Five Programs.
One Direction.
Each program is built around the same conviction — that diverse filmmakers with real mentorship produce the work the industry can't ignore.
Training Built
Around Real Work
LMI's programs don't simulate the industry — they drop emerging filmmakers directly into it. Every cohort, every workshop, every master class is designed around one principle: mentorship from working professionals producing work that reaches real audiences.
The result is a pipeline of diverse, skilled, career-ready filmmakers who go on to work at major streaming platforms, cable networks, international festivals, and beyond.
Filmmaker Labs & Fellows Program
The heart of LMI. The Fellows Program pairs emerging filmmakers with established professionals from the TV and film industry for an intensive, reality-based creative immersion. Fellows don't attend class — they work. Under direct mentorship, they develop, produce, and complete original independent projects that enter real distribution pipelines.
Past fellows have had their work appear on major streaming platforms, cable networks, and at international film festivals worldwide — earning Emmy nominations, BAFTA recognition, historic festival wins, and awards across multiple continents.
This program is the entry point for serious emerging filmmakers ready to move from aspiring to working.
University Intern Program
LMI's University Intern Program brings the film industry directly to HBCU campuses. Through formal affiliations with four Historically Black Colleges and Universities, LMI offers structured 4-week intensive training designed to build real skills — not just credit hours.
Students work alongside LMI mentors on campus, gaining hands-on production experience while remaining connected to their academic community. The program creates a direct bridge between academic study and professional practice.
Partner universities: Jackson State, Virginia State, Norfolk State, Morgan State. Cohorts are scheduled — not all campuses run simultaneously. Contact us to find out which university is currently enrolling.
Emerging voices shaping the next generation of media.
Norfolk State University
International Workshops
LMI's impact is not limited to Richmond or even the United States. Through partnerships with international institutions — including a formal collaboration with the British Film Institute in London — LMI has brought its mentorship model to a global stage.
Films produced through these international workshops have been screened in South Africa and at film events across multiple continents. LMI fellows don't just train locally — they enter a global conversation about what cinema can be when diverse voices lead it.
LMI's work currently spans 3 continents and continues to expand.
Legacy International Film Festival
The Legacy International Film Festival is LMI's annual public-facing showcase — the moment where the work produced in labs, workshops, and internships reaches a broader audience. The festival creates a vital connection between emerging filmmakers and the wider industry, press, and community.
More than a screening, the festival is a platform. It positions LMI fellows alongside established filmmakers, creating networking opportunities, media coverage, and distribution conversations that are otherwise inaccessible to early-career artists.
Open to the public. A cornerstone event for the Richmond arts and film community.
Master Classes
Master Classes bring the highest level of industry instruction directly to partner university campuses. Led by Tim Reid and a rotating roster of accomplished film and television professionals, these sessions provide the kind of insight that only comes from decades of working experience — not from a textbook.
For many participants, the Master Class is their first direct encounter with LMI and often the gateway into the Fellows Program. The sessions are intentionally intensive and candid — designed to challenge aspiring filmmakers and identify those ready to take the next step.
The primary pathway into LMI's flagship Fellows Program for exceptional participants.
The Work Starts Here.