Loving Lifetime: Check out this great read on Buzzfeed about the evolution of Lifetime from “guiltily pleasure” to “groundbreaking television.” Women wrote or directed 73% of the network’s original films from 1994 to 2016, and its new initiative called the “Fempire” will draw together linear, digital, social and community partnerships with the goal of “entertaining and engaging the next generation of feminists.”
Fox’s Failure: 20th Century Fox released its 23-film slate for 2016-2017…with not one feature directed by a woman.
Congrats, Katharina: NYWIFT member Katharina Otto-Bernstein co-produced the documentary Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures about the controversial artist – it’s getting rave reviews! Watch it on HBO.
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Sher Bautista
Welcome to NYWIFT, Sher Bautista! Sher Bautista grew up as a third culture kid in the Middle East and the Philippines. Her work centers on themes of identity, memory, and migration. She co-produced the award-winning feature Delia and Sammy which went on to screen at international festivals including Austin, All Lights, Ortigia, and Hanoi. She co-wrote the series The Boston: A Kitchen Musical and later directed Commune, which became a finalist at Tropfest 2015. Aside from her film projects, she is also a published author, having co-written the children’s book Tasha and Pierre. She has just completed her MFA in Film and her thesis, Tales My Father Told. In our interview, Sher discusses her leap to the film world, recent collaborations, and how her international upbringing impacted her creative work.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Jo Addy
Welcome to NYWIFT, Jo Addy! Jo Addy is the Global Film Director for Soho House, overseeing a team of cinema programmers globally. From London to New York and now Los Angeles, Jo leverages long-lasting relationships within the film industry to collaborate with the world's most prominent studios and distributors. Jo is the host of “Lights, Camera, Breakfast,” an interview series at Soho House spotlighting women in film and entertainment. A passionate advocate for emerging talent, Jo founded and created Soho House Shorts, a global incubator providing members with the opportunity, mentorship, and platform to turn their scripts into films.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Eleanore Pienta
Welcome to NYWIFT, Eleanore Pienta! Eleanore is an award-winning screen and stage actor, comedian, dancer, and filmmaker. Pienta has carved out a niche for herself by portraying uncompromising and complex characters in films such as Sundance Award Winner Josephine, A Different Man, Soft & Quiet, and many more. Filmmaker Magazine called her role in See You Next Tuesday: “…one of the most original, indelible, infuriating and truly felt movie characters in some time, a sister to Loden’s Wanda and Rowlands’ A Woman Under The Influence.” Pienta’s directorial debut, Ada, premiered at the New York Film Festival 2018. Her second short, Master of the House, premiered at The New/Next Film Festival 2024. In our interview, Eleanore discusses her motivations for the performing arts, her inspirations, and how her collaborations with others elevate her creative work.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Shannon Denise Evans
Welcome to NYWIFT, Shannon Denise Evans! Shannon Denise Evans is a multidisciplinary creator and Founder of Storycraft Eleven, focused on character-driven stories where the supernatural is hiding in plain sight. She is an award-winning writer/director/actor with over 65 awards associated with her various original works in film, television, theatre, and publishing. Shannon is a member of WGA, SAG-AFTRA, Dramatists Guild, American Federation of Musicians, Society of Composers and Lyricists, and Actors' Equity Association.
READ MORE