Driven by the goal to “discover and nurture new and distinct voices in adult animation,” HBO is launching a new initiative. The HBO Max X WarnerMedia Access Animated Shorts Program will provide underrepresented artists with “the tools, instruction, mentorship, and resources to create original animated short films for adult audiences while exposing them to the business of animation and various pathways to a career in the field,” according to the program’s website.

Applications for the inaugural program are now open, and will close October 24. Its theme will be “Only You,” a nod to the fact that HBO Max aims to “discover artists who bring their distinctive lens to their creations and are unafraid to push the boundaries of primetime animation and creative storytelling, in ways no one else is doing. In other words, how are your ideas, characters and imagined worlds something ‘Only You’ can create?”

If you’re an artist who has never animated before, don’t be deterred: the program’s eligibility guidelines stress that artists who haven’t had the opportunity to animate yet but are passionate about working in animation are encouraged to apply.

Up to seven finalists from the U.S. and Canada will be selected “based on their visual artistry and the originality of their project proposal.” Each of the projects will be allotted a total production budget of up to $60,000 USD.

Lasting approximately six to nine months, the program will see participants attending virtual master classes with industry experts about topics such as scripts, storyboards, and character design.

Head over to HBO Max X WarnerMedia Access Animated Shorts’ website for more information about the program and how to apply.

Earlier this year Women in Animation launched the WIA Talent Database, which was designed as a resource for studios to balance the diversity of their hiring.