NYWIFT Blog

Terry’s Picks: Hamptons Fest, ReFrame TV, Added Protection

Hamptons Fest: NYWIFT is delighted to partner once again with the Hamptons Film Festival for our Women Filmmakers Brunch and Women Calling the Shots Showcase on Sunday. We hope to see you there! ReFrame TV: ReFrame, which has recognized 34 recent films with its gender-parity stamp, is now seeking submissions for television projects to honor...

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Terry’s Picks: Casting News, Women’s History, Boxed In

Casting News: Tony Award Nominee Eva Noblezada (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables) led the cast of Diane Paragas’ musical drama film Yellow Rose along with Tony Award Winner Lea Salonga (Once On This Island, Miss Saigon). The film, which wrapped production in Texas last month, received the NYWIFT Ravenal Foundation Feature Film Grant. Women’s History: This...

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Terry’s Picks: Love Gilda, Bold Move, Emmy Nominations

Love, Gilda: Lisa D’Apolito’s acclaimed feature documentary Love, Gilda, about legendary comedian Gilda Radner, hits theaters nationwide on September 21st. The film was fiscally sponsored by NYWIFT. Bold Move: Beginning in 2019, works that do not demonstrate inclusivity in their production practices will no longer be eligible for the Outstanding British Film or Outstanding Debut...

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#SummerHours Summer Reading: Women in Early Hollywood

Throughout history, and specifically film and television history, women have been early to identify and seize opportunity in emerging fields—only to be edged out of those fields, and their history, once they become mainstream. Mellini Kantayya shares four great reads about the women pioneers of early Hollywood.

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Terry’s Picks: Disability Inclusion, Crazy Good, New Website

Disability Inclusion: Be sure to read this fantastic guest column in Variety by NYWIFT member Crystal R. Emery about the need for inclusion of those with disabilities both in front of and behind the camera. Crazy Good: Crazy Rich Asians, the first contemporary-set studio film with an all-Asian lead cast since The Joy Luck Club...

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Meet the New Board Members: Yvonne Russo

NYWIFT is governed by an 18 member Board of Directors, elected by the membership in late Spring. This diverse, accomplished group of women are at the top of their game in TV, film and digital media. We get to know producer Yvonne Russo, one of the latest additions to our leadership team.

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Terry’s Picks: Sarah Paulson, Lisa Nishimura, Gina Duncan

Sarah Paulson: Ocean’s 8 reboot star Sarah Paulson debunks the theory that women can’t work well together. (Of course they can!) Lisa Nishimura: If you binged Making a Murderer, Wild Wild Country or any other recent Netflix documentary series, you have Lisa Nishimura to thank. Gina Duncan: Indiewire profiles Gina Duncan, associate vice president of...

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AfriAmerican Immigrant Screening: Local Stories, Global Themes

In Astoria’s historic Kaufman Studios, filmmakers from the African diaspora shared local stories that reverberated deep into universal themes and questions as part of New York Women in Film & Television’s Women Filmmakers: Immigrant Stories screening on May 31, 2018. Featured in the fourth season of this NYWIFT series highlighting narrative and documentary films about the New York immigrant experience, these short films tackled issues ranging from the #MeToo movement, to President Trump’s travel ban, to the immigrant experience, to what it means to be American, among many more.

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Terry’s Picks: Script Girls, Critical Problem, Female Auteurs

Script Girls: IATSE Local 871 commissioned a new report, ‘Script Girls,’ Secretaries and Stereotypes: Gender Pay Equity on Film and Television Crews, which shows certain female-dominated craft professions such as script supervisors and art department coordinators typically receive hundreds of dollars per week less than their counterparts in comparable male-dominated crafts. In addition, the report...

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Terry’s Picks: NYWIFT Grants, Abby Wambach, Follow Through

NYWIFT Grants: Applications for the NYWIFT Fund for Women Filmmakers are open now through June 22nd. The funds are: the Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant, In-Kind Post-Production Grants, the Nancy Malone Marketing and Promotion Grant, and the Ravenal Foundation Feature Film Grant.  Abby Wambach: Take a few minutes to listen to or read soccer star...

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Terry’s Picks: Designing Women, Notorious RBG, Male Ally

Designing Women: We’re pleased to announce actors Nia Long, Christine Ebersole and Debra Monk will present at Monday’s Designing Women awards (with special appearances from Lena Waithe, Elizabeth McGovern and Mark Feuerstein via video). If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, do it now before we sell out! Notorious RBG: Go see RBG right away. It is...

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Terry’s Picks: Pilot Season, Tribeca 2018, Diversity Wins

Pilot Season: Women are directing 24 of the 75 broadcast TV pilots this year, which amounts to 32 percent. This is a huge improvement – last year, only 6 out of 70 were directed by women. Tribeca 2018: We have so many NYWIFT members with films headed to Tribeca this year – be sure to...

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Terry’s Picks: NYC Pilots, Good News, Overlooked Women

NYC Pilots: Business is booming in New York, with 11 hour-long pilots shooting here this year. This ties with the previous record year, 2012. Good News: Although Ava Duvernay’s A Wrinkle in Time wasn’t able to beat Black Panther at the box office, the films still made history, as both the #1 and #2 spots...

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Terry’s Picks: Feminist Films, Inclusion Rider, Patty Carey

Feminist Films: Celebrate Women’s History Month by watching these 30 feminist films. Inclusion Rider: Despite record Oscar nominations for women, not as many won as we had hoped – the fewest, in fact, since 2012. But kudos to past NYWIFT Muse honoree and Best Actress winner Frances McDormand, who made of a point of recognizing...

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Terry’s Picks: Easmanie Michel, The 94%, Man’s World

Easmanie Michel: Congratulations to NYWIFT Finance and Special Events Associate Easmanie Michel, who is the winner of the Fifteenth Annual American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest! From more than 1600 entries received, judge Francis Ford Coppola and the Zoetrope staff have selected Easmanie’s Caroline’s Wedding as the winning script. We are proud to say “we knew her...

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Terry’s Picks: Deadline Extended, Diversity Matters, Broadway Exclusion

Deadline Extended: We have extended the deadline for submissions to The Writers Lab this year. Women over 40, you now have until 11:59 PM EST on March 5th to send us your scripts! Diversity Matters: As hoped, Marvel’s Black Panther had a wildly successful opening weekend – proof that gender and racial diversity can and...

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Terry’s Picks: New Code, Black Panther, Canadian Progress

New code: This weekend, SAG-AFTRA released a code of conduct that defines sexual harassment and other prohibited conduct in the workplace and sets forth employers’ legal obligations under both the union’s contracts and the law, including the need to provide ways in which members can safely report workplace harassment. Black Panther: I’m looking forward to...

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Terry’s Picks: Inspiring Muse, Sheila Nevins, Golden Globes

Inspiring Muse: Thanks to all who joined us at the Muse Awards last week, particularly special guests MOME Commissioner Julie Menin and New York’s Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who had the audience on their feet and cheering! Sheila Nevins: Longtime NYWIFT member and supporter Sheila Nevins, who has hosted countless NYWIFT events and given her time...

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