Virtual Theatrical Experience: 2020 S.W.A.N. (Support Women Artists Now) Day Screening – Tape
Join NYWIFT, SAG-AFTRA, FF2 Media, Women in the Arts & Media Coalition (WAMC), HerFlix, ImageNation Cinema Foundation, 2020 One Woman One Vote Festival, and African-American Women in Cinema (AAWIC) for a screening of the new feature Tape in recognition of S.W.A.N. (Support Women Artists Now) Day, an annual event on the last Saturday of March that...
READ MOREPOSTPONED: Women are Funny
In 2018, a frustrating study claimed"researchers found that 63% of men were funnier than the average woman" based on captions attached to a picture of an absurd cartoon. Thankfully, this claim has been shut down by female comedians since its unnecessary birth. Guess what? Women are funny. Our conversation "Women are Funny" brings together some of the funniest women in...comedy! These women have successfully produced numerous shows, are writers for Late Night folks, and starred in TV/film roles. These Queens of Comedy are champions of their craft — and the world should know that.
READ MOREWebinar: Mental Health and Career Sustainability in the Doc World
To the outsider, the person holding the film camera is a story teller and change maker, living a dream life, filled with travel, awards, honor and recognition. To the documentary filmmaker, the possibility of creating transformational change through art is a calling. Yet it is a calling that exacts deep costs: financial, emotional, psychological, and physical. The documentary business is a long odds game fraught with disappointment and struggle. Underpinning these struggles is the elusive act of making a sustainable living at the career. NYWIFT and The D-Word co-host a panel discussion to shed more light on this much-needed conversation and to explore avenues of greater filmmaker support. Moderated by Doug Block (The D-Word), panelists include Rebecca Day (Producer/ Psychotherapist), Kelsey Koenig (Impact Partner Films), Heidi Reinberg (Documentary film maker) and Chithra Jeyaram (Documentary film maker).
READ MOREThe Wrong Kind of Women
Naomi McDougall Jones's new book The Wrong Kind of Women is a brutally honest look at the systemic exclusion of women in film — an industry with massive cultural influence — and how, in response, women are making space in cinema for their voices to be heard. In addition to providing an incisive, data- and human-driven look at where we are, Naomi provides clear and actionable steps to move the industry forward. Join us for a conversation with Naomi McDougall Jones, Tanya Perez, and Jennifer Betit Yen.
READ MOREWomen Behind the Brush
In "Women Behind the Brush," NYWIFT Member Victoria Bert leads a conversation with some of the most renowned makeup artists in NYC. This discussion will provide makeup artists with ideas for their own career paths including portfolio, networking, and business tips! Makeup artist speakers include Margina Dennis (Director of LA'G Magazine), Jackie Risotto (Fosse/Verdon), Nicki Ledermann (Joker - Academy Award nominee for Best Makeup, Sex and the City, The Greatest Showman, and The Irishman), DeShawn Hatcher (Editorial and Beauty Guru) and NYWIFT Member Jennifer Snowdon (Wonderama). After the panel, a Make Up Forever educator will present a live demo. More details to come.
READ MOREDestination Co-Star! TV Tips for the Emerging Actor
Are you an actor transitioning from theater, independent film, background work, or just starting out? This workshop is for those seeking practical advice in booking their first television co-star role, and more importantly, building a life-long career. We’ll cover casting directors, agents, creating a network vs. networking, audition best practices (and managing those audition nerves), and more! Please note: If The Secret-power-of-attraction-manifesting approach is your thing—great! But this program offers its polar opposite and might not be for you. Though we will touch upon a few science-based items to maintain a healthy mindset, this will be a simple, no-nonsense primer to get you started on your career.
READ MOREFunding Your Doc
You've locked in your subject and finished the research, what's next? Production! But, how will you fund it? No worries, we'll help you! In Funding Your Doc, Lara Stolman (Director/Producer of Swim Team), leads a discussion that will provide ideas to create fundraising strategies for filmmakers without significant industry or institutional support/relationships, working on a small budget –even on a controversial topic. We will discuss filmmakers needs including festival circuit and distribution. Guest speakers include Heather White (Director/Producer of Complict and Modern Slavery and Your Devices), Carolyn Hepburn (Motto Pictures), and Mark Rossier (Director of Grants, New York Foundation for the Arts).
READ MOREWomen on the Front Lines: Changing the Game @ Sundance
Sundance Institute reports that 46% of directors competing in this year’s festival are women, up 6% from 2019. While there’s still further to go, these statistics show that progress is possible when concerted efforts are made to address systemic biases. AMC Networks, NYWIFT, WIF LA, and ReFrame will bring together leading women from the front lines in entertainment to discuss gender parity, inclusion and the way forward.
READ MORENEW LOCATION: Adaptations: The Business of Translating Source Material to the Screen – 2019
Agents, Hollywood producers and publishers are always searching for the next great story, but not all writers start from scratch. Oftentimes, ideas come from the things we see, read, write and hear. The challenge for many is how to transition these materials from their original form of a book, article, and story into a full-fledged viable screenplay and adaptation material for another medium. 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 about ways to locate common sources for your story or script and the power and pitfalls of working with adaptations for your project.
