In a new partnership between New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) and BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), we’re thrilled to present a collection of groundbreaking contemporary films that delve into science and technology in the modern world. These urgent documentaries and empowering fictions take us from the depths of outer space to the on-the-ground action of a Hasidic women-run ambulance corps and beyond.
Join us for a screening of My Love Affair with Marriage followed by a conversation with director Signe Baumane. Moderated by NYWIFT Board Member, Kuye Youngblood.
Date: Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Time: 7:00pm ET
Location: Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, 11217
Price: Free with reservation
About the Film:
Running Time: 107 min
From Signe Baumane, director of Rocks in My Pockets, comes a new award-winning animated feature about a spirited young woman determined to find love in the bewildering world. My Love Affair With Marriage follows Zelma on her 23-year quest for perfect love and lasting marriage set against a backdrop of historic events in Eastern Europe.
Told from a woman’s point of view, the film blends historical, biological, societal, and emotional arcs with a lively sense of humor and musical numbers. This animated film for adults tackles the issues of love, gender norms, domestic violence, fantasies and toxic relationships to propel a woman’s journey toward independence and liberation.
Panelists:
Signe Baumane (Writer, Director, Designer, Animator) was born and raised in Latvia when it was still part of the Soviet Union. At age 14, she began publishing short stories. At 16 she won poetry reciting competitions. At 18 she was singing and dancing with the folk group Skandenieki. Signe received a BA in Philosophy from Moscow State University. After graduating she started to work at Riga’s Animated Film Studio as a cel painter and later as a writer, director and designer. Signe directed three animated shorts in Latvia before moving to New York. There she worked for independent animator Bill Plympton as art director and production manager. In 1998, Signe received her U.S. green card as an ‘extraordinary ability alien’ and began making films at her own studio. In 2005 she became a U.S. citizen.
Kuye Youngblood (Moderator) is an Emmy award-winning producer with experience in scripted, documentary, stand-up comedy, and concert captures with a focus on series, shorts, and features. Formerly the Head of Development and Production, she is currently the General Manager of the BRIC TV network. Her responsibilities include creative development from script to screen, managing a team of dynamic filmmakers, and sourcing distribution opportunities for new film works. Her EP work has screened at Tribeca, Sundance, The Lower East Side Film Festival, New Voices in Black Cinema, Hot Docs, ABFF, UrbanWorld, Bentonville, Bushwick Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, and Seattle International Film Festival, among others. Original series include The Show About the Show, Brooklynification, Dinette, All Hail Beth, the Inspector Ike feature film, and the animated series United Space of America. She’s been a speaker and mentor at SXSW, a juror with SeriesFest, and a producer/moderator for IFP panels. She was also Series Producer for Neighborhood Beat, a show about her hometown of Brooklyn!
Thanks to our partners:
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Screening series supported by:
BAM Brooklyn
30 Lafayette Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217
programs@nywift.org
Join the conversation on social media:
#nywift | @nywift
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.
