Welcome to the NYWIFT 2024 FinanceHER Institute!
Join us for this one-day conference to refine your business strategies.
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.
Pricing:
NYWIFT Members: $45
For 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
The NYWIFT 2024 Finance Institute is brought to you in part by Flagstar.
Conference Schedule:
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
12 PM – 4 PM
Film at Lincoln Center, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, Amphitheater, (144 W 65th Street)
Welcome Address:
NYWIFT Board President Leslie Fields-Cruz
Peter Marra (Senior Vice President & Group Director at Flagstar Bank)
Simone Pero (Emmy-Nominated Producer)
Keynote Conversation with Award-Winning Film & TV Writer and Director Rachel Feldman and NYWIFT CEO Cynthia Lopez
The process of creating an independent film is an arduous journey and it took more than 15 years from when filmmaker Rachel Feldman first got the idea to make Lilly until placing the DCP in the hands of sales agents. Hear how a veteran television director transformed into an independent filmmaker, learning how to communicate with financiers and create a community of like-minded creatives, bringing a brand new, soon to be released feature film Lilly, starring Patricia Clarkson, John Benjamin Hickey and Thomas Sadoski to the screen.
Panel 1: Meet the Greenlighters
Representatives from leading distributors, foundations, and broadcasters will give an inside look at how they make decisions about what projects to support and promote. These industry stakeholders will provide insights into what catches their eye and the missteps to avoid.
This discussion will include Kent Sanderson (Bleecker Street), Chris White (American Documentary), Marsha Cook (ESPN Films), Jenni Wolfson (Chicken & Egg) and Michael Rosenberg (Film Movement). Moderated by Frances Negrón-Muntaner.
Informational Brief on NYWIFT’s Fiscal Sponsorship Program:
Easmanie Michel (NYWIFT Director of Artists’ Programs and Finance) and Sibyl Reymundo-Santiago (NYWIFT Board member & VP of Special Event)
Panel 2: Creative Ways to Secure Funding
From GoFundMe to podcasts to nonprofits, there are more alternatives to financing today than ever before. These panelists have successfully navigated nontraditional funding paths for both their narrative and documentary projects production and distribution.
This discussion will include Brian Newman, Jennifer Fox, Deborah Kampmeier, and Trevite Willis. Moderated by Cornelia Ravenal.
Closing Keynote: Emmy-Award Winning Documentary Filmmaker Luchina Fisher
Learn about the journey of her short documentary The Dads, executive produced by Dwyane Wade and acquired by Netflix, which received a 2024 Daytime Emmy Award and Special Recognition Award from GLAAD.
Learn more about the speakers and register!
The NYWIFT 2024 FinanceHER Institute is brought to you by
