NYWIFT member Heidi Philipsen in The Better Angels, starring Diane Kruger, Brit Marling, and Wes Bentley (Photo courtesy of Hickory Pictures, LLC)
What a whirlwind! Though temps in New York matched the biting Park City cold, nothing could beat the heat at the festival. This year, New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT) caught up with veterans and fresh faces alike to celebrate the Sundance Film Festival’s 30th anniversary.
Known for its ability to stimulate important conversations within the industry, this year’s program did not disappoint. We counted over 50 directorial debuts, more than 200 films, many projects with women leadership (though less on the director front), and even new and expanded programs to increase awareness about gender disparity in film.
Some highlights:
- The wonderful events and panels at the NY Lounge, which included marketing, distribution, and tax resources for filmmakers in NYC, as well as Women in Film and Television International’s Women in the Director’s Chair breakfast
- Rory Kennedy et al’s cutting honesty at the 8th Women in Film panel, where the six participating directors and producers all pointed to “entrenched industry sexism”
- Updated research and expanded programming from the Women in Film Initiative, which is a joint collaboration between the Sundance Institute and our sister chapter Women in Film Los Angeles
- Anna Kendrick, who had three films premiere at Sundance, looking glamorous at the Women at Sundance Brunch
- Kate Barker-Froyland’s Song One, featuring Oscar winner/producer Anne Hathaway as a PhD candidate in Morocco
- Rose McGowan’s first film as director, the color-punchy Dawn
- The timely Fed Up, a Katie Couric–produced documentary about obesity
- A cinematographer’s conversation about the ongoing film vs. digital debate in a world where even Scorsese has gone digital
- A handful of women-directed films sold at the festival, including Land Ho!, which was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics
And of course, a big congratulations to the NYWIFT members who had projects at the festival:
- Susan Lazarus, Post Production Supervisor, Only Lovers Left Alive (dir. Jim Jarmusch)
- Wendy Blackstone, Composer, Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (dir. Joe Berlinger)
- Heidi Philipsen, Actress and Production Coordinator, The Better Angels (dir. A.J. Edwards); Actress, Cold in July (dir. Jim Mickle)
— JOYCE CHOI LI
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Meryl Jacobs
Welcome to NYWIFT, Meryl Jacobs! Driven by a lifelong passion for the arts, Meryl Jacobs creative professional has built an inspiring career spanning advertising, Broadway stage management, and post-production as an award-winning video editor and business owner. Embracing challenges with optimism, she believes in the power of self-belief and continuous growth. After returning to New York post-pandemic, she launched her own company, Gotham Edit Inc., confident in the value she provides to clients. Among her proudest achievements are collaborations with Universal Pictures, a corporate branding reel for Tumi, and a recognized PSA for the City of Los Angeles on senior scams. Grateful for every opportunity, she remains dedicated to creating impactful work that helps others. Read on to learn more about her fascinating career!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Pia Mechler
Welcome to NYWIFT, Pia Mechler! Pia Mechler, born and raised in Germany with German, Chilean, and Polish heritage, is a versatile actress, writer, and director. Studying film in Denmark and beginning her acting career in Berlin, she took her skills to the UK and then New York City in 2010, where she also took up directing. Pia wrote, directed, and starred in the web series Almost Settled and made her feature directorial debut with Everything is Wonderful, which premiered at the Thessaloniki Film Festival and was a finalist at the Chelsea Film Festival. Her latest project, Black Hole, which she wrote to address the challenges of female aging and ageism from a humorous perspective, is currently on its festival tour. Read on to discover her inspiring international background, her dedication to her projects, and her process when it comes to making films.
READ MORENYWIFT Member Spotlight: Myrta Vida
Myrta Vida is an award-winning writer and independent filmmaker specializing in features, shorts, documentaries, and stage productions. She serves as a producer at 3DMC, the production company behind the John Cassavetes Award-winning feature Premature (2019) and the Sundance Award-winning hybrid documentary The Infiltrators (2019). Since 2010, Myrta has worked as a story consultant and script doctor for independent filmmakers worldwide. A proud Army veteran from Puerto Rico, she earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and completed a conservatory program in screenwriting at the New York Film Academy, both with summa cum laude honors. Additionally, she holds a certificate in sketch comedy writing from the Upright Citizens Brigade and was a 2022 Fellow with Third World Newsreel. Get to know her in our latest interview!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Marci Clark
NYWIFT is excited to welcome new member Marci Clark! Whether you were tuning into MTV during the mid-90s or consider Super Bowl ads to be immersive entertainment, there is a good chance you’ve engaged with remarkable content in which Marci has left an indelible mark! Marci is now Co-owner & Chief Marketing Officer of a location agency, The Scout Source, representing over 800 production-friendly locations in the Tristate area. Check out her blog feature where we converse about the evolution of her dynamic career in the film and television industry as a marketing professional, her talent and enthusiasm for linking content creators to incredible location sites for them to shoot their projects, and the iconic cartoon character who she “butted heads” with (no pun intended)!
READ MORE