOC film curators calling for programming inclusion on-screen, on-stage, and on-staff at film festivals around the world.

Read more at Deadline.com.