Below are just a few of the most recent accomplishments of our talented members! If you want to join this dynamic community, we hope you will consider applying for NYWIFT membership.
NYWIFT members, do you have an upcoming screening, event, campaign or other news to share? Tell us! Contact communications@nywift.org.
For Pride Month, NYWIFT member Frances McGarry sat down with actor and playwright Steven Hauck last week. Hauck’s directorial debut, TOMORROW WE LOVE (co-written by Jeffrey Vause), is a gender-expansive, comedic homage to classic romantic films of the mid-twentieth century showing July 13-23 at the Chain Theater in New York. McGarry and Hauck discuss the healing and sustaining powers of theater in another episode about ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the arts. Learn more and listen here.
NYWIFT member Grace-Mary Burega and her team invite members to the July 12-13 world premiere of Humans and Other Animals. The documentary takes viewers on an epic journey, from witnessing firsthand how animals think, use language, and feel love, using custom-built equipment and never-before-attempted tactics. The film will premiere at the SVA Theatre in NYC. Showtime is at 7:30 PM and will follow with a Q&A with director Mark DeVries. Get tickets.
NYWIFT board member Okema T. Moore and her team won the top prize at the 28th American Black Film Festival! The NYWIFT community celebrates Moore’s second win at ABFF in the last five years. Moore served as producer for Chocolate with Sprinkles, the endearing story of a couple working on their marriage for the first time in 25 years. Chocolate with Sprinkles will be playing next at the Essence Film Festival on July 5 in New Orleans. Good luck, Okema!
Join Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, the Museum of Tolerance and American Friends of Tel Aviv University for the West Coast premiere of Nina is an Athlete, followed by a Q&A with filmmaker and NYWIFT member Ravit Markus in person and NYWIFT Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant winner Nina Gorodetsky on zoom. Film begins at 7:30 PM on June 20. Get tickets.
NYWIFT member Heidi Philipsen-Meisnner‘s first solo directing debut Love & Vodka, will premiere as the closing night film at the Cinetopia Film Festival in Ann Arbor, Michigan on June 23 at 5 PM in the Main Theater. Love, vodka, and the adventure of a lifetime unfold when a young Michigan writer follows his heart to Ukraine, discovering unexpected family, uproarious laughter, and a romance that transcends borders. Get tickets.
Join Roxbury Film Festival for a special screening of An Affirmation Nite Baby Nite, a delightful animated short film by acclaimed children’s author and NYWIFT member Irene Smalls. This enchanting film is a heartfelt celebration of Black children, their dreams, and the boundless love that surrounds them. See An Affirmation Nite Baby Nite at the largest New England Film Festival dedicated to celebrating films by, for, and about people of color around the world on June 26 at 6 PM. Get tickets here.
NYWIFT member Kristina Leigh Copeland is raising funds for her latest eye-opening documentary. The Last Ride. The documentary brings awareness to the gruesome mistreatment and slaughter of horses for human use and consumption. Copeland produced, directed and narrated The Wall Street Conspiracy, a documentary exposing the abusive practice of illegal naked short selling that contributed to the USA 2008 Financial Crisis and hopes to illuminate the truth again with The Last Ride. Add your contribution.
Theatre Revolution, the oldest woman-centered theater organization in the Hudson valley region, presents the annual Glass Ceiling Breakers short play and short film festival June 14-16. NYWIFT member Sweta Keswani will appear in the short play Prewritten by Erin Moughon on June 14. On June 15, the festival will run short films including Welcome to Theatre, directed by NYWIFT member Annetta Marion, who will also be a featured panelist for Conversations with Women in the Business. Learn more about this empowering weekend connection artists to each other and the community and get tickets.
NYWIFT member Kim Plumridge is thrilled to announce that her award-winning short documentary My Story of Alzheimer’s Disease is now available on Amazon Prime, iTunes and Google Play! Plumridge produced, co-directed and appears in this first film from her company, MY STORY FILMS. My Story of Alzheimer’s Disease features five diverse caregivers and a compassionate psychiatrist who express the fear, heartbreak, and isolation that are part of caring for a loved one who suffers from a disease that is still so misunderstood by many people. The film offers an uplifting message, focusing on the love that underlines their journey and that gives them the strength to go on with meaning and purpose, even after their loved one has passed. Get more info on how to view the film here.
NYWIFT member Sweta Keswani is seeking contributions to fund The Spark, a 12 minute short film. The film follows the journey of PR Associate Lily after her boss Claudia assigns her the book launch for “A Good Girl’s Guide to Tantra”. As she prepares her presentation, she’s visited by Raven Lucia, a Fairy Godmother of sorts, guiding Lily as she attempts to reignite the spark with her husband Mark. As Lily navigates her own discomfort around sex and strives to pull off a successful launch, she must learn to connect with and go after what she really wants. Keswani stars in the film as Raven Lucia. Support the film.
Producer and NYWIFT member Francesca Van Horne brings play SAD, First to the Hudson Guild Theater on Wednesday, June 5, June 7 and June 9. The premise: Gigi wrote a book about her ex-boyfriend Teddy and in theory, this is her celebratory dinner party. Instead, the limelight scans those about her, seated to her left sucking on lemons salted with Xanax and/or upstairs tap dancing, full of abandon. This unmanageable crowd joins forces when Teddy crashes dessert, twisting yet another plot. Get Tickets.
NYWIFT member Alixx Schottland is producing a scripted musical called Love Music Shelter, along with veteran producer Scott Rosenfelt (Home Alone, Mystic Pizza, Critical Thinking). The film features an impressive cast, including established Broadway and TV stars Brenda Braxton and NYWIFT member Eve Austin, as well as formerly homeless singers and up and coming actors, Esther McGregor, Laurissa Romain and Isabella di Rienzo. Love Music Shelter tells the story of a homeless teenage girl and her mom living on the streets, busking for their survival until a performing arts school offers the talented singer a chance, despite her mother’s fears, alcoholism and past demons. This is a socially conscious film that will shine a bright light on the homeless epidemic. Watch the 2-minute, proof-of-concept trailer here.
Bari Pearlman, filmmaker and NYWIFT member, is thrilled to announce the premiere of World Eats Bread, a new mouth-watering 3-part series brought to you by Part2Pictures and National Geographic. Bari traveled to Guatemala to direct and help tell the deliciously layered story of the tortilla. The episode features a group of women whose lives are entangled in preserving the past while forging the future of this simple but sustaining staple of Guatemalan life. The “Tortilla” episode airs on National Geographic on June 16. Please set your watchlists to yum, as all three episodes will be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.
Throughout this month, The Vow From Hiroshima will broadcast on PBS nationwide. Directed by NYWIFT member Susan Strickler and produced by Mitchie Takeuchi, The Vow From Hiroshima is an intimate portrait of Setsuko Thurlow, a passionate survivor of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. Her moving story is told through the lens of her growing friendship with a second-generation survivor, Mitchie Takeuchi. Screening times will vary by state or region, so viewers are encouraged to check their local PBS listings for other broadcast dates and times. The Vow From Hiroshima will also be available for online VOD/streaming through PBS.org.
Produced by woman-owned production company, Lost and Found Productions, and directed by Indigenous director and NYWIFT member Ise White, Mare Azzuro took home the silver twice at the 2024 Telly Awards. The commercial launched on national broadcast in October 2023, and had massive combined social and TV impressions of ~743 million. Congratulations, Ise! Learn more.
Film deals in Hollywood move faster when a book proposal for IP (intellectual property) is presented with your pitch deck. If your dream is to have a deal that doubles down with both a book deal and film deal, you’re going to need a book proposal. Join NYIFT member Jennifer S. Wilkov for the upcoming Book Proposal Clinic: How to Write A Book Proposal That Sells Your Manuscript starting June 5! Move your film with your book and accelerate your project. Register now.
Congratulations to NYWIFT Member Heather Dune Macadam, whose documentary 999 The Forgotten Girls won the Social Impact Award at Greenwich International Film Festival and Best Documentary at Pittsburgh Jewish Film Festival! Learn more about the film.
Executive producer and director Melisa Ramos Rivera is seeking support from fellow NYWIFT members for first feature film, Hoop Warrior. Hoop Warrior delves into the power of basketball in Puerto Rico and the journey of baller Jorge Matos journey, coming from street basketball to winning a Gold Medal FIBA 3×3. Transitioning from street basketball beyond national level in Puerto Rico, depicting the challenges, and rewards of Latinx athletes. Hoop Warrior follows his story of adversity, perseverance and resilience from the hood to the international hoops. Donate today.
Co-writer, director and NYWIFT member Mariluz Guerra-Ariza is raising funds for her project Body Stories: Marta & Fidel. The film delves into the transformative power of music to break barriers, heal and unite. Follow Marta and Fidel’s journey as they navigate challenges to pursue their dreams. Set against the backdrop of Atlanta, Body Stories: Marta & Fidel explores themes of identity, resilience and connection. Support here.
NYWIFT Board Member Shruti Ganguly directs a behind-the-scenes peek of actress Alia Bhatt as she prepares for the 2024 Met Gala. Ganguly captures the details as Bhatt wears a custom-designed mint green sari by Indian couturier Sabyasachi, including a hand-embroidered, 23-foot-long train. Watch the video!
Film deals in Hollywood move faster when a book proposal for IP (intellectual property) is presented with your pitch deck. If your dream is to have a deal that doubles down with both a book deal and film deal, you’re going to need a book proposal. Join NYIFT member Jennifer S. Wilkov for the upcoming Book Proposal Clinic: How to Write A Book Proposal That Sells Your Manuscript starting June 5! Move your film with your book and accelerate your project. NYWIFT members receive a 10% discount on this clinic with the code NYWIFT10. Register now.
Marilyn Horowitz will host another free webinar on Wednesday, May 8 at 7:00 pm EST. The Word of the Day Webinar shows you how to identify areas of your life that need clearing out by directing your focus toward a specific problem or challenge. You’ll discover how by giving yourself permission to think freely and without judgement, new ideas and perspectives emerge instantly that will break down barriers in your writing, career, and your life.
RSVP here.
Founded by the Barnard Alumni class of 1971, BC Voices is dedicated to amplifying the narratives of women who navigated the pivotal societal shifts of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their latest project Stand UP, Speak OUT is an online docuseries that captures and celebrates the radical transformations in women’s lives over the past fifty years. We would appreciate any opportunity to feature this series in your newsletter or on your website to enhance its visibility and impact.
Here is a snapshot of the first three episodes:
- Episode 1: Equal Pay for Equal Work delves into the women’s fight for fair compensation, tracing the journey from unrecognized labor to the landmark Equal Pay Act of 1963 and touching upon contemporary issues like the World Cup pay controversy.
- Episode 2: Voting Rights explores the women’s suffrage movement, from being denied a voice in governance to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, and examines ongoing challenges like the implications of Shelby v. Holder.
- Episode 3: Reproductive Rights addresses women’s ongoing battle for bodily autonomy and reproductive choice, from historical restrictions to landmark cases such as Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade, up to the recent Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.
