Join us for Part 2 of NYWIFT FinanceHER Institute presented in partnership with The New School, a one-day conference to refine your business strategies.
NYWIFT’s FinanceHER Part 2 is a collaboration with The New School’s Media Management Graduate Program/School of Media Students and the university-wide Impact Entrepreneurship Initiative and Fellowship serving graduate students from both The New School and Parsons.
Gain fresh insights from some of today’s leading experts in the industry and position your projects for optimum success. Hear from industry professionals who have successfully funded their projects and learn what greenlighters are looking for today.
Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Time: 12:00 – 6:00pm ET
Location: The Auditorium at 66 W 12th St, Rm A 106 (66 West 12th Street, Rm. A 106)
Ticket Pricing: NYWIFT Members: $45 / Non-members: $75
NYWIFT Platinum and Leadership Members attend for free!
(Discount is applied after login)
Become a member today to receive discounted access: email membership@nywift.org to join!
New York Women in Film & Television is a non-profit professional association dedicated to helping women reach the highest levels of creative achievement in television, film and media. In addition to providing services to members, NYWIFT plays a vital role in recognizing the contributions of women in media. To learn more about NYWIFT and our programs, please visit www.nywift.org
Full Schedule and Speaker Bios:
Welcome Address:
NYC Commissioner of Media & Entertainment Pat Swinney Kaufman
Pat Swinney Kaufman serves as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME). Prior to her appointment in July 2023, Kaufman was First Deputy Commissioner at MOME, overseeing the agency’s work in developing programmatic strategies and support for film, television, theatre, music, advertising, publishing, and digital media.
Kaufman brings a wealth of experience in economic development and fostering the entertainment industry to grow jobs and bring revenue to New York State. She served for 19 years as Executive Director of the New York State Governor’s Office for Motion Picture and Television Development and as Deputy Commissioner of Empire State Development. During her tenure, she helped craft and shepherd the legislation that created the New York State Film Production Tax Credit. She also worked to create the standalone Post-Production Tax Credit and the Commercial Production Incentive programs.
Kaufman was President of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) from 2003-2007 and sat on the board of the Hamptons International Film Festival and the New York Production Alliance. Her work has earned her numerous accolades including Variety’s Women’s Impact List, AFCI’s Arthur M. Loew Crystal Vision Award, the New York Women in Film and Television Muse Award, and The Gotham 50, celebrating New Yorkers who revitalize Gotham’s showbiz legacy.
In addition to her work in entertainment, Kaufman has served as President of the New York Junior League and sits on the board of the YWCA of Greater New York and Parents in Action/New York City. Kaufman received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Sweet Briar College and a Masters Degree in Instructional History from the Teachers College at Columbia University.
Vladan Nikolic, The New School Dean of the School of Media Studies & Professor of Media Studies
Vladan Nikolic is professor of media studies and dean of the School of Media Studies at The New School.
He is an award-winning filmmaker and producer, who has written, directed and produced feature films, documentaries and immersive multi-platform media projects. He was among the digital filmmaking pioneers in the 1990’s; his films were awarded at numerous top US and international film festivals. His feature film, Love premiered at the Venice and Tribeca film festivals to critical acclaim. It went on to win awards at film festivals in Geneva, Switzerland, Barcelona, Spain, and the Best Director Award at the Tiburon International Film Festival. in 2010 he produced and directed one of the first transmedia films, Zenith, which combined story extensions and releases over multiple media platforms, resulting in millions of downloads.
He has consulted, lectured and led workshops and seminars on independent filmmaking and immersive media and cross-media storytelling at various universities and professional institutions in the US and internationally, and guided and facilitated the establishment of the first transmedia program in Asia at the Hong Kong Design Institute.
His book Independent Filmmaking and Digital Convergence: Transmedia and Beyond was published by Routledge/Focal Press.
Kim Jackson, Incoming NYWIFT Board President
Kim Jackson is recognized for producing dozens of notable independent films. Her early creative expression began with dance and choreography, and that has remained the spark that ignites her creative passions. Majoring in environmental science, she has a natural curiosity for how things work. “Producers begin food chains which feed all life.” Technology is of special of interest to Kim, as it relates to serving and advancing humanity. She’s the co-founder of the creative studio Evotion, and is active on several boards, including New York Women in Film & Television, ACE Programs for the Homeless and The Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts and Humanities at Simmons University. Kim is a member of the p.g.a. and Producers Union.
