By Leah Curney
On May 7th, New York Women in Film & Television hosted a virtual panel discussion with filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, creators of the hilarious new documentary, Call Your Mother, which explores the relationship between comedians and their mothers. The panel also included two of the comedians featured in the film, Judy Gold and Bridget Everett, and was produced and moderated by NYWIFT board member Terry Greenberg.

Bridget Everett with her mother in the film.
A comedic writer and performer myself, I was thrilled to attend the event. To be expected, you get this many funny ladies in a room (even a virtual one), and you’re bound to have plenty of laughs. However, there were many poignant and surprising moments throughout the conversation as well.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes and top takeaways from the event:
- Both performers in the panel described the empowering nature of comedy and being on stage. Judy Gold shared, “I was very bullied as a kid and I think having control of the laughter was big for me. I wasn’t being laughed at, I was making them laugh… this was my space, this was my home.”
- Both performers also addressed how much they miss performing for a live audience, now that COVID-19 has brought public gatherings to a halt. Technology may allow us to stay connected, but nothing comes close to the real-time energy and feedback of performing live stand-up comedy, they lamented.

Due to COVID-19, the panel took place entirely virtually – but it still brought the laughs!
- Both the performers and the filmmakers spoke about how their moms, born just a few generations earlier, had far fewer life and career options than they did. They spoke with appreciation of the sacrifices their mothers made, and the ways their moms inspired and influenced their senses of humor.
- Filmmakers Heidi and Rachel pointed out that at some point in the film each of the mothers expressed a similar sentiment about their comic daughters, “She’s doing what I wish I could do.”
- When asked whether the filmmakers thought to include comedians who didn’t have good relationships with their mothers, Heidi and Rachel were quick to respond, “Of course!” Seeking to capture depth and diversity in their film, they approached a number of comedians who had challenging or strained relationships with their mothers… but all of them declined to participate. Apparently it was just too painful.
These are a few of the highlights from the panel, but you can watch the full recording, and hear these talented women in their own words, on the NYWIFT Facebook page:
You can also hear an interview with Judy Gold on a recent episode of NYWIFT’s Women Crush Wednesdays podcast. Click below to listen and subscribe:
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Lindsey Lambert
Lindsey Lambert is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker originally from Austin, Texas. She works as a location scout for film and television in the NYC area, currently on Law & Order: Organized Crime. After receiving her Master’s Degree in Human Rights from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the spring of 2022, she began directing and producing her debut feature documentary Teaching Social Studies about public school education and the anti-critical race theory laws in Texas. It is currently in production and she hopes the film will be completed by the summer of 2025. In our interview, she discusses her decision to go back to school, her work on the new Amazon Prime series Étoile, how to educate young people about our challenging history, and the most memorable location she's scouted to date.
READ MOREDisney+ Celebrates National Pet Day with Heartwarming New Documentary “Pets” Directed by Bryce Dallas Howard
Disney+ is tugging at the heartstrings this National Pet Day with the premiere of its latest original documentary, Pets, debuting April 11. Directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, the film dives into the extraordinary relationships that exist between humans and their animals — no matter the species, no matter the place. In our exclusive interview, Bryce Dallas Howard shared how the collaboration with Imagine Documentaries — and her father Ron Howard — helped bring her vision to life. Along with aspects which will make audiences interested in watching even if they are not pet owners and more!
READ MORECracking the Code on Film Fundraising: Insights from NYWIFT’s Winter Film Festival Panel
On a brisk February afternoon, I found the perfect escape from the cold—diving into an eye-opening discussion at the 2025 Winter Film Festival. One of the standout moments? Navigating Film Fundraising with NYWIFT, a must-attend panel for any filmmaker tackling the most daunting part of filmmaking: raising money. Leading the conversation were Easmanie Michel, NYWIFT’s Director of Artists Programs and Finance, and NYWIFT Member Joanna Rudolph, executive producer of Burning Annie and The Co-op: The Kids of Dorie Miller. Their wealth of knowledge made for a powerful session, packed with real-world success stories and actionable strategies. Marchelle Thurman summarized some key takeaways to help you fund your next film.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Melody Gilbert
Welcome to our new NYWIFT member, Melody Gilbert! Melody is an Emmy-nominated and Alfred I. duPont award-winning documentary filmmaker. Over the course of her career, Melody has directed and produced 20 documentaries that have been screened at several film festivals and distributed internationally. Melody is also an educator committed to teaching new and emerging filmmakers. She has been on the faculty at several universities (including the American University in Bulgaria), teaching documentary production, multimedia, and journalism. Currently, Melody is traveling the world and spreading her love for film by teaching pitch training workshops and conducting her “Documentary Boot Camp” while working on her new documentary about the scandalous topless monokini bathing suit in 1964. The most recent documentary she helped produce, Queendom, was shortlisted for an Oscar in the feature documentary category. In our interview, Melody discusses her move from chilly Minnesota to NYC, her unconventional documentary subjects, and key lessons she shares with film students.
READ MORE
Comments are closed