NYWIFT Blog

By Tammy Reese

Happy Women’s History Month! As we continue to celebrate our creative members who are making innovative impacts through entertainment, media, film, and television, we would like to spotlight our NYWIFT Women Crush Wednesdays Podcast team members.

Today’s spotlight is on Janine McGoldrick.

Janine McGoldrick is a veteran entertainment executive who has created and implemented strategic distribution and communications campaigns for television and film, including for the 2017 Academy Award-winner The Salesman. Through her company 2nd Chapter Productions, she works as an entertainment strategist and is developing the documentary film Unheard: The Ears of Meniere’s.

NYWIFT Member Janine McGoldrick

Please tell us about 2nd Chapter Productions and how it came about?

After spending 20 years as a communications executive in television, film and home entertainment, I decided to switch gears and work more directly in development and production. In order to gain some additional experience in those areas, I made a big (perhaps insane) decision to produce my own documentary. 

I thought 2^nd Chapter was an appropriate shingle.

As a veteran entertainment executive, what are some of the most memorable experiences in your career so far?

I have had the opportunity to work on the promotional efforts of so many wonderful titles such as on Notting Hill, Spin City, BBC’s The Office, True Blood, and Churchill. The highlight of my career to date has been overseeing the publicity awards campaign for the Oscar-winning Best Foreign Film, The Salesman.

Distribution and communications campaigns are key components in the film and television industry. What intrigued you to go that route?

I really just happened to fall into the communications field because my guidance counselor suggested it as a major since I was a fairly decent writer and speaker. With a minor in political science, I got a job as a public information officer for the New Jersey State Assembly and it only took me a few years to get jaded by politics and get out.

Now that I was officially a publicist, with some experience behind me, I wanted to find something that I would I enjoy publicizing. Being a classic film buff, movies were the first thing that came to mind. I took some entertainment marketing courses at NYU and made it happen.     

What was the experience like for you working on The Salesman?

Exciting and terrifying! This was the first awards campaign I had ever worked on and it was a quick learning curve. Amazon was our distribution partner but we were taking the leading as they focused on the release of their [other] award winner, Manchester by the Sea. We spent months laying the groundwork, generating a lot of buzz, planning the best date to release the film, and garnering dozens of positive reviews which helped secure an Academy Award nomination.

Still from the Iranian film The Salesman (dir. Asghar Farhadi)

What intrigued you to join NYWIFT?

When I got my first job in the industry – as a junior publicist at Universal Pictures – a colleague of mine was a NYWIFT member and suggested I join to network and get invites to screenings. Though I have been a member for decades, I got more active in the organization over the past few years. It’s been so helpful during my career transition and especially this past year, all the wonderful programming has kept us connected to the industry and each other during the pandemic.

What does your role with the Women Crush Wednesdays podcast entail?

Working on the podcast is so much fun! Along with co-hosting each bi-monthly episode, I also produce. Producing includes working with our amazing podcast team to secure guests and members to profile, scheduling the segments, editing the audio (which I’m still getting the hang off), creating the episode synopsis and art and conducting an interview here and there.

How are you celebrating Women’s History Month?

For the podcast we are featuring some personal stories from our listeners which will be very inspirational so please subscribe and share.

Who are some women in the industry who inspire you?

One of my earliest inspirations was studio executive and producer Dawn Steel, the first woman to run a major Hollywood film. She joined Paramount Pictures as Director of Merchandising and Licensing in the 1980s and quickly rose up the ranks to president of production overseeing Top Gun, Fatal Attraction and The Accused. Then became head of Columbia Pictures in 1987 which released When Harry Met Sally.

Congratulations on developing the documentary film Unheard: The Ears of Meniere’s. What can we expect from it?

Thanks! In the film, Huey Lewis, Guy Kawasaki, and others go on an investigative journey to unearth the cause behind their series of mysterious, debilitating ailments and discover a relatively unknown, invisible disease that confounds doctors and leaves others skeptical of its actual existence.

Meniere’s Disease is a vestibular (inner ear) disorder that causes devastating bouts of vertigo and tinnitus, painful ear pressure, and hearing loss. I was diagnosed over seven years ago. What will be unique about our film is through creative, visual camera-work and sound design it will simulate the symptoms putting the audience inside the victim’s head so they directly experience how it physically disables people.

We are currently looking for sponsorships and donations to start production or a pickup from a studio, so reach out if you’d like to learn more. www.2ndchapterproductions.com

What else can we be on the lookout for from you?

With my recent certification as a COVID compliance officer I’m looking forward to working with filmmakers to create a safe environment on their production per health and state guidelines. I’m also outlining ideas for several other documentary and narrative projects.

NYWIFT Women Crush Wednesdays Podcast “Your Stories” segment is now rebranded to “Have Story, Will Tell.”

Share your story or hit us up with an interview suggestion, contact us at communications@nywift.org.