LATEST blogs
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Carmen Matias
Welcome to NYWIFT, Carmen Matias! A graduate of Hunter College in the 1970s, producer Carmen earned a degree in Broadcast with a minor in Theatre. Television was both an escape and a source of fantasy throughout her early life, ultimately guiding her toward a career in the medium, which she came to see as the best possible profession for her creative ambitions. In our interview, Carmen discussed her experience producing and shared her advice for young creatives.
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Juleyka Lantigua
Welcome to NYWIFT, Juleyka Lantigua! Juleyka is an award-winning filmmaker, journalist, and the Founder of LWC Studios, a digital media studio dedicated to creating socially conscious storytelling for rising-majority audiences. As a filmmaker, she has executive produced multiple short films and documentaries, including the Peabody Award-nominated podcast series 70 Million through LWC Studios. A Fulbright Scholar with a Master’s degree in Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing, Juleyka brings a multidisciplinary approach to storytelling—one that blends rigorous reporting with deeply human narratives across platforms.
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Danielle Bancroft
Welcome to NYWIFT, Danielle Bancroft! Danielle is a recent Chapman University graduate who earned a BFA in Film Production, with an emphasis in Production Design and a minor in Entrepreneurship. Throughout her undergrad years, Danielle was able to design many short films including her thesis, Protégé, where she was able to build 1950s French ateliers utilizing her schools scene shop and sound stage. In addition to building sets, Danielle co-founded The Portal Productions, a student-led non-profit dedicated to getting students real world experience while providing small businesses in Orange County with affordable media production. Danielle was also a stylist intern at Macy's, working on print, digital, and video ads, and she recently went back to work as an assistant stylist for the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. With her entrepreneurial spirit and natural creativity, Danielle is excited to assist designers with anything from solving logistical issues to fabricating furniture, props, or set pieces.
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Bakhtawar Tagar
Welcome to NYWIFT, Bakhtawar Tagar! Bakhtawar is a Pakistani-Canadian documentary filmmaker and editor based in Brooklyn. Her work is rooted in amplifying marginalized voices through stories centered on indigenous land rights, environmental and human rights justice, decolonization, women's rights, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. A lifelong storyteller, Bakhtawar grew up devouring books, magazines, and news stories. In her 20s, witnessing the persecution of minority communities in Pakistan, while much of the world remained unaware, she felt a responsibility to bring these stories to light, with the hope of making the world a little more just, one story at a time. Bakhtawar’s short documentary Naaz, which follows her aunt, Dr. Farah Naz, a healthcare provider in a rural village in Pakistan working to keep her not-for-profit maternal health clinic open amid systemic and personal challenges, recently won Best Editing at the Delhi International Short Film Festival and is set to screen at the Athena Film Festival in New York City in March. In our interview, she discussed her journey into documentary filmmaking, her commitment to social justice storytelling, and the responsibility she feels toward the stories she tells.
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