How to Decide Which Screenwriting Contests to Submit To
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of screenwriting competitions out there — so how do you decide which ones are worth your time and money? As the co-founder of Moonshot Initiative, a nonprofit that works toward gender equity in film and television, NYWIFT Member Katrina Medoff has been on the other side of the application process. Her team reads hundreds of submissions a year for the Moonshot Pilot Accelerator and their newest program, the Moonshot Feature Accelerator. They know that their applicants poured their time, talents, and energy into their scripts, and that every fellowship submission means putting more time and money into your career. So it’s important to carefully consider which labs and contests to prioritize. If you’re ready to submit your feature film screenplay or TV pilot script to screenwriting competitions, here’s how to determine which labs, fellowships, and contests would be a good fit.
READ MOREBroadway’s Hit Show: MJ The Musical
NYWIFT blogger Tammy Reese shares her thoughts on the smash hit Broadway show, MJ The Musical.
READ MOREBroadway Luminaries Come Together for Broadway Inspirational Voices Presents: “Hope in Harmony: Award Ceremony & Fundraiser Cocktail Party”
On Monday, October 9, 2023, the Renowned Choir & National Nonprofit of Broadway Artists, whose mission is to support and strengthen communities in need through arts, education and outreach programming, hosted the “Hope in Harmony: Award Ceremony & Fundraiser Cocktail Party” at Sony Hall in New York City. Tammy Reese and LaKisa Renee share their exclusive interviews with Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and more!
READ MOREHow To Become a Certified Women Business Enterprise
NYWIFT Member Jean Criss, a certified member of the Metro NY Regional Chapter of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, shares membership, certification, and conference details with the NYWIFT member community.
READ MOREOpinion: Hank Azaria apologized for playing Apu on ‘The Simpsons.’ I accept.
"As an Indian American actress, for me the shadow of Apu loomed larger in my life than I realized." NYWIFT Member Mellini Kantayya offers her take on the controversial "Simpsons" character - and subsequent fallout - in an insightful op-ed published in The Washington Post.
READ MORETop Takeaways – NYWIFT Talks: Filmmakers and Activists discuss the Black Lives Matter movement, their life’s work, and hope for the future.
In solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, NYWIFT Talks recently brought together a vibrant panel of award-winning women filmmakers and activists dedicated to fighting systemic racism to discuss their work and the social justice revolution of today.
READ MOREState of the Industry: A Conversation of Lydia Darly of the Nova Frontier Film Festival and Lab
The voices of Black, Middle Eastern, and Latinx artists have long been marginalized. But at Nova Frontier Film Festival and Lab, they take center stage. Actor, filmmaker, writer, producer, and film programmer Lydia Darly discusses why she co-founded the festival (where NYWIFT is proud to present an Outstanding Female Content Creator Award), and what she hopes to see from the 2020 edition which, like so many recent events, is going virtual.
READ MOREState of the Industry: A Conversation with Theatrical Booker Clemence Taillandier
Clemence Taillandier is an independent film distribution veteran, having worked as a theatrical booker for over 15 years. She now operates her own distribution services company and provides theatrical, festival booking and consultation services to boutique distributors including Film Movement and Distrib Films, two distributors specialized in foreign films and documentaries. She has been at the forefront of moving the cinema experience to a virtual space in the wake of COVID-19.
READ MOREState of the Industry: A Conversation with Adriana Shaw of Herflix
Adriana Shaw is the Founder and President of Herflix, an online movie theater curating and streaming films by, for & about women, with 32 years of experience as a successful executive in home video and film distribution. Now sheltering at home, she discusses how she is coping during the COVID-19 pandemic and how her Herflix is adjusting to the challenging times.
READ MOREState of the Industry: A Conversation with Film Critic Andrea Thompson
Andrea Thompson is a Chicago-based writer, editor, and film critic who is also the founder and director of the Film Girl Film Festival. She discusses how the COVID-19 quarantine is affecting her livelihood
READ MOREState of the Industry: A Conversation with Film Festival Alliance
For many Americans, regional festivals are their gateway to independent film and filmmakers. How are local festivals continuing to connect artists to audiences during the pandemic? Lela Meadow-Conner, Executive Director, and Barbara Twist, Director of Membership of Film Festival Alliance update us on the rapidly changing industry.
READ MORESelf-isolation is Not So Alone
These past few weeks of self-isolation have been eye-opening, regarding the notion of being alone and isolated from peers, loved ones, family, and friends. In our struggle to find a new equilibrium and routine, we appear to have stumbled into a period of connectivity, which is different but perhaps even greater than before. NYWIFT member Cassandra Seidenfeld reflects on how social distancing in the time of COVID-19 has encouraged her to connect in new ways.
READ MORETop Takeaways: Preserving Your Mental Health During Challenging Times
As a director and producer, NYWIFT board member Kathryn O'Kane is a planner and she's used to solving problems. The biggest challenge she's finding during the COVID-19 crisis is that there’s not enough information to be able to plan. She attended the NYWIFT “Mental Health and Career Sustainability in the Doc World” panel because to learn how producers can come to terms with that and how to relax into the uncertainty of the moment when it goes against our nature. She offers her top takeaways.
READ MOREShifting the Conversation: Mental Health and Career Sustainability in the Doc World
Living in survival mode and keeping it all together for their crew and subjects is what documentary filmmakers are good at, but it often comes at great costs to their own mental health and physical well-being. Member Janine McGoldrick offers a recap of NYWIFT's recent panel on mental health in the doc world, and how some leaders are starting to shift the conversation to address what was once a taboo subject.
READ MOREState of the Industry: A Conversation with Ariel Wan of the Michigan Theater Foundation
Ariel Wan, Director of Programming, Marketing and Sales at the Michigan Theater Foundation offers insight into how local art house theaters have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis, and what they are doing in order to survive.
READ MOREState of the Industry: A Conversation with Film Production Freelancer Isabella Olaguera
Throughout the coming weeks, NYWIFT will sit down with members of the film and television community for a look at how the global COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the industry, particularly those who work in the indie and art house world. Our first conversation is with NYWIFT Member Isabella Olaguera, a 1st AD who is organizing an initiative to help feed freelancers who are struggling. She shares her insight into how life has come to a halt with so many productions on hold.
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