Neyda Martinez, The New School Faculty/NYWIFT Board Member
Neyda Martinez is Director of the Media Management Graduate Program and Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Media Management in the School of Media Studies and Co-Director of the university-wide Impact Entrepreneurship Initiative.
Neyda is also a producer, strategist, writer, and a long-time cultural worker who explores the role of art in public life while centering social justice and cultural equity. Selected in 2023 as a Sundance Woman to Watch x Adobe Fellow, and a Faculty Fellow for the Mellon Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence, Neyda’s current documentaries in production include Bartolo and A Chasm in Chinatown. Past documentary credits include Lucky (2014); and Decade of Fire, PBS’ Independent Lens 2020 Audience Award winner. For over a decade she was a communications strategist for AMDOC/American Documentary’s POV and America Reframed series, managing publicity, marketing and branding efforts with local, regional and national partners. Neyda serves on the editorial board of NYU’s Latinx Project IntervenXions and on the nonprofit boards of Pepatián, UPROSE, and Women Make Movies.
Opening Keynote Conversation with Director and Writer Jennifer Esposito and NYWIFT CEO Cynthia Lopez:
Jennifer Esposito, Writer/Director/Producer
Jennifer Esposito’s most recent work is her critically acclaimed film, Fresh Kills, in which she wrote, directed, produced, co-starred and employed 80% female crew. The film has garnered many awards around the festival circuit. Including the Audience Choice award at HIFF, NYWIFT Excellence in Directing, San Diego Artistic Directors Award for Best Feature and the Annapolis International Film Festival Jury Prize for Best Feature and Best Ensemble Cast.
Jennifer’s acting career has spanned over 25 years, appearing in over 60 film and television productions. She is a Screen Actors Guild, Critics Choice and Hollywood Foreign Press award recipient. Esposito is also a NY Times best selling author. Jennifer currently teaches acting/writing through her production company, A Rebellious Act Project- ARAP, A Community for Actors, Writers/Artists.
NYWIFT CEO Cynthia López (Moderator) is an award-winning media strategist, and former Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, where she implemented strategies to support film and TV production throughout the five boroughs. López is the recipient of many coveted industry awards including: 11 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, a Special Emmy Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking, three Peabody Awards, and two duPont-Columbia Awards. In addition, she received the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Award for Commitment to Corporate Diversity. Prior to working as Commissioner, López was Executive Vice President and co-Executive Producer of the award-winning PBS documentary series American Documentary | POV, and was involved in the organization’s strategic growth and creative development for 14 years. Her ability to forge strategic partnerships among corporate and public interest media has been a signature of her work. Notable partnerships include: New York Times, Reuters, Al-Jazeera Network, Discovery Communications, The Moth, Story Corps, Harpo Studios and ABC News, NIGHTLINE with Ted Koppel. López is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), and is proud to have spent her career collaborating with independent filmmakers across all portions of the film and television industry. She served on the Board of Trustees for the Paley Center, NYC & Company, Museum of the Moving Image and the Tribeca Film Institute Latin America Fund Advisory Board. López currently serves on the Board of Directors for Color Congress, Latino Public Broadcasting, Manhattan Neighborhood Network, WIFTI and The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors.
Panel 1: Branded Content
The convergence of entertainment and marketing is creating new opportunities for both narrative and documentary filmmakers. As advertising and entertainment intersect, companies and creators are discovering sophisticated ways to connect authentically with consumers while enhancing their brand essence. This evolution in branded entertainment also promotes diversity and inclusivity, leading to more immersive experiences and a wider range of stories.
With branded features on the rise in sectors like sports, luxury, and spirits, what should you know to build a career in this sector? Where is the industry headed? Our panel will explore these questions and more, offering insights on how to navigate and thrive in this dynamic field.
This discussion will include Leslie Cunningham, Leah Curney, and Amy Nicholson. Moderated by Linda Saint Marc (Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Media Management).
Leslie Cunningham is a director, writer and producer with experience spanning documentary, branded, podcast and digital video. She approaches storytelling as a writer-first, understanding the central “why” of a story to unveil the universal truths that create compelling and authentic narratives. As a director, she energizes talent and production crews around a collective, creative vision and guides all creators towards a cohesive and emotionally resonant story. She is a Supervising Producer and Head of Branded Content at the production company, Diagonal Media in NYC.
