NYWIFT Blog

WEEKLY ROUNDUP: MERYL’S CHOICES, TEEN GIRLS & SILENCE

Image Credit: Vera Anderson/WireImage And the writers are… these 12 women were selected for Meryl Streep’s 1st screenwriting lab. FX (finally) features a female lead in a comedy series. Finally. Filmmaker Marielle Heller and star, Bel Powley discuss the importance of Diary Of a Teenage Girl. (VIDEO) Meet the women behind two “showbiz” jobs few women consider; Stunt...

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP: GWYNETH, DIFFICULT PEOPLE & A NEW VICE

Photo: Williams + Hirakawa Like her, hate GOOP or not, there’s no denying, “Gwyneth” is an empire. Career failures led Courtney Kemp Agboh to running Starz hit show Power. Difficult People creator Julie Klausner loves cats and wants her characters to be obnoxious. Here’s a clip! Guess what!? Heterosexual, white men still dominate Hollywood. ((Sigh)) VICE...

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Terry’s Picks: Indie Women, Revolution, Jill Soloway

Good news: Four of the top five highest grossing indie films of 2015 feature women leads. Even better? Three of them are over the age of 50. Revolution: 2013 NYWIFT Muse Honoree Robin Wright says “we need a female Che Guevara” to fight Hollywood sexism. “We need a revolution.” Important Read: The Moveable Fest printed...

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP: SERIOUS ADVICE & FUN WITH NICOLE.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user mipmarkets via Creative Commons A+E CEO Nancy Dubuc gives advice on what it takes to be a the boss! “When do my favorite shows return?” This list has all the answers. Filmmaker Jill Soloway warns of the “All-out attack on female filmmakers.” Nicole Kidman answers 73 questions while showing us her...

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Terry’s Picks: A Discrimination Primer, New Faces, Freeheld

Discrimination 101: Check out this informative primer on the ACLU investigation into Hollywood’s gender discrimination to learn about the cycle – and how to break it. Kudos: Filmmaker Magazine named its 25 New Faces of Independent Film – and 11 of them are women. #LoveIsLove: Looking forward to the timely film Freeheld, starring Julianne Moore...

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP: AN A FOR AMY & ADVICE FROM AVA

Photo, courtesy of Universal Being a “Trainwreck” puts Amy Schumer on the A-List. Is Nicolle Wallace fired or isn’t she? The View is very blurry at the moment. “Follow the white guys.” Director, Ava DuVernay’s career tips will enlighten. Comedian Tig Notaro on the downs & back ups of her life and career. (VIDEO) Read this before joining or starting...

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Terry’s Picks: Tatiana Maslany, Sci-Fi Women, Hiring Disparity

Congrats: Tatiana Maslany finally earned her first Emmy nomination this year for playing not one but six leading roles on Orphan Black, one of my favorite shows. Food for thought: Teo Bugbee points out in this piece for The Daily Beast that, with the exception of Amy Schumer in Trainwreck, most strong women making waves...

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP: EMMY NOMINEES & CAREER ADVICE

Photo via Emmys.com And the Emmy nominees are… click here for a full list. The newest The View co-host Michelle Collins has lovely Twitter fans. Susan Sarandon is coming to television! (What more do I need to write?) Lena Dunham & Jenni Konner will launch Lenny this fall. It’s a feminist newsletter for now, will probably become a sensation...

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Terry’s Picks: #LikeAGirl, Facebook Friends, Ghostbusters

You go: Girls break down gender stereotypes – literally – in the latest edition of the #LikeAGirl campaign. Like it: Facebook finally gives the woman in the “Friends” icon equal standing, no longer in the man’s shadow. Who you gonna call? Loving the first look at the all-woman cast for Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot.

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP: AMY’S SUMMER MOVIES & THE VIEW KEEPS CHANGING

Photo: Matt Baron/BeImages Amy Poehler’s summer movie series will probably trump everyone else’s. Think you have long days? Gayle King has you beat. DirectingActors founder Adrienne Weiss advises on…directing actors. Insightful career advice from 3 women linked to Hollywood’s hottest projects. Impact Partners wants to give emerging documentary producers money! Christine McCarthy makes history at Disney...

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Terry’s Picks: Equal Pay for Women’s Soccer, Michael Eisner, Blythe Danner Delivers

Unacceptable: The U.S. women’s soccer team received $2 million dollars after winning the World Cup for a third time. The men’s team earned $8 million for losing in the first round. Sign this petition and tell FIFA to pay women fairly. Laughable: Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner says that a woman who is beautiful and...

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NYWIFT PANEL DISCUSSION: YOUR FIRST CO-STAR AUDITION

New York Women in Film & Television presented Your First Co-Star Audition, an all-star panel of casting professionals on May 18, 2015 at Madiba Harlem. A “co-star” is generally a one-to-two-line credited television role which can provide excellent exposure for an actor and often represents the next big step in her career. The room teemed...

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Terry’s Picks: Doc on Industry Bias, Jessica Williams Talks Money, Meryl Streep Writes to Congress

Must-watch: This 26-minute documentary from Bloomberg Business sheds a harsh light on the institutional bias against women in the film industry. Good point: The Daily Show’s Jessica Williams reminds us that while it might be nice to see a woman’s face on a $10 bill, real change is measured by how much money women earn....

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP: MARTHA DEALS, NATALIE INSISTS & SCI-FI FEMINISM ARRIVES

Photo: PatrickMcmullan.com Rumors aside, Martha Stewart Omnimedia will sell for triple-digit millions. That’s a good thing! Finally, there’s a new normal in television… she’s smart, diverse and complex. Natalie Portman insisted On The Basis Of Sex be directed by a woman. Marielle Heller is that woman. Another Period co-creator Natasha Leggero hates Facebook, loves Tina Fey. Writer/Director Jennifer Phang makes...

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Terry’s Picks: Lauryn Hill Covers Nina Simone, Inside Out, Film Financing Follow Up

Can’t stop listening to Lauryn Hill’s cover of “Feeling Good,” one of many great Nina Simone covers that will be released along with the documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?, which hits Netflix on Friday. Well done: Another great film with a female lead breaks records! Inside Out, a coming-of-age tale that follows five anthropomorphic emotions...

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP: BIG DEALS & GENDER GAPS

Photo courtesy of katiecouric.com Katie Couric renews with Yahoo and Jennifer Lawrence IS the $20 million dollar woman. Katie also interviews Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer of Broad City. (VIDEO) Are digital acting classes an option for you? Dustin Hoffman sure hopes so! This report gives a comprehensive look at the gender gap in media. Writers,...

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Terry’s Picks: Natalie Portman, Women Rule the Box Office & Bonnie Raitt

Good judgment: Natalie Portman insisted on hiring a woman director for the upcoming Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic. Not bad: This NPR piece points out that we’re only halfway through 2015, and already six of the top 10 box-office hits center on women characters. Something to talk about: Bonnie Raitt is the only woman selected for...

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NYWIFT MEMBER JOURNAL: FAVORITE MOMENTS FROM THE 2015 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

(In Transit) It’s always a challenge to see all the films you want to see at a film festival, but it’s also difficult figuring out which films you should watch- many are making their world premieres and have yet to be reviewed. I attended Press & Industry (P&I) screenings with my TFF Industry badge. I...

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