Cynthia’s Picks: NY Women, Gender Parity, Captain Marvel
NY Women: Congratulations to the NYWIFT members selected to receive some of the first round of grants in the Mayor’s Office of Entertainment and Media’s “Made in NY” Women’s Film, TV & Theatre Fund. Gender Parity: Kudos to the Tribeca Film Festival, whose 2019 lineup for competition films achieved gender parity for the first time....
READ MOREWIFT Around the World: Report from Berlinale (Part 1) – Adriana Shaw on Gender Parity
Is true gender parity in film on the horizon? Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI) hopes so. NYWIFT member filmmaker/journalist/actress Heidi Philipsen attended the 2019 Berlinale International Film Festival, where the 10% for 50/50 gender parity initiative was introduced. Philipsen spoke with longtime member Adriana Shaw, who also attended the fest, about what this could mean for the future of our industry.
READ MORECynthia Picks: Be Natural, NYWIFT Podcast, Meet Jane
Be Natural: NYWIFT is proud to co-present a special screening of Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché – the first female filmmaker and inventor of many modern filmmaking techniques – at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, in honor of Women’s History Month. The documentary features clips from several Guy-Blaché films preserved by...
READ MORENYWIFT Members use filmmaking to support the next generation of women running for political office
On November 12, 2018, just one week after a record 117 women won their races for seats in Congress, seven NYWIFT members came together with She Should Run, a non-partisan nonprofit with a mission to expand the talent pool of women running for office in the United States, hosted by HBO. NYWIFT member Kristina Teschner, who participated in the program, recently signed on as the Co-Director of Creative Strategy & New Media at the Cabán for Queens campaign, and shares more about the natural evolution between filmmaking and political campaigning.
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Black Agents, Children’s Media, Female Representation
Black Agents: Of the hundreds of talent agents working at the major Hollywood agencies, only a few dozen are black. The New York Times ran a great interview with several of the reps, who discussed the systemic barriers they have faced and the change they hope to see. Children’s Media: The Geena Davis Institute conducted...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Thelma Schoonmaker, Unequal Representation, Inclusion Commitment, Record Breaker
Thelma Schoonmaker: Congratulations to 1995 NYWIFT Muse honoree Thelma Schoonmaker, who was honored this weekend with a BAFTA fellowship for her incredible 50-year editing career. Unequal Representation: The Women’s Media Center’s “Investigation 2019: Gender and Non-Acting Oscar Nominations” found that women are once again missing from the picture. No women were nominated in Directing, Cinematography,...
READ MOREBlack Girl Magic in Film
It may seem Black Girl Magic in film is everywhere these days. But NYWIFT Board Member Leslie Fields-Cruz will share a secret with you: That “magic” isn’t really magic at all. It’s the result of more than a century of hard work, perseverance, and phenomenal endurance by black women media makers who’ve paved the way for a future that demands inclusivity, parity, and equal representation.
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Kim Snyder, Male Allies, Writers Lab
Kim Snyder: Kudos to Kim Snyder, CEO of our partner Panavision, for her incredible commitment to supporting women at all stages of their lives and careers. Forbes published a great interview with Kim, focusing on how she helps women advance in the industry and the particular support and consideration she gives to working parents. Male...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Empowering Advice, Kyra Sedgwick, Roku Channel
Empowering Advice: Forbes offers 10 top tips for navigating Hollywood as a female creative. Kyra Sedgwick: Kyra Sedgwick’s Big Swing Productions has partnered with SeriesFest for the Women Writing Competition to discover and celebrate bold new series with a distinctly female perspective. The winning female artist(s) will receive a year-long development deal with Big Swing Productions and a...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Sundance Fest, It’s Time, Fair Credits
Sundance Fest: Congratulations to all the NYWIFT members with films screening at Sundance! The festival opens on Thursday and runs through February 3rd. It’s time: Variety noted the uptick in feminist stories featured in Oscar contenders this year. Of course, this female focus didn’t extend to the directing nominations – women were shut out of...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Natural Leader, Sobering Statistics, Regina King
This week please join us in welcoming new NYWIFT Executive Director Cynthia Lopez! Cynthia will offer her top picks of NYWIFT and industry news to share with you every Tuesday. Natural Leader: Inspirational words to kick off your 2019! NYWIFT Board Member Flo Mitchell-Brown shared her “start story” with StartTV, explaining why women...
READ MOREFive Film Festival Takeaways
In 2018, from mid-October to mid-December, NYWIFT member Lauren Anders Brown embarked on a film festival season filled with five very different festivals. These are the valuable lessons she learned from each one.
READ MOREMy Film Angels
It takes a village to make a film. Here, NYWIFT member Jane Applegate give thanks to all those who lended a hand - literally and figuratively - over the years.
READ MOREOur Muse, Penny Marshall
In memory of Penny Marshall, who passed away this week at the age of 75, we take a look back at her hilarious and heartfelt speech from the 1994 NYWIFT Muse Awards.
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Great Gifts, Online Festival, Yvonne Russo
Thank you to everyone who attended the 39th Annual Muse Awards on Thursday! It was such an honor to receive the Made in NY Award from the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment, and I was touched by how many of our members came out to support our organization (and give me a hug). My...
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Board Buzz, 62 Writers, Top Performers
Board Buzz: Great news from several NYWIFT board members! The Tale – produced by Simone Pero – continues to rack up award nominations, including a Golden Globe nom for last year’s Muse honoree Laura Dern and a Critics Choice nom for this year’s Muse Ellen Burstyn; Annetta Marion was selected for NBC’s Alternative Directors Program...
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Life Lessons, Dream Team, Zero Weeks
Life Lessons: Be sure to read Manohla Dargis’ brilliant piece in The New York Times about what movies teach us about being a woman. She says: “Movies get into our bodies, making us howl and weep, while their narrative and visual patterns, their ideas and ideologies leave their imprint.” Representation matters. Dream Team: Thanks to...
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Giving Tuesday, Be Natural, Women Mentors
Giving Tuesday: Today is Giving Tuesday, and I hope you’ll consider making a donation to NYWIFT as part of your holiday spending to help support our 2018-19 programming season, which will include more than 40 professional development and training programs and 15+ screening events celebrating the achievements of women filmmakers. Plus, if you give through...
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