READ MOREPower Player Conversation: Finance Her – Hosted by The Women’s Network at The New York Times Company
Join us for an after-work boardroom-style conversation among members of two of New York’s most powerful women’s organizations: 100 Women in Finance and New York Women in Film & Television. In true power player fashion, women from these communities of entertainment and finance will come together to uncover strategies behind finding powerful films from female voices and securing the financing needed to bring these projects to the screen. Finance Her is the first of a series of discussions designed to tap into the entertainment and finance industries of New York City, connecting professionals from both fields to ensure that financing options are available to women filmmakers. There is a need to address everyone’s role in the process when it comes to funding and packaging a film. By ensuring that both worlds are speaking the same language and finding parallels in project development, a much clearer path to investing in untold women’s stories is sure to follow. (Registration will open later next month - check back with us!)
READ MORENYWIFT Season Kickoff…On the Road to the Emmy’s at the Museum of the Moving Image
It’s time for one of the most popular events of the year – the Annual NYWIFT Season Kickoff celebrating our fabulous members! Raise a glass to toast the 2019-2020 programming season and welcome new Board President Jamie Zelermyer and our newly elected board members, followed by an intimate conversation with several of the Emmy nominees we are proud to call part of the NYWIFT community. Catch up with your NYWIFT friends (and make some new ones!) as you mingle at the Museum of the Moving Image before we move into the theater for a panel discussion. A diverse mix of nominees - representing the wide array of professions that make up the NYWIFT community - will offer behind-the-scenes insight into some of this year's most celebrated television programs: Senior Associate Producer Brittany Clemons (Outstanding Research, Hope & Fury: MLK, the Movement and the Media – NBC), Producers Stacey L. Holman and Cyndee Readdean (Outstanding Historical Documentary, Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities – PBS), and Costume Designer Melissa Toth (Outstanding Costume Design, Fosse/Verdon – FX).
READ MORE2019 NYWIFT Summit: Inclusion, Equality and Safety
The 2019 NYWIFT Summit will present a series of conversations that will address vital issues of gender and pay gap, diversity/inclusion and sexual harassment. The Summit will establish forward-moving strategies to create change in these areas with an eye towards mobilizing support and leadership for the future. DOORS OPEN 3:30pm OPENING REMARKS 4:00 – 4:10pm ...
READ MOREInnovation Series: The Promises of Artificial Intelligence in Media presented IBM and WarnerMedia
Join IBM and WarnerMedia for an evening exploring the intersection of technology and media. IBM and WarnerMedia will present how technology is driving meaningful audience engagement in this connected consumer era. Media companies and media makers are facing even more competition for the wallet and attention of audiences. IBM will present how artificial intelligence (A.I.)...
READ MOREWeb Series: From Creation To Distribution
For many filmmakers, making a web series is a calling card for getting work in the industry. For others, the series is a “proof of concept” for a broadcast television series. And yet, other storytellers prefer the web series format, and the business of creation through distribution is their primary focus. In Web Series, From...
READ MOREDocumentary Distribution 3.0 – The New Normal
What is the new normal for documentary distribution within a constantly evolving landscape? This panel explores the emerging "windows" of distribution/monetizing opportunities for documentary film compared with traditional distribution outlets. Join NYWIFT and panelists Kim Jackson (Co-Founder and President of Entertainment, Breaker), Christie Marchese (CEO, Picture Motion), DeShuna Spencer (Founder/CEO, kweliTV) and moderator Karen McMullen (Film Festival Programmer, Editor and Educator) for an engaging conversation about the future of documentary distribution.
READ MOREBite Me: A Truly Independent Journey
Join the team behind the independent feature film Bite Me for a case study on the film’s journey and the upcoming Joyful Vampire Tour of America that will feature screenings, capes, and Vampire Balls! Bite Me is a unique, while universally relatable, story about outsiders and an edgy, whip-smart, funny, heart-felt update to the rom-com genre. Naomi McDougall Jones (Writer/Actor/Producer), Sarah Wharton (Producer), Joanne Zippel (Executive Producer/NYWIFT Member) and Jack Lechner (Executive Producer) are inventing a fully democratic, filmmaker-empowered model of release that will change distribution from something you “get” into something you “do.”
READ MOREDocumentary Labs: Finding the Right One for Your Film
In the last several years, foundations and festivals have developed incubator labs to help filmmakers in the development and post production of their documentaries. It is an exceptional opportunity, and the many labs offer a variety of experiences. While these creative bootcamps seek to expand emerging voices and creativity, are they for everyone? What difference can they make in the life of a doc? Join NYWIFT to learn more about labs at UnionDocs, Chicken & Egg, the Tribeca Film Institute, the Independent Feature Project, and more.
READ MOREThe Art of Grant Writing
Grant writing is an essential tool for filmmakers in the documentary community to bring stories to life. This second installment of NYWIFT's Documentary Series will explore key elements to focus on when developing a successful grant proposal. Speakers will address best practices in grant writing, catching the eye of individual funders with a strong application, how to target your potential funders and other opportunities not explored enough by filmmakers. The panel will also explore The Documentary Core Application, a joint project between The Sundance Institute and the International Documentary Association, established to standardize application requirements.
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