In 1974, Mathilde Krim, a scientist and Rockefeller Foundation board member, approached the American Film Institute (A.F.I.)
Jan Haag, Admission and Awards Administrator at A.F.I., set up a meeting with Krim to discuss possible options.
A $200,000 grant would need to go through the formal, time-consuming review process that did not necessarily ensure a positive outcome.
Once the AFI officially obtained the Rockefeller Foundation's grant for the program, Haag's next step was to establish a review board to choose twelve students for admission.
The applicant review board Haag and Vellani decided on consisted of four successful women: Joan Didion, a writer; Marcia Nasiter, Vice President of United Artists; Kitty Hawks, an agent; and Barbara Schultz, an executive at PBS.