This week please join us in welcoming new NYWIFT Executive Director Cynthia Lopez! Cynthia will offer her top picks of NYWIFT and industry news to share with you every Tuesday.
Natural Leader: Inspirational words to kick off your 2019! NYWIFT Board Member Flo Mitchell-Brown shared her “start story” with StartTV, explaining why women make great leaders.
Sobering Statistics: The good news: In 2018, a record number of black directors (16) helmed the top-grossing 100 films, up from only six the year before, according to the “Diversity in the Director’s Chair” study from the University of Southern California Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. However, this diversity growth wasn’t intersectional – there was little if any improvement for women or other minority groups. In fact, the “Celluloid Ceiling” report from Dr. Martha Lauzen of San Diego State University showed that despite recent high-profile breakthroughs and increased media attention, the number of women directors in the top 250 films of 2018 was only 8% – down from 11% in 2017.
Regina King: During her Golden Globes acceptance speech, Regina King vowed that everything she produces will hire 50% women and she issued a challenge for everyone in every industry to do the same. It’s this type of solidarity that will bring actual change; whenever women are in positions of power, the chance of more women getting hired greatly increases.
Cynthia Lopez
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Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Laura Pribanić
Welcome to NYWIFT, Laura Pribanić! Laura is a Croatian film and television producer currently based in New York City. She holds a Master’s degree in Film and TV Production from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. Throughout her career, Laura has worked on feature films, television productions, commercials, and international projects, specializing in production coordination, logistics and on-set management. Passionate about storytelling, human connections, and cross-cultural collaboration, Laura is particularly drawn to stories that explore universal emotions while remaining rooted in authentic local experiences. Through her work, she aims to bridge cultures and bring compelling stories from Croatia and the Balkans to a wider international audience. As she continues building her career in New York, Laura is focused on collaborating with inspiring filmmakers, contributing to ambitious productions and growing within the global film industry.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Zineb Oukach
Welcome to NYWIFT, Zineb Oukach! Zineb is a Moroccan actress, writer, and filmmaker. She began her acting career in Morocco before moving to Paris to study theater at Le Cours Florent. She later relocated to New York City, where she has worked across film and television, including the feature film Rendition alongside Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep and Alan Arkin. In recent years, Zineb has expanded into writing and directing. Her short films Interruption and Fresh Kills both earned Oscar qualifications in 2023 and 2025. After watching Interruption, Sigourney Weaver praised Zineb’s work as a filmmaker. Zineb is currently writing a period drama TV series. She later relocated to New York City, where she has worked across film and television, including the feature film Rendition alongside Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep and Alan Arkin. In recent years, Zineb has expanded into writing and directing. Her short films Interruption and Fresh Kills both earned Oscar qualifications in 2023 and 2025. After watching Interruption, Sigourney Weaver praised Zineb’s work as a filmmaker. Zineb is currently writing a period drama TV series.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Rhona Silverbush
Welcome to NYWIFT, Rhona Silverbush! Rhona’s windy career path led to her co-writing the award-winning pilot for Dark Ladies, a series she and Sami Plotkin are poised to take into the marketplace. Rhona studied psychology and theater, acted regionally, became a lawyer representing asylum seekers, and worked with the Roosevelt Institute before returning to her first loves – theater and writing. She co-produced/co-directed Conversations with Shakespeare with Daniela Varon at Symphony Space. She’s written Speak the Speech! Shakespeare’s Monologues Illuminated with Sami Plotkin; ‘wichcraft: craft a sandwich into a meal–and a meal into a sandwich’ for chefs Tom Colicchio and Sisha Ortuzar; and the Terrific Toddlers picture books with Carol Zeavin. She’s also a story consultant for documentarian George Nierenberg. In our interview, Rhona shares insight on pivoting careers, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and all things Shakespeare.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Asha Dahya
Welcome to NYWIFT, Asha Dahya! Asha Dahya is a social impact filmmaker and storyteller. She is the director and producer of an award-winning short documentary about later abortion called Someone You Know, which premiered at the 2024 Athena Film Festival. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for My Name Is Siri, an autism awareness documentary that premiered on PBS. In 2025, Asha executive produced and co-hosted an award-winning audio and video series about Latin America’s Green Wave abortion rights movement called Green Tide Rising. Her latest short documentary is A Tiny Revolution, the story of how Meg Crane invented the first home pregnancy test.
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