
Image via freixenetusa.com.
While we were sipping our glasses of wine and champagne at Thursday’s Muse Awards, we had Freixenet USA Inc to thank for the lively libations.
This was the 21st year the Spain-based and family-run company has made this contribution — making Freixenet the longest in-kind sponsor of the event.
And it’s all because Miriam Stern, a NYWIFT member and an entertainment lawyer specializing in film and TV, saw the need for a good supply of wine while helping plan the 1993 Muse Awards ceremony. Freixenet, she says, was quick to jump on board.
Created in 1861, the company credits much of its success to Dolores Sala’s winemaking and business leadership after WWI, when the company expanded beyond Spain. It came to the US in 1935. Now, the company points out, “the most oft-popped corks in the world say Freixenet.“
It pairs its wine-making success with support for things like the United Nations Global Compact. The company, its website says, “has a commitment to the society which has welcomed its products so warmly.”
Stern says the company couldn’t be nicer about its support of NYWIFT. Lucky us! Cheers, Freixenet.
— MIMI SPILLANE
(Edited on Dec 16, 2013, at 5:03 pm EST.)
Related Posts
Tribeca Festival 2026: “The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony” Shines a Light on Courage, Community, and Opportunity
At the 2026 Tribeca Festival, audiences were introduced to an inspiring story of resilience, determination, and hope through The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony, a powerful documentary that follows a group of young girls in Pakistan who dare to dream beyond the limitations placed upon them. Directed and written by Habiba Nosheen with Mariska Hargitay as an executive producer, the film takes viewers into Machar Colony, a marginalized fishing community in Karachi where many residents live without official documentation, limiting access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Against these challenges, a gymnastics team emerges as a beacon of possibility for a group of girls determined to create a different future for themselves. Tammy Reese and LaKisa Renee brings us exclusive red carpet interviews with Nosheen and Hargitay.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Jaime Schwarz
Welcome to NYWIFT, Jaime Schwarz! Jaime Schwarz grew up in NJ, the daughter of a Korean immigrant mother and son of Holocaust- survivors, father. Jaime earned her BFA in Acting from PACE University in NYC, appearing Off- Broadway in The Doctor at the Park Avenue Armory and on TV in Difficult People (Hulu), Younger (Paramount+), Jane the Virgin (The CW), Sorry for Your Loss, and Elsbeth (CBS). She is the director, writer, and star of the short film The Sandwich Line, which premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival, and her other writing work has been published in Mixed Asian Media and JoySauce. She’s currently developing several projects and is repped by Gersh + MJ Management. In our interview, Jaime discussed her journey from acting to directing and shared her experience of working in TV.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Tiána Lynn
Welcome to NYWIFT, Tiána Lynn! Tiána Lynn is the Founder and CEO of Wholistic Vibes Wellness (WVW), a neuroinclusive consulting and training firm focused on Black mental health, workplace culture, and systems-level change. With a background in case management, HR, and operations, she specializes in psychological safety frameworks, burnout prevention infrastructure, and trauma-aware leadership development. Through WVW Academy she is advancing accredited workforce training—particularly for Community Health Workers. Tiána is also the host of the Wholistic Vibes Podcast, where she explores Black mental health, identity, and healing through storytelling. Her work centers on building sustainable environments where people are supported, valued, and able to thrive. We spoke to her about her fascinating work at the intersection of media and wellness.
READ MORENYWIFT at Tribeca Festival: “APART” Animated Short Explores Friendship, Courage, and the Human Cost of Division
At the 25th Anniversary of the Tribeca Festival, the Shorts Program curated by Whoopi Goldberg delivered a powerful lineup of animated storytelling that continues to expand the boundaries of the medium. One of the standout selections, APART, made its world premiere at Spring Studios, offering audiences a deeply emotional lens into apartheid-era South Africa through the eyes of two young boys whose friendship is tested by a divided world. Tammy Reese and LaKisa Renee bring us exclusive interviews with writer Spike Lee and director Pola Maneli.
READ MORE