Leah Curney is a multi-hyphenate filmmaker with over two decades in the entertainment industry. Her short script 6:18 to Omaha won the CinemaStreet Women’s Short Screenplay Competition – it was produced in 2020 by former NYWIFT Executive Director Terry Lawler, directed by Dana Offenbach, and enjoyed a successful festival run. In 2024, her feature screenplay Great With Kids won a place on the first annual The Women’s List, was a semi-finalist for the PAGE Awards and a quarterfinalist for the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest.
Through her production company Blue Skies Media, she has directed, produced and edited numerous narrative short films, as well as documentary content, and is currently in pre-production for her sci-fi climate change comedy, Anomalous. A seasoned brand storyteller and content strategist, she has led cross-functional video production and content teams for Fortune 500s and high growth SaaS companies. She began her career as a performer and remains a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, with credits in film, television and commercials – it’s entirely possible she’s popped up on your TV during a late-night “Law & Order” or “Law & Order: SVU” marathon. https://www.leahcurney.com/
Amy Nicholson is a New York-based filmmaker and commercial director whose projects often explore the essence of Americana with a humorous eye and a warm respect for her subjects.
Nicholson’s projects have screened at Hot Docs, Dok Leipzig, Sheffield, BFI London and the MoMA. They have been nominated for Cinema Eye Honors, selected for the New York Times’ Op Docs, and broadcast on Independent Lens.
Linda Saint Marc is an award-winning media creator, educator, and change agent. With experience developing category-leading brands on six continents as a senior executive and consultant, Saint Marc has a successful global track record for designing and reimagining media ventures. As a brand strategist, she is recognized for transforming revenue models by leveraging IP assets and optimizing audience connectivity. Her work as a social entrepreneur established Media x Women, an organization supporting the advancement of early career media professionals and Media Smart Citizens, an innovative open-access media and tech literacy education platform with a network of leading institutional partners. Linda Saint Marc serves as an Associate Professor of Professional Practice with the School of Media Studies’ Media Management Graduate Program at The New School.
Panel 2: Philanthropic Leaders Making a Difference in the Arts
If you’ve ever stared at an application and wondered “so, what are they actually looking for here?” then this panel is for you. These foundation and organization leaders will demystify the process of securing funding for your next project. They’ll share what catches their eye and what gives them pause. Learn what makes an application stand out straight from the people who review hundreds of them.
This discussion will include Kerry McCarthy (1:1 Advisory), Denae Peters (Perspective Fund), Jenny Raskin (Impact Partners), Doron Weber (Alfred P. Sloan Foundation), and Jenni Wolfson (Chicken & Egg Pictures). Moderated by Michele Kahane (Professor of Professional Practice in Management and Social Innovation).
Kerry McCarthy – Principal, established 1:1 Advisory in 2024 to provide research, planning, and grantmaking services for philanthropies and nonprofits.
With 30 years of experience working with foundations and arts and culture nonprofits, she has designed programs, raised and awarded millions, influenced public policy, facilitated strategic plans, made grants, led communications and rebranding efforts, managed leadership transitions, and inspired and led teams.
She spent 15 years working at The New York Community Trust—the community foundation serving NYC, Westchester, and Long Island—in roles ranging from arts, culture, and historic preservation program officer to vice president. She ran multiple funder collaboratives, built and marketed a philanthropic advising program that runs grant programs for client foundations, created an online tool that lets donor-advised fund holders identify remarkable charities, and helped families and individuals create giving plans. She also launched an inaugural impact investing program for donor-advised fund holders, designed a family philanthropy program, oversaw the first major rebranding of the foundation in decades, created an institutional archive, and produced the centennial celebration. Prior to joining the community foundation, she ran a consulting business, McCarthy Arts Consulting, for eight years for nonprofit arts and cultural organizations including, among others, the Asian American Arts Alliance, Cultural Institutions Group NYC, Dance/NYC, New York Foundation for the Arts, Queens Theatre, and USITT.
She serves on the board of trustees for the Hudson Valley land trust Mohonk Preserve, poverty-fighting agency FPWA, and the historically Black theater company, the Billie Holiday Theatre. She previously was vice chair of the national philanthropy-serving organization Grantmakers in the Arts and was board secretary for the visual arts residency program, Women’s Studio Workshop.
Kerry holds degrees from New York University (MA) and Sewanee: The University of the South (BA), participated in Coro’s Leadership New York program, and is a Crain’s New York Business Notable LGBTQ leader.
Denae Peters is a documentary impact consultant, grantmaker and film programmer. She is currently the Program Officer who leads Perspective Fund’s Infrastructure program which supports organizations and initiatives advancing the documentary impact ecosystem.
Previously, Denae led non-theatrical impact campaigns for 15+ documentary releases and has been on the documentary programming and selection teams for the Toronto International Film Festival, Hot Docs International Film Festival, DOC NYC, and Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Transitioning from a career as an event executive, her career in film began at the Toronto International Film Festival, where she spent 5 years managing the filmmaker relations department and hospitality sponsorships.
She proudly serves on the boards of leading media organizations Brown Girls Doc Mafia (BGDM), Represent Justice, and the Black Life Impact Foundation.
Jenny Raskin is the Executive Director of Impact Partners, a fund dedicated to supporting independent documentary films that entertain audiences, engage with pressing social issues, and propel the art of cinema forward.
Her executive producer credentials include Going Varsity in Mariachi, Aftershock, Procession, Nuclear Family, Trophy, and Dina. Other credits include: Here Come the Videofreex (director/producer), Found (producer), Facing the Dragon, (producer), Motherland Afghanistan (producer), and On Hostile Ground (director/producer). She received a B.A. from Barnard College and an M.A. from the Culture & Media program at NYU.
Doron Weber is Vice President and Program Director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a New York–based, philanthropic, not-for-profit institution that makes grants for research in science, technology, and economics; quality and diversity of scientific institutions; and public engagement with science.
Weber’s signature program, Public Understanding of Science and Technology, supports books, radio, film, television, theater and new media to reach a wide, non-specialized audience and to bridge the two cultures of science and the humanities. He helped start Radiolab, the Tribeca Film Institute and the World Science Festival and has supported Pulitzer Prize-winning books, Emmy-winning television, Peabody-winning radio, Tony-winning plays, and Oscar-winning films. Weber also directs the Foundation’s Special Initiatives program to support high-return projects that strengthen the scientific and technological enterprise as a social good. Weber was educated at Brown University, the Sorbonne and Oxford where he was a Rhodes Scholar. In 2012, Mr. Weber published Immortal Bird: A Family Memoir, named one of the 50 Notable Works of Non-Fiction by The Washington Post. He previously coauthored three books and is at work on a novel. Weber currently serves as President of The Writers Room Board, National Secretary for the Israel Rhodes Scholarship, Trustee of Shakespeare & Co, and Board Member of the Wikimedia Foundation.
As the CEO of Chicken & Egg Pictures, Jenni Wolfson oversees the strategy and execution of all programmatic and operational work to support documentary filmmakers around the world. Under her leadership since 2013, the organization has steadily expanded its grantmaking and mentorship programs for women and gender-expansive filmmakers, deepening its commitment to social change through narrative storytelling.
Jenni has been a human rights and social justice advocate her entire life. Prior to Chicken & Egg Pictures, she was the Managing Director at WITNESS, the international human rights video advocacy organization founded by musician Peter Gabriel. Earlier in her career, Jenni was a human rights investigator and humanitarian, holding roles at UNICEF and the United Nations, including long-term missions on the ground in Haiti, Rwanda and Sri Lanka. Jenni wrote and performed a solo play, “RASH,” about these experiences. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and BAFTA, Jenni holds an MA in Human Rights and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Strathclyde. She grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, and lives in New York City.
Michele Kahane (Moderator) has more than 30 years of experience in the global business, nonprofit, philanthropy and higher education sectors. She is a Professor of Professional Practice of Management, Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Milano School of Policy, Management and Environment. Her teaching and professional practice interests have focused on organizational change and strategy, social innovation, social impact entrepreneurship, and impact investing. Prior to The New School, she worked at the Clinton Global Initiative, the Ford Foundation, the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, Chemical Bank (now JP Morgan Chase) and Catholic Relief Services. She has an MBA and Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University.
She has served in a variety of administrative roles including as an Associate Dean of Educational Innovation and Social Engagement at Schools of Public Engagement, as Director of the Parsons Masters Program in Strategic Design in Management, as founding director several university-wide initiatives including the Impact Entrepreneurship Initiative and Collaboratory. She is currently leading the Parsons CareLab, a research and innovation lab focused on building new practices and models of care and mutual aid in communities, organizations and cities. She is a founding board member of Criterion Institute, a nonprofit think tank dedicated to expanding what is seen as possible for using finance as a tool for social change.
Panel 3: Meet the Showrunners
Meet the brilliant minds behind the series that viewers flock to week after week. Showrunners from hit series will share how to get your foot in the door and keep on going until you’re running your own production, too! Learn about what a good first impression actually feels like, how they run their writer’s rooms, the qualities that bring you up to the top and how to create a pitch that executives just can’t get out of their heads.
This discussion will include Kathryn O’Kane and Megan Sanchez-Warner.
Kathryn O’Kane is a Showrunner and Director with over 20 years of diverse experience in television, brand content and advertising. Her strength is telling character-driven stories working with both verité and interview-driven approaches.
Kathryn has a particular focus on celebrating and amplifying the achievements and journeys of extraordinary women. Her work in entertainment ranges from the James Beard award-winning Salt Fat Acid Heat for Netflix and Iconoclasts for the Sundance Channel to the award-winning Oprah Presents: Masterclass for OWN.
Further notable projects include the Emmy®-nominated series The World According to Jeff Goldblum for Nat Geo and Mission Juno for NASA. She has produced shows for Netflix, Disney+, ABC, AMC, CNN, Discovery Channel, ESPN, and USA and provided content for clients including Apple, Firestone, Ford Motor Company, Gucci, IBM, Meta, Nike, and The Rockwell Group.
With six years on the Board of Directors of New York Women in Film & Television (NYWFT), Kathryn is a noted campaigner for the careers of women in the entertainment industry focusing on inclusive leadership, representation, equal pay, and safety in the workplace.
Because of a strong belief that change comes from broad coalitions and unexpected connections, Kathryn seeks to celebrate cultural differences through art and storytelling.
Megan Sanchez-Warner is an Executive Producer/ Showrunner of over 250 hours of nonfiction television, an award-winning filmmaker and an educator of graduate-level media.
As a producer, Megan has credits across almost every alternative nonfiction content genre, including documentary, docusoap, lifestyle, competition and more. She is Showrunner of some of the highest-rated nonfiction series on television/streamers in the USA and Canada, including The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Love & Hip Hop Hollywood, The Real Housewives of Orange County, Million Dollar Beach House, The A-List: New York, I Dream of NeNe, Hockey Wives, My Life is a Telenovela, The Come Up (GLAAD nominated) and many more for Bravo, VH1, Netflix, Freeform/Hulu, etc.
Megan is also an award-winning filmmaker, a TV/film development/programming executive, story consultant, and a film festival board member with 25 years’ of storytelling experience across television, film, commercials and theater. She received her B.A. in Theater and a certificate in screenwriting. Megan lives in New York City and works internationally in media and education.
Informational Brief on NYWIFT’S Fiscal Sponsorship Program
A brief overview of NYWIFT’s fiscal sponsorship program which allows filmmakers to access foundation and government grant funding that may only be accessible to nonprofit organizations or fiscally sponsored projects.
Easmanie Michel manages NYWIFT’s fiscal sponsorship program; works closely with NYWIFT’s CEO and treasurer on the monthly profit and loss statement and annual budget; handles the day-to-day tasks of recording financial transactions; works with the Finance Controller on reconciliations and the yearly audit; co-produces the Muse Awards and Designing Women; coordinates the Animation Series; and curates the Immigrant Screening Series. Easmanie has worked continuously in the film and television industry since 2004. She worked in the production office for the feature films Transporter and Miami Vice. She worked as the location assistant on the film Hoot. She worked as the assistant production coordinator on TV Series Miami Ink. She also worked on TV show Burn Notice and CSI: Miami. Easmanie is currently producing the feature Caroline’s Wedding, which she co-wrote. The script was a finalist for the New York University Fusion Film Festival and it was also one of the scripts selected to participate in the Women at Sundance Financing and Strategy Intensive in 2016. In February of 2018 the script was the Grand Prize Winner of the American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest. The script was also a finalist for the New Renaissance London Film Festival in 2021. Easmanie also received the New York Council on the Arts Individual Artist grant for Caroline’s Wedding. She has MA in Cinema Studies from New York University and and she is currently completing a Certificate in Financial Accounting at NYU. A list of Easmanie’s production credits can be found at https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm1890668
Trevite Willis is the head of development and productions at Best Yet Entertainment and a film festival founder committed to courageous storytelling and championing underrepresented voices.
Ms. Willis is a one of the Co-Producers on the Broadway musical, The Wiz; Executive Producer on the Sundance 2024 film, Kidnapping, Inc.; Co-Executive Producer on the Sundance 2023 film, To Live and Die and Live; and was an executive producer on the Sundance 2020 award-winning film, Forty Year Old Version. She is currently in post production on the 2020 political documentary, Black Voters Matter, following civil rights activists LaTosha Brown and Cliff and April Albright as they rallied voters in the general and Georgia’s U.S. Senate run-off elections.
Ms. Willis is a producer on a number of projects in production: Listen to My Heartbeat, The Inquisitor: The Barbara Jordan Doc, and Harvest. She has produced 7 feature films, including Cargo (2017 Amnesty International Human Rights Prize), Blood Bound, Maya and Her Lover, and Children of God which had theatrical releases in the US, UK and The Netherlands, won 17 awards, and sold in 24 territories.
In 2018, Ms. Willis launched the Southern Fried Film Festival in Huntsville, Alabama with fellow founder, Kelley Reischauer. She was a 2024 Starz/Blackhouse Television Producing Lab Fellow and a 2020 Blackhouse Multicultural Producers Lab fellow. She is an alumni of Trans Atlantic Partners (2017), a Sundance Catalyst fellow (2018), and a Women at Sundance Strategy Intensive fellow (2017, 2019). Ms Willis was a SXSW Tech Conference speaker (Mining Diversity: Developing a Community of Color, 2012). Ms. Willis is a member of New York Women in Film & Television, Women in Film, The Gotham and Women Independent Producers.
Closing Keynote Conversation with Emmy Award Winning Filmmaker Violet Du Feng:
Violet Du Feng is an Emmy winning filmmaker, a doc branch member of AMPAS and an adjunct professor at Columbia University. She has directed, produced and executive produced 13 documentaries including the Oscar Shortlisted, Peabody and Emmy nominated Hidden Letters with broadcast in 15 countries; Harbor from the Holocaust, a CPB/PBS special film with music performed by Yo-yo Ma. Her producing credits include Night of Nights, Dear Mother, I Meant to Write About Death, Singing in the Wilderness, Confucian Dream, Maineland and Please Remember Me. She is a recipient of the 2024 Chicken and Egg Award, 2023 Sundance Momentum Fellowship, 2021 Rockwood Justfilm Fellowship and 2018 Sundance Producer Fellowship. Violet has served as an advisor for Sundance’s Producers’ Lab, AIDC, CAAM, Hot Docs, Doc Edge, CNEX and Shanghai Film Festival.
Amir Husak is a documentary media maker and Assistant Professor of Media Studies at The New School. Combining emergent and traditional media, essay and experimental techniques, Husak’s work explores documentary as social practice and investigates digital media representations of history, migration and memory. He has shown works at such diverse places as Cinemateca Distrital (Bogota, Colombia), Sarajevo Film Festival (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Stadtmuseum Graz (Austria), South by Southwest (US), Sundance Film Festival (US), P.O.V./PBS (US), Crvena Association for Culture and Art (Sarajevo, Bosnia), TV Cultura (Brazil), and Full Frame Film Festival (US). Husak also co-edited a volume on socially engaged art and activist media in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Crisis, Art, Action; 2016), and published articles and essays on emergent forms of documentary and tactical media in scholarly journals, magazines and online publications. In 2012-2013, he was a Fulbright research fellow at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin’s department of Diversity and Social Conflict. Husak currently serves as Artistic Director of BHFF NYC Film Festival, a showcase of cinema from Southeast Europe and its diasporas.
Thank you to our partners:
The New School, founded in 1919 has redrawn and redefined the boundaries of intellectual and creative thought as a preeminent academic center. Its rigorous, multidimensional approach to education dissolves walls between disciplines and helps nurture progressive minds. At The New School and Parsons, students have the academic freedom to shape their unique, individual paths for a complex and rapidly changing world. The university’s students and faculty continue to challenge the status quo and continue to redefine higher education almost a century later.
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NYWIFT programs, screenings and events are supported, in part, by grants from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
