NYWIFT Blog

What Can We Do About the Under-representation of Women in Screenwriting?

There has been a very thoughtful and extensive conversation going on over at the The Black Board (community of the Black List and Go Into The Story). It arose from this: The Nicholl’s website reveals a startling stat: 1 in 4 of their applicants are women. They’re referring to the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, of course, which is accepting...

Road to Designing Women: The Interviews

Recently, NYWIFT interviewed the three amazing women being honored at this year’s awards show. NYWIFT member Drake Stutesman and I were on hand to conduct the interviews, which will be used for the event’s video montages. It was a great day. The honorees—who’ve worked on such films as Moonrise Kingdom and The Amazing Spider-Man 2,...

judygrimes: Lucy Liu at the 2012 NYWIFT Muse Awards (x) We’re loving these GIFs of Lucy Liu’s NYWIFT Muse Awards acceptance speech. Created by judygrimes.

judygrimes: Lucy Liu at the 2012 NYWIFT Muse Awards (x) We’re loving these GIFs of Lucy Liu’s NYWIFT Muse Awards acceptance speech. Created by judygrimes.

judygrimes: Lucy Liu at the 2012 NYWIFT Muse Awards (x) We’re loving these GIFs of Lucy Liu’s NYWIFT Muse Awards acceptance speech. Created by judygrimes.

judygrimes: Lucy Liu at the 2012 NYWIFT Muse Awards (x) We’re loving these GIFs of Lucy Liu’s NYWIFT Muse Awards acceptance speech. Created by judygrimes.

Film News Roundup

What’s on our radar this week: Director Kimberly Peirce is frightening. There’s a new voice at the village: Stephanie Zacharek. Cannes to honor director Jane Campion (again). This means “everything”: Nora Ephron doc coming to HBO. We all love Scandal(ous) discussions. I sue you. You thank me. Now that’s beautiful, Sylvia Nasar. In case you’ve...

Member Focus: Melissa Silverstein

As the saying goes: if you want success, see a need and fill it. That’s what NYWIFT member Melissa Silverstein has done with her popular blog Women and Hollywood. It was 2007 and not many people were writing about women who work in the male-dominated film industry. To fill that void, Silverstein launched a blog,...

Tribeca Film Festival: ‘Farah Goes Bang’

Equal parts road trip, buddy comedy, sex farce and chick flick, Farah Goes Bang balances the specificity of the moment’s climate of intolerance with a universal coming-of-age tale. With her delightful ensemble of authentic and engaging female characters and snapshot of America in a telling moment, first-time writer/director Meera Manon crafts a comic portrait of...

Terry’s Picks: April 9

Recently Watched: Women to Woman, an online documentary by Veronique Doumbe and her daughter Malika Franklin, examining the topic of raising teenage daughters in New York City from both mother and daughter perspectives. Currently Watching:  Every Friday night in April, TCM’s A Woman’s World: The Defining Era of Women on Film showcases the “women’s film,” a staple from...

What to See at This Year’s Montclair Film Festival

The second annual Montclair Film Festival in Northern New Jersey runs from April 29 to May 5 and will screen more than 80 films — many of them directed by women. Here’s just a sample of what not to miss: Begin your festival week on Tuesday with Gideon’s Army. Directed by NYWIFT member Dawn Porter, the...

Flix Not to Miss: ‘Hysteria’

When I caught this film on the plane, I didn’t know that the studio had been marketing it as a romantic comedy. (Full-disclosure, I love a good rom-com!) In that vein, I found it wholly enjoyable. Maggie Gyllenhaal oozes intelligence and Hugh Dancy charms. Directed by Tanya Wexler, it’s a film that shows that feminists can have...

Film News Roundup

What’s on our radar this week: She can make men cry, but makes everybody laugh: Amy Poehler interviews comedy pioneer Irma Kalish. New film tax credits in NY State could bring more production opportunities. Why crowdfunding isn’t always the best way to finance your project. Women writers still have a ways to go in the industry… *sigh.* Free Angela Director Shola Lynch doesn’t...

First Person Filmmaker: NY Film Premieres in LA

I hadn’t been to Los Angeles since I was a teenager. I remember the sidewalk of stars, the grittiness of Grauman’s Chinese Theater, and the huge evangelical church where my uncle was getting married. Not much else. So I was both nervous and thrilled when my feature film, “In Montauk,” was accepted into the Los...

Terry’s Picks: April 2

Currently Reading: In Her Voice: Women Directors Talk Directing by Melissa Silverstein Recently Watched: Halva Nagila. Funny, Smart, emotional and satisfying. Currently screening at the Quad (34 West 13th St.). Excited About: Help preserve Seven Women Seven Sins. Support the crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. For as little as $7 you can be a “Little Sinner”! Terry...

New Member Spotlight: Emily Goldfrank

First off, “Welcome to NYWIFT!” — Can you tell us a little about yourself and your work in the industry? I grew up In NYC and moved out to Los Angeles after graduating from college to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. I started working in the mailroom at the Paradigm talent agency. I had...

NYWIFT-Live Recap: Cuban Women Filmmakers 2013 Showcase

On March 14, NYWIFT sponsored a night of short films made by Cuban women filmmakers at the Tribeca Film Center, part of a weeklong showcase held at locations across NYC.  The films: Blanco Es Mi Pelo, Negra Mi Piel (White Is My Hair, Black Is My Skin) by Marina Ochoa Derecho de Ser (The Right to...