Terry Lawler is the Executive Director of NYWIFT. Tune in for her picks every Tuesday.

Image via Fox Searchlight.
Looking forward to: the NYC premiere of Amma Asante’s Belle at the Athena Film Festival on Thursday! The film is a fictionalized account of the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the West Indies–born biracial daughter of an African woman and Admiral Sir John Lindsay, on an English estate. Belle’s story tackles questions about society, race, and social unrest that are still extremely relevant today.
Gearing up for: the 20 features (that’s 17%) from women directors at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, during March 7-15. We’re especially looking forward to Sarah-Violet Bliss’ Fort Tilden.
Pondering these: USA Today infographics showing that female actors’ paychecks drop significantly in Hollywood after they turn 34. To learn more about gender equity in film and television, visit NYWIFT’s State of Women in the Industry page.
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