Posts by: nywift

Terry’s Picks: Celluloid World, Script Intros, Pregnancy Portrayals

Celluloid world: Dr. Martha Lauzen’s latest study shows a significant increase in female protagonists in the top grossing feature films of last year. But it’s all relative – this “big” jump was from only 12% to only 22%. And ethnic and racial diversity is still startlingly low – 76% of all female characters were white....

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Terry’s Picks: Victoria Alonso, Paul Feig, that’swhatshesaid

Congrats, Victoria: 2015 NYWIFT Muse honoree Victoria Alonso is the first woman to receive the Advanced Imaging Society’s Harold Lloyd Award, which is presented to a filmmaker who in the judgment of the Society has created a body of work, and specific achievements in 3D, that advanced the motion picture art form. Victoria is Executive Vice...

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Terry’s Picks: SAG Diversity, The Writers Lab, Inner Beauty

SAG Diversity: In contrast with an all-white lineup of Oscar nominated actors, the SAG Awards had a healthy mix of diverse nominees and winners. That said, the majority of diverse winners were for television, not film. The Writers Lab: Submissions for The Writers Lab 2016 are now open! Learn more and submit at thewriterslab.nyc. The...

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Jessica Jones: A Kick Ass Show Women Can Be Proud Of

How Marvel's latest Netflix series raises the bar for women characters and social issues.

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Terry’s Picks: Equity, Where’s Rey, Survival Tips

Women’s Equity: Congrats to the team of Equity, which was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics at Sundance. It’s a Wall Street movie produced, written, directed by and starring women!   Where’s Rey? Even though the female Star Wars: The Force Awakens protagonist is wildly popular with fans, she has been mostly missing from the...

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NOW ON VOD – Jan 2016

Indie projects available to watch now from #NYWIFT members. This month you can watch a comedic web series about NY women entrepreneurs selling weed, a documentary about losing virginity, a feature drama about 30-somethings trying to get laid, a short holiday film and more...

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Terry’s Picks: The Writers Lab, #OscarsSoWhite, Netflix Binge

The Writers Lab: Read scripts from The Writers Lab 2015 thanks to our friends at The Blacklist and get ready for 2016 – NYWIFT and IRIS will begin accepting submissions for this year’s Lab on February 1. #OscarsSoWhite: With a complete lack of nonwhite performers in the acting categories and near shutout of nonwhite creators...

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Terry’s Picks: Screening Series, Swim Team, Get #Social

Screening Series: NYWIFT is seeking films by women filmmakers for our second Immigrant Women’s Screening Series. Films should be about the New York immigrant experience. See details. Swim Team: Swim Team, the recipient of the NYWIFT Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant at the Muse Awards in December, has been nominated for Indiewire’s Project of the...

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Terry’s Picks: Director Diversity, Equal Pay, Golden Globes

What’s wrong with this picture? The Hollywood Reporter’s director roundtable on Sundance TV only featured middle-aged men. Was that the best they could do? Equal pay: California’s new equal pay law, SB358, has been dubbed “the toughest law in the nation.” It supports women who demand to be paid the same as male colleagues in...

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For Indie Projects: An Actor’s Table Read Offers Best Results

On an indie film set there is little to no time to rehearse and most of the times the story is shot out of sequence, so it makes sense to have an actor table read before you start shooting.

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Terry’s Picks: The Force Awakens, Stephanie Laing, Joy

Female force: A Fandago survey showed that Daisy Ridley’s Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakenswas the character moviegoers were most excited to see this weekend. Finally having a strong female lead in a notoriously male-driven franchise has viewers talking. Go, Stephanie: Congrats to NYWIFT friend Stephanie Laing, Executive Producer and Director ofVeep, who will...

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP: THE FEMALE FORCE, YEAR-END LISTS & FUN ADVICE

Star Wars (finally) opened. The female cast members discuss being part of a new history. The end of 2015 marks the beginning of lists. Here’s a range of fun lists to enjoy. We expected more from these movies this year. These were some of the best movies directed by women in 2015. 2015 had great new tv...

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Terry’s Picks: The Zookeeper’s Wife, Rock in the Red Zone, Lifetime Job Offer

Jessica reports: Jessica Chastain, writing from the female-dominated set of The Zookeeper’s Wife, says, “When you have both genders represented, then you have a healthier point of view.” Laura rocks: Filmmaker Laura Bialis talks to IndieWire about her documentary feature Rock in the Red Zone, about the thriving music scene located less than one mile...

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP: NOMINATIONS, GENDER ISSUES & GREAT COMPANIES

Photo via Wilson Webb / The Weinstein Company Tis the season to be nominated. SAG & Golden Globes nominees lead the way. Ladies, the force may soon be with us. Hollywood’s gender inequality may be due to…daddy issues? A post Mad Men Elizabeth Moss is keeping it light and taking Gayle King’s advice. Looking for...

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Terry’s Picks: Muse Honorees Blythe Danner, Lizz Winstead, Sarah Barnett

As we look forward to this Thursday’s Muse Awards, here are some of our honorees: Blythe Danner talks to The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast about her 50 year career and taking on her first leading film role at age 72 in I’ll See You in My Dreams. Lizz Winstead’s Tinder parody app Hinder, created...

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Follow #nywiftmuse on Twitter for Muse Awards Buzz on December 10

The buzz about the Muse Awards is that it’s all about the speeches. It’s not a surprise as the event is an intimate gathering of women in entertainment and those who support them. It’s a safe place for women to talk openly about their experience in entertainment. This 2012 acceptance speech from Muse winner Mariska...

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP: HISTORY, INSPIRATION & THE “F” WORD

Photo via Variety / Evgenia Eliseeva With a female director, writer, composer and choreographer, “Waitress” will make Broadway history! ”It’s just bad business.” Hollywood finally agrees, gender discrimination needs to be addressed. Now. Watch Edie Falco give a one-minute explanation of why & how she became an actor. (VIDEO) Have your “original” story ideas been done before?...

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Terry’s Picks: Women Speak Out, Jessica Jones, Carol

Speak out: The New York Times published a comprehensive look at women directors and executives, taking aim at the vicious cycle of sexism that pervades the industry. Super woman: This weekend’s big binge watch was Marvel’s new Netflix series, Jessica Jones. Many are calling it one of the best superhero shows ever, and it has...

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