by Maura Kelly
NYWIFT Board of Directors member Maura Kelly writes about female entrepreneurs in tech and entertainment for The Huffington Post. She recently sat down with Evelyn Brady-Watters and her sister Monica Brady, the founders of the Golden Trailers Awards (GTA’s) as they gear up for the live ceremony on May 4th in LA. Here’s an excerpt:
In 1999, NYWIFT members created the Golden Trailer Awards (GTAs) as the first awards show to honor the best in motion picture trailers and recognize the people who create the short art-form. The sisters were successful commercial producers at the time but the growth of the award show spawned new careers and a full-time business for the siblings. Now in its 17th year, the GTAs have evolved to include trailers for television shows, video games and posters.
Who were your early champions and mentors?
We credit the success of the launch of the GTA’s to our highly respected jury. When we first had the idea for creating the awards, we approached Stephen Woolley (The Crying Game) as a juror. We asked him to judge and he immediately called back and said yes. We then approached Harvey Weinstein and he said Miramax is behind this and gave us David Kaminow as a juror. The big coup came when Quentin Tarantino joined our first year Jury. That was the shot heard round the world for the GTA’s. From that moment on major publications and news media outlets too numerous to mention picked up and ran with the story.
Maura Kelly is an independent Emmy-winning producer and principal of Purple Mountain Media. She is a member of the NYWIFT Board of Directors and Co-chair of the Program Committee.
nywift
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Molly Rydzel
Welcome to NYWIFT, Molly Rydzel! Molly Rydzel (WGAE) is a screenwriter specializing in female-driven horror and dark satire. She was a staff writer and story editor on Alejandro Iñárritu’s The One Percent for Starz and head writer of the web series Assisted Living. Her horror play, Serial Lover, was developed with Ars Nova and Sanguine Theater Company. Molly teaches screenwriting at New York University and Pace University, specializing in horror, fantasy, and science fiction. She is developing a slate of mythic horror features and is committed to creating more opportunities for women in genre film through bold, commercially viable storytelling.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Julie Pham
Welcome to NYWIFT, Julie Pham! Julie Theresin-Pham is a Vietnamese American actor, storyteller, host, writer, producer, and business strategist based in New York City. A first-generation immigrant and mother, she creates experiences that bring people together through storytelling, hospitality, and community. Her work explores identity, family, belonging, and human connection across film, performance, and documentary storytelling. She trained at the William Esper Studio, graduated from the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) improv training program, serves on the Junior Board of TADA! Youth Theater, and is developing her first documentary, American Daughter: Stories We Carry. She is also an active NYWIFT member who values collaboration, mentorship, and connection.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Natalie Mahoney
Welcome to NYWIFT, Natalie Mahoney! Natalie is an award-winning photographer, writer, and filmmaker from New York. She received her B.A in TV/Film from DeSales University ’24 and recently received her M.F.A in Film Production from the City College of New York. Natalie has experience in both filmmaking and as an educator with a passion for assisting young creatives conceive, construct, and produce their own projects. Natalie wants to be able to inspire and encourage others with her work, and watch others tell their own stories through the many mediums of the arts!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Bella Rieth
Bella Rieth is a first-generation Brazilian-German, NYC-based director and producer, and a graduate of the School of Visual Arts who also studied at the Atlantic Acting School Conservatory. Before film, she trained at the New England Conservatory and performed in theatre internationally, building a life of storytelling that eventually pulled her behind the camera. Her recent shorts, including Lottie, Poor Creature, Ebba, and Icaro, have played at festivals from Tokyo to Santa Cruz to Florence. Alongside her own films, Bella produces and field produces across narrative, commercial, music video, and documentary projects throughout New York and beyond.
READ MORE
