NYWIFT Blog

NYWIFT Industry Screening: ‘Americanish’

In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Month, we are featuring two filmmakers that have marked their paths in film, starting with Americanish  followed by a conversation with Iman Zawahry (Director/Writer/Producer), Aizzah Fatima (Writer/Producer), and Roy Wol (Producer). Moderated by Harsh Pundit.

Welcome to America: Where dreams come true...ish. A break from the traditional romantic comedy, Americanish highlights different layers of womanhood as they intersect with cultural and societal expectations.

NYWIFT Talks: Women Journalists on the Frontline

Join us on Thursday, May 12th for NYWIFT Talks: Women Journalists on the Frontline. We'll be in conversation with journalists who have recently been on the front line in the war in Ukraine discussing their experiences on the ground and the unique challenges of being a woman war correspondent. In conversation with Maggie Rulli (ABC) and Salma Abdelaziz (CNN). Moderated by NYWIFT Board Member Christina Kiely.

The Business of Adaptations for Film and TV – Spring 2022

Savvy industry professionals love to leverage their time and efforts by capitalizing on a story that can be adapted into many forms.

Learn from this experienced panel of agents, attorneys, managers, producers, and writers about ways to locate common sources for your story or script and the power and pitfalls of working with adaptations for your project.

NYWIFT Talks: Moms Working in Film

On this week’s NYWIFT Talks, we are honored to sit down with leading women in film that are changing the narrative of working moms in film. We'll speak with Creative Producer and Founder of mama.film, Lela Meadow-Conner and founder of MOM Film Fest, Tonya Mollineau. This conversation will be lead by Senior Development and Editorial Consultant, Maud Kersnowsi-Sachs.

NYWIFT Talks with Elizabeth A. Corradino and David Rabinowitz of Moses & Singer LLP

Social media posts are full of intellectual property – trademarks, copyrights, publicity rights and more. The temptation is great to connect with the buzz to maximize user engagement, but there is potential for infringement. Are there any rules (yes) guiding how to play in this space without getting the dreaded claim letter? We will discuss what answers there are and ideas for minimizing risk. Conversation with Elizabeth A. Corradino and David Rabinowitz of Moses & Singer LLP.

NYWIFT Talks with Filmmaker Ayana Baraka

On this week’s NYWIFT Talks, we sit down and chat with filmmaker, Ayana Baraka. Moderated by NYWIFT Board Member and Executive Director, Leslie Fields-Cruz.

Retirement Planning for Freelancers and members of the arts and media community – April 2022

Join Certified Financial Planners, Gail Linn and William Fischer at Fortis Lux Financial (an office of MassMutual) for their workshop, Retirement Planning for Freelancers. They will inform about the key concepts needed to consider when it comes to saving for retirement, protection strategies, business transition, estate planning and more.

This event is FREE and open exclusively to NYWIFT members.

NYWIFT & IFC Films Industry Screening: ‘Happening’

France, 1963. Anne is a bright young student with a promising future ahead of her. But when she falls pregnant, she sees the opportunity to finish her studies and escape the constraints of her social background disappearing. With her final exams fast approaching and her belly growing, Anne resolves to act, even if she has to confront shame and pain, even if she must risk prison to do so.

Followed by a Q&A with director Audrey Diwan, actress, Anamaria Vartolomei, and Caren Spruch of Planned Parenthood. Moderated by NYWIFT Board President, Jamie Zelermyer.

Virtual Theatrical Experience: 2022 S.W.A.N. (Support Women Artists Now) Day Screening – ‘Coda’

Join NYWIFT, SAG-AFTRA, FF2 Media, Women in the Arts & Media Coalition (WAMC), HerFlix, In Creative Company, Gotham and African-American Women in Cinema (AAWIC) for a screening of Coda in recognition of S.W.A.N. (Support Women Artists Now) Day, an annual event on the last Saturday of March that celebrates women artists.

2022 NYWIFT Tech Talks: Day 3: A Conversation with Entertainment Partners

Join us for Day 3 of NYWIFT Tech Talks for an in depth discussion of Entertainment Partners' innovative solutions that support filmmakers from pre-production to final wrap and beyond. Speakers will include Alexis Alexanian and Darren Willner.

2022 NYWIFT Tech Talks: Day 1: Innovation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

We’re proud to host our inaugural NYWIFT Tech Talks in partnership with Company 3 and Entertainment Partners (EP). A 4-day virtual conference with media professionals revolutionizing the tech industry and how it’s helped our industry and everyday life adjusting to the current world.

Virtual Theater started during the 2020 pandemic in which distributors and festivals had to pivot to the virtual space to continue to bring films to audiences. Kino Lorber launched Kino Marquee, CineSend was founded in effort to support film festivals stream their films, Vimeo created a live event function, and more. This response has allowed films to be viewed throughout the world and allowed for filmmakers to participate in panels, etc. Welcome Keynote from Aliesha Staples (Staples VR). Speakers include Wendy Lidell (Kino Lorber) and Kaitlyn Schmitt (Perigon).

2022 NYWIFT Tech Talks: Day 4: Emerging Technology in Gaming/VR and AI

Join us for Day 4 of NYWIFT Tech Talks: Emerging Technology in Gaming/VR and AI. Speakers include Tanya DePass (I Need Diverse Games), Siobhan Reddy (Media Molecule), and Mark Barlet (AbleGamers Charity). Speakers from IBM include Dr. Francesca Rossi, Phaedra Boinodiris, and Marisa Viveros.

NYWIFT Industry Screening + Q&A: ‘Julia’

NYWIFT invites you to a screening of Julia starting Monday, March 28th to Friday, April 1st. Followed by a conversation with directors, Julie Cohen and Betsy West. Moderated by NYWIFT Board Member, Yvonne Russo.

NDI & NYWIFT Present: Representation Matters for Climate Justice

Join the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and NYWIFT for this incredible panel that will focus on addressing the power imbalances and gender gap in politics and the media caused by excluding and biased representation. These often male-dominated mechanisms - e.g. media production hiring practices and party candidate selection committees - mean that women are shut out of the storytelling and policymaking processes, therefore they are not in control of their own narrative and empowerment.

A globally representative panel of political leaders, media experts and producers will be asked to discuss why representation matters, and provide examples of initiatives across the media and politics which promote a more diverse and intersectional environment. Speakers include Lydia Dean Pilcher (Film Producer & Co-Founder PGA Green), Rachel Lears (Jubilee Films), Emily Wanja (Impact Producer), and Mwanahamisi Singano (Women's Environment and Development Organization).

NYWIFT Industry Screening + Q&A: ‘Catch the Fair One’

NYWIFT invites you to a screening of Catch the Fair One starting Tuesday, February 8th from Thursday, February 10th.  Kaylee “K.O.” Uppashaw, a mixed Indigenous boxer, prepares for a championship fight. Her hands are wrapped, gloves taped shut, and face greased. She pounds the mitts with her trainer, Brick. The room echoes with the strength...

NYWIFT Talks at The Sundance Film Festival: ‘Brainwashed’ with Director Nina Menkes

On this week’s NYWIFT Talks, we're headed to the 2022 Sundance Film Festival...virtually! We will be covering some highlights and updating you on new releases coming your way. 

We're sitting down with director Nina Menkes to chat about her new documentary, Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power. Building on her influential cinematic talk, Sex and Power: The Visual Language of Cinema, film director Nina Menkes takes us on an eye-opening journey through the gendered politics of shot design. Using more than 175 film clips from canonical Hollywood favorites and cult classics as well as interviews with filmmakers and scholars, the film reveals a sinister framework of misogyny and paternalism that, from early cinema to the present day, infiltrates some of our favorite movies.

NYWIFT Talks: NYWIFT Goes to Sundance

On this week’s NYWIFT Talks, we're headed to the 2022 Sundance Film Festival...virtually! This week, we will be covering some highlights and updating you on new releases coming your way. We're speaking with some of our NYWIFT members with films at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Speakers include Dawn Porter, Madeleine Olnek, Lois Vossen, Paula Eiselt, and Tonya Lewis Lee. Moderated by NYWIFT Executive Director, Cynthia Lopez.

NYWIFT Talks at The Sundance Film Festival: ‘Hatching’ with Director Hanna Bergholm

Welcome to NYWIFT Talks, a weekly series to bring updated news and vital information about the impact of COVID-19 and current events on the media and entertainment industry. Industry professionals will be in conversation discussing what you need to know about theatrical releases, digital advances, virtual tools, festival opportunities, production updates and more.  NYWIFT Talks...