Cynthia’s Picks: Latinx Stars, Expanded Opportunities, Listen In
Latinx Stars: The Hollywood Reporter wisely points out…amid the call for diversity in entertainment, particularly inclusive casting, why don’t we have more Latinx movie stars? Part of it, of course, comes down to unconscious bias – which we all need to work on identifying and correcting. Expanded Opportunities: The Academy has voted to expand the...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Muses-on-the-Move, 21 Leaders, Draft Diversity
Muses-on-the-Move: Great news from two past NYWIFT Muse Honorees: Lucy Liu will be the second-ever Asian-American woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (the first was Anna May Wong in 1960), and Judith Light will receive the Isabelle Stevenson Award at the Tony’s in June in tribute to her advocacy to...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Director Disconnect, Board Elections, Ladies’ Morning
Director Disconnect: While the call for diversity in Hollywood is getting more bandwidth than ever, the movement toward inclusion is still not reaching the director’s chair. Board Elections: NYWIFT members, don’t forget to vote in our Board Elections! Ballots have been emailed out to you and voting closes on May 1st. (If you missed...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Female Grips, Killing Eve, Thrones Queen, Lesley Stahl
Female Grips: The New York Times pays tribute to the few women who work as grips – one of the most grueling and important tasks on set. Killing Eve: This Glamour headline puts it best: Killing Eve is made for women by women…and it shows. Thrones Queen: Game of Thrones owes much of its success...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Spring Drive, Career Summit, Marvel-ous Teamwork
Spring Drive: Now through May 13th is our Spring Membership Drive! Become a NYWIFT member and save 50% off the initiation fee. If you’re not yet a member of our supportive, dynamic community…what are you waiting for? Apply now! Career Summit: NYWIFT is thrilled to participate on the Center for Communication’s Women + Media Career...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Agnes Varda, Ravenal Grant, Amy Poehler
Agnes Varda: I was so saddened to hear about the passing of legendary filmmaker, documentarian and cinephile Agnes Varda. Indiewire offers up a list of where to watch eight of her best films. Ravenal Grant: Congratulations to directors Lydia Dean Pilcher and Suzanne Guacci, both recipients of this year’s NYWIFT Ravenal Feature Film Foundation Grant. We are...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Yellow Rose, Political Inspiration, Nancy Schwartzman
Yellow Rose: Congratulations to filmmaker Diane Paragas and her 2018 NYWIFT Ravenal Foundation Feature Film Grant winning film Yellow Rose, which will open the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in May. Combining drama, music and timely issues, Yellow Rose tells the story of a headstrong Filipino girl from a small Texas town who fights to...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Barbara Hammer, Self-Advocacy Skills, Rotten Reviewers, Provincetown Summit
Barbara Hammer: Our industry lost a legend this week, pioneering queer experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer. A recent Vanity Fair interview highlighted the inclusive spirit that was a hallmark of her work: “There is room for everyone.” Self-Advocacy Skills: Five powerhouse women offer advice on how to advocate for yourself – how to speak up about...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: NY Women, Gender Parity, Captain Marvel
NY Women: Congratulations to the NYWIFT members selected to receive some of the first round of grants in the Mayor’s Office of Entertainment and Media’s “Made in NY” Women’s Film, TV & Theatre Fund. Gender Parity: Kudos to the Tribeca Film Festival, whose 2019 lineup for competition films achieved gender parity for the first time....
READ MORECynthia Picks: Be Natural, NYWIFT Podcast, Meet Jane
Be Natural: NYWIFT is proud to co-present a special screening of Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché – the first female filmmaker and inventor of many modern filmmaking techniques – at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, in honor of Women’s History Month. The documentary features clips from several Guy-Blaché films preserved by...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Diversity Wins, Seen vs. Heard, Emma Speaks, Networking Tips
Diversity Wins: The Oscars this weekend proved historic on several fronts: Black Panther costume designer Ruth E. Carter (one of our first Designing Women honorees) and production designer Hannah Beachler became the first African-American women to win in their respective fields; Spike Lee and Alfonso Cuaron took home prizes for writing and directing respectively; women...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Black Agents, Children’s Media, Female Representation
Black Agents: Of the hundreds of talent agents working at the major Hollywood agencies, only a few dozen are black. The New York Times ran a great interview with several of the reps, who discussed the systemic barriers they have faced and the change they hope to see. Children’s Media: The Geena Davis Institute conducted...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Thelma Schoonmaker, Unequal Representation, Inclusion Commitment, Record Breaker
Thelma Schoonmaker: Congratulations to 1995 NYWIFT Muse honoree Thelma Schoonmaker, who was honored this weekend with a BAFTA fellowship for her incredible 50-year editing career. Unequal Representation: The Women’s Media Center’s “Investigation 2019: Gender and Non-Acting Oscar Nominations” found that women are once again missing from the picture. No women were nominated in Directing, Cinematography,...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Kim Snyder, Male Allies, Writers Lab
Kim Snyder: Kudos to Kim Snyder, CEO of our partner Panavision, for her incredible commitment to supporting women at all stages of their lives and careers. Forbes published a great interview with Kim, focusing on how she helps women advance in the industry and the particular support and consideration she gives to working parents. Male...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Empowering Advice, Kyra Sedgwick, Roku Channel
Empowering Advice: Forbes offers 10 top tips for navigating Hollywood as a female creative. Kyra Sedgwick: Kyra Sedgwick’s Big Swing Productions has partnered with SeriesFest for the Women Writing Competition to discover and celebrate bold new series with a distinctly female perspective. The winning female artist(s) will receive a year-long development deal with Big Swing Productions and a...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Sundance Fest, It’s Time, Fair Credits
Sundance Fest: Congratulations to all the NYWIFT members with films screening at Sundance! The festival opens on Thursday and runs through February 3rd. It’s time: Variety noted the uptick in feminist stories featured in Oscar contenders this year. Of course, this female focus didn’t extend to the directing nominations – women were shut out of...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Natural Leader, Sobering Statistics, Regina King
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...
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