How to Work a Major Film Festival: A Report from Sundance
NYWIFT member Jane Applegate recaps the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and offers some key tips on how to make the most of any festival experience.
READ MOREOne Big Union: A History of the Wobblies
Many have never heard of “Wobblies” or the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), but in the early 1900s, The Wobblies were laborers working in a variety of fields, who joined the movement which became known as “industrial unionism” under the IWW organization and they made headlines. 70 plus years following the founding of IWW, filmmakers Deborah Shaffer and Stewart Bird came together to bring the story of early American industrial radical labor reform back into the spotlight. Their documentary, The Wobblies (1979), shows the relevance of this history that still holds true today. The WFPF will screen the film at UNDO on January 28.
READ MOREThe WFPF Screens Four Experimental Films at MoMA’s “To Save and Project” Festival on January 22
The Women’s Film Preservation Fund: Four Experimental Films will screen January 22nd in The Museum of Modern Art’s annual festival, To Save and Project. The four recently preserved films by Barbara Hammer, Victoria Hochberg, Peggy Ahwesh, and Sheila Paige, all carry a common thread of movement towards a future from the past. WFPF Co-Chair Ann Deborah Levy gives us a preview.
READ MOREA Report from The American Film Market
NYWIFT member Jane Applegate reports back on her trip to the American Film Market in Santa Monica, CA, in early November.
READ MOREPositive News for Filmmakers at the New York Film Conference
Entertainment industry experts speaking at the first annual New York Film Conference on October 10, 2017 had some great news for attendees: It’s getting easier to sell your content directly to consumers, consumers are more open to watching films with subtitles and big digital platforms are spending billions on buying new content. NYWIFT member Jane Applegate shares insights from the conference.
READ MORENYC Indie Filmmaker Vigil Chime Wins the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting
The Writers Lab, presented by New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) and IRIS and funded by Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey, pairs twelve women screenwriters over the age of 40 for a weekend of one-on-one mentoring and script development with accomplished film industry leaders. One of this September’s participating writers may be on the path to becoming one of those leaders herself: Vigil Chime has been awarded the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for her script Bring Back Girl, about a Nigerian teen kidnapped by Boko Haram – the same project she took to The Writers Lab.
READ MORETrue Crime: Relationships and Responsibilities
There is no doubt that the “true crime” documentary genre is thriving and that such film and television projects are enjoying unprecedented buzz. Studies show that women are their biggest audience, and broadcasters are taking notice. By the nature of their work, non-fiction storytellers are always considering how to present and represent their subjects through the creative process. But how is that further complicated in the “true crime” space, when the stakes might literally be life or death? Where do they draw the line between journalism and entertainment?
READ MOREWomen’s Stories in Film and the Need for an Authentic Ending
Why is it that when men make poignant films about a male’s coming-of-age, they are allowed to explore the pain, heartache, betrayal, danger, and the need for getting even or choosing a lesser evil to right a wrong—while women-centric films are expected to carry out a fairy tale romance? NYWIFT member Heidi Philipsen tackled this question as she made her first feature film.
READ MORESignature Move Director Jennifer Reeder is Surrounded by Women Behind the Camera
Signature Move is a multi-cultural romance about life, love and lady Lucha-style wrestling is opening in NYC this Friday, October 13th. We caught up with filmmaker Jennifer Reeder as she heads to Friday’s opening screening event to get her perspective on breaking down doors.
READ MOREIntroducing the New WFPF Series From the Vault: Women’s Advocacy on Film
History is perfectly capable of repeating itself. Issues from the past that seem dated have a way of rearing their ugly heads once more to become present-day concerns. In an age when our collective memory can be short, and in the era of “disposable media,” the NYWIFT Women’s Film Preservation Fund (WFPF) and UnionDocs (UNDO) present FROM THE VAULT: WOMEN’S ADVOCACY ON FILM, a series of nine programs of preserved documentary films, screened monthly. The series considers the relationship of these films to contemporary nonfiction storytelling and makes a strong case for their preservation and continued study.
READ MOREA Filmmaker is Born: How the Power of One Immigrant’s Story Inspired a Musician to Go Visual
Filmmakers create great stories every day. But once in a while, a truly great story will create a filmmaker. Such was the case with Patricia Shih and her debut film, Undocumented. The inspiring documentary, which was screened on March 16th at the Queens World Film Festival as part of NYWIFT’s Women Filmmakers: Immigrant Stories series, showcases the realization of the American Dream through the unique story of undocumented-immigrant-turned-successful-cardiac surgeon, Dr. Harold Fernandez.
READ MOREStarless Moonlight’s Lesson on Making Your Production Shine Brighter: Q & A with Casting Director Angela Mickey
After Moonlight won the Oscar for best picture, casting director and NYWIFT member Angela Mickey had some insights on what independent filmmakers and can learn from its casting.
READ MORESound Advice: Avoid (or Fix) the Two Biggest Mistakes in Sound Design
Mismatched ambient noise and clothing rustle are the two biggest mistakes in sound design, according to award-winning sound designer, editor and mixer Paul Michael. At a recent NYWIFT program, he explained to how to avoid - or fix - these problems.
READ MOREThe Ask for Jane Filmmakers on Telling a Little-Known Story from Women’s History
When NYWIFT member Cait Johnston first heard about the Jane Collective — a real-life group of women who helped others get abortions before Roe v. Wade — at a NYWIFT screening, she knew it was a story she had to tell. She teamed up with fellow member Rachel Carey, a screenwriter and director she know through a NYC theater company called The Shelter, to create Ask for Jane, a narrative feature film that they are currently crowdfunding for on Seed&Spark.
READ MORE“Knowledge is Something Nobody Can Take Away from You:” Yvonne Ng Discusses her Student Academy Award Win
NYWIFT scholarship recipient Yvonne Ng, a Singaporean immigrant who came to the U.S. to study photography, discusses inspiring women, her powerful short film Cloud Kumo, and her Student Academy Award win.
READ MORE11 Things I Learned While Producing My First Short Film
Actor and writer Katrina Medoff took on a third role - producer - for the first time with the short film Lovestuck, which premieres Sunday, March 19th at the Queens World Film Festival. She shares her top takeaways from the experience.
READ MOREIna Archer, Custodian and Creator of Distinct Cinema, Picks Five Essential Films Restored by the WFPF
Experimental filmmaker and media preservationist Ina Archer picks her top five films preserved by the NYWIFT Women's Film Preservation Fund (WFPF) - each an important installment in the history of women filmmakers.
READ MOREMeet Kahane Cooperman, the Director of Oscar-nominated Short Doc Joe’s Violin
Director and producer Kahane Cooperman discusses the inspiration for her short documentary Joe's Violin, her Oscar nomination, and the support she received from New York Women in Film & Television.
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