There has been a very thoughtful and extensive conversation going on over at the The Black Board (community of the Black List and Go Into The Story). It arose from this:
The Nicholl’s website reveals a startling stat: 1 in 4 of their applicants are women.
They’re referring to the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, of course, which is accepting submissions until May 1 (go now and enter your script!).
I like the conversation’s focus on both individual and systematic solutions: mentorship, men acting as allies, blind submissions, being active in an organization (like NYWIFT’s writers group) — even writing under a male pseudonym.
What do you think?
—MICHELE DAGLE
nywift
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Eve Rouverol
Welcome to NYWIFT, Eve Rouverol! Eve came to filmmaking after a career as a newspaper reporter, commercial writer, and teacher of students with disabilities. After her children left for college (she is a single, widowed mother), she was able to return to college to pursue her first love, film. In addition to writing/directing student narrative and documentary shorts at CA College of the Arts and Emerson, Eve wrote, produced and directed the 35-minute film The Muse starring her actor daughter Madeline Rouverol. The film was nominated for Best Student Director at New Bedford Film Festival in 2023. Her screenplays Writer's Block and Lolita Redux have been shortlisted by BlueCat and Scriptapalooza. Writer's Block was selected for participation in the 2026 Stowe Narrative Labs. Lolita Redux was a semifinalist for Stowe Labs’ Writers’ Retreat Fellowship.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Maria Eleni Zollo
Welcome to NYWIFT, Maria Eleni Zollo! Maria is a writer, actor, director, and musician based in Astoria, Queens. As a singer, she has performed at the Norwegian National Opera House in Oslo, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, and on Saturday Night Live. She works as an adjunct professor at CUNY Baruch, and as a Greek Orthodox Church chanter at St George in Hell's Kitchen and St Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center. Maria Eleni also performs as a stand-up comedian in NYC. Her first short film was a semifinalist in Stage 32's 8th Annual Short Film Festival.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Ayo Oti
Welcome to NYWIFT, Ayo Oti! Ayo Oti is a media creative, social impact professional, and emerging filmmaker. She publishes Sounds Like Impact, a curated resource for social impact podcasting, and hosts Audio For Action Live. Previously, she produced for How to Save a Planet and Degrees: Real Talk About Planet-Saving Careers. Ayo is currently developing two documentary films: one exploring first-generation Nigerian identity and another examining African American creatives inspired by Mexico and its artistic practices. Beyond her own work, she collaborates on social issue documentaries as a producer, supporting projects across production, strategy, and impact distribution to help stories reach and engage audiences.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Allie Delury
Welcome to NYWIFT, Allie Delury! Allie Delury is an award-winning producer and director known for Fault (Tribeca 2026), The Last Goodbye (AFF 2025), Tender Thoughts (Tribeca 2024), and Ivy Grace (CNN NBC Nightly). She was featured on the cover of MovieMaker Magazine for producing All Is Well in 48 hours and has also been to over 100 countries, done vanlife in Australia, sailed around the world, and worked as a combat camera officer in the Air Force. She now owns Work Our Way Productions, a 100% veteran owned-and-operated production company in Brooklyn.
READ MORE
