NYWIFT Summit: Thank you to all who attended last week’s first inaugural NYWIFT Summit. The theme of the 2019 Summit was Inclusion, Equality and Safety, and it established forward-moving strategies to create change in these areas with an eye towards mobilizing support and leadership for the future. We had many meaningful conversations and I look forward to the work we can accomplish together this coming year. A special thank you to Cara Mertes and our friends at the Ford Foundation for Social Justice for hosting.
Media Workshop: Speaking of firsts – earlier this month NYWIFT also brought our Women’s Media Workshop, a full-day training, collaboration, and production workshop, to Staten Island for the very first time.
Yellow Rose: Congrats to NYWIFT Ravenal Foundation Feature Film Grantee Yellow Rose, which is the opening film of the Asian American International Film Festival in NYC next month! Be sure to get your tickets.
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