Terry’s Picks: Paul Feig, Melinda Gates, The Invitation
Paul Feig: Writer/Director Paul Feig says he wants to add an equity clause to his future film contracts that would require gender-balanced casting for minor roles. Melinda Gates: The renowned philanthropist talked to Lena Dunham’s Lenny newsletter about the gender gap in unpaid labor and why poverty is sexist. The Invitation: Looking forward to the...
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Under Pressure, Reverse Renaissance, Hollywood Power
Under pressure: Reese Witherspoon talked to Entertainment Weekly about how, due to lack of opportunities and added scrutiny, women directors aren’t allowed to fail. Reverse Renaissance: A new study from the Writers Guild of America shows that “progress has been slow at best for women and minority writers in an era of television renaissance, while...
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Be Yourself, Women in Motion, Making Music
Be Yourself: Costume designer Jenny Beavan talks about her recent Oscar win for Mad Max: Fury Road – and the “drama” sparked by her decision not to glam it up for the awards ceremony. Women in Motion: Kering and the Cannes Film Festival have announced the second edition of the “Women in Motion” program, which highlights...
READ MOREThe Journey of a First-time Feature Producer/Director
NYWIFT member Heidi Philpsen discusses her journey from interviewing filmmakers, to being a sought-after production coordinator, to directing and producing her first feature film - and the lessons she learned along the way.
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Super Girls, NYWIFT Pride, SWAN Day
Super girls: Marvel Studios launched a national contest that invites girls in grades 10 through 12 to create science or technology projects that “could make the world a better place.” NYWIFT pride: This a great profile on actor-writer-director-producer Erica Fae who, like so many of her fellow NYWIFT members, is a multi-talented artist creating her...
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Congrats Wendy, Raise Awareness, The Writers Lab
Congrats, Wendy: NYWIFT member Wendy Blackstone is the composer for A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, winner of the 2016 Oscar for Best Documentary Short. It is the harrowing tale of a Pakistani honor killing survivor. Watch it on demand through HBO Go. Raise awareness: Four films by NYWIFT members will...
READ MORETerry’s Picks: True Stories, Get Together, Second Class Superstars
True stories: The New York Times published a detailed, sobering compilation of first-hand accounts of women and minorities struggling for equality in the entertainment industry. Get Together: Jessica Chastain, Juliette Binoche, Freida Pinto, Queen Latifah, Catherine Hardwicke, Marielle Heller, Alysia Reiner and more have joined the advisory board of a new non-profit organization, We Do It...
READ MORENOW ON VOD – FEBRUARY 2016
This month, NYWIFT members are offering some feature length film suggestions to your VOD queue - plus a film screening in NYC today, one coming up very soon, and one you can pre-order for digital download while simultaneously supporting its Kickstarter campaign for wide release. So show some love to members of New York Women in Film & Television and check out these films...
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Diversity Study, Ms. Factor Toolkit, Sally Field
#OscarsSoWhite, Male AND Straight: USC Annenberg’s Media, Diversity, & Social Change Initiative has released a groundbreaking new study which shows the breadth and depth to which Hollywood tends to be straight, white and male. The report evaluates every speaking character across 414 films, television and digital stories released in 2014-2015, and 11,000 speaking characters are...
READ MORETerry’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....
READ MORETerry’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...
READ MORETerry’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...
READ MOREJessica 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.
READ MORETerry’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...
READ MORENOW 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...
READ MORETerry’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...
READ MOREMoving Forward: Fresh New Year
The Globes were a mess, few women #OscarNoms, new let down study blues, Moving Forward: all-female cast, superpower women and NYWIFT call for submissions!
READ MORETerry’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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