Our Next Program
NYWIFT Virtual Hangout with WIF San Francisco Bay Area- January 2026
20 Jan 2026 @ 07:00pm
Gather together online with your NYWIFT colleagues at our January 20th virtual speed networking mixer. We will be joined by our West Coast friends from Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area (WIF SFBA)!
Come ready to share creative ideas, suggestions, and contact info for further engagement.
We will begin with a ten-minute salon conversation to discuss WFTV’s latest opportunities and initiatives, followed by about 90 minutes of speed networking, during which you will be randomly paired off with other attendees to network one-on-one.
This is a great opportunity for NYWIFT members to network with their WIFT sisters.
NYWIFT hangouts are a safe space to ask entertainment-related questions, seek advice, employment, and other industry opportunities. Prep your elevator pitch and get ready to make connections! As always, all members are welcome and encouraged to attend, mix, and mingle.
LATEST blogs
The 2025 Collaboration Awards Honores Women Helping Women
The 2025 Collaboration Awards: Women Working with Women on Saturday, December 5, 2025 honored outstanding artists creating new interdisciplinary work in theater, film and dance. The gala, produced by the Women in the Arts & Media Coalition (WAM Coalition), honored outstanding partnerships between professional women from different specializations across the arts and media industries. The event, held in the Fred and Adele Astaire Ballroom at the Houghton Hall Arts Community in Manhattan, was presented at a time when opportunities for both women and the arts are under threat.
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Madeleine Rotzler
Welcome to NYWIFT, Madeleine Rotzler! Madeleine Rotzler is an Emmy® Award-winning director and producer of documentaries and narrative feature films. Fiction films include the upcoming O Horizon and O.G., currently on HBO. Non-fiction films include HBO’s Emmy-nominated It’s a Hard Truth Ain’t It, Emmy-winning Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus, and Oscar-shortlisted The Lottery. Her most recent film, O Horizon, was described as “bound to be one of the season's sweetest charmers.” The film premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2025 where it won the Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema. O.G., Madeleine’s narrative feature debut, and It’s a Hard Truth Ain’t It were both filmed inside a maximum-security prison in Indiana in collaboration with men incarcerated there. Most of the cast of O.G. were incarcerated. It’s a Hard Truth Ain’t It marked the first time incarcerated directors were nominated for an Emmy. In our interview, Madeleine discussed her award-winning films and her perspective on the impact of filmmaking.
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Samantha Herrera
Welcome to NYWIFT, Samantha Herrera! Samantha Herrera is a queer Filipina artist born and raised in Queens, NY. Her roots began in theatre with training at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, The Neighborhood Playhouse, and LAMDA. Saint Vegas is the first narrative film she has directed, written, and produced. It will internationally premiere in the Philippines hosted by Cine Balikbayan. This November, she played one of the lead roles in Diwata, directed by Shea Formanes. Aside from filmmaking, Samantha works at her alma mater - The Neighborhood Playhouse - and runs a Filipino food pop-up business with her partner. In our interview, Samantha discussed the mentors who shaped her artistry, her inspirations, and her upcoming work.
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Joyce Hills
Welcome to NYWIFT, Joyce Hills! Joyce Hills is a recent graduate of NYU Tisch, where she co-wrote and directed the culturally-rich epic Viking short film The Feather, featuring out-of-this-world SFX hair and makeup, practical stunts, and generative workflows on a virtual production volume. She was the First Assistant Director and VFX Supervisor on the Seed & Spark-awarded short film Night of Melancholia, interned in Virtual Production at Gum Studios in Brooklyn, and performed as Sugarsop, The Widow, and assorted household servants in Will Kempe’s Players’ The Taming of the Shrew. Joyce is developing her first feature film, a dark fantasy inspired by mystical quests, heroes’ journeys, and time and destiny in popular culture. She is also developing a science fiction feminist short, and is pursuing additional education in XR mediamaking and STEM. In our interview, she discussed her childhood inspirations, emerging technologies, and the future of storytelling.
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