2017 Preview: Onward and upward! Women and Hollywood and Film School Rejects have both compiled great lists of films by and about women to look for in 2017. (It’s worth noting that the top movies of the last four years star women!)
Women Animators: In response to The Hollywood Reporter’s all male – and all white – animators’ roundtable, Elle published their own. These accomplished women animators, half of whom are ethnically diverse, offer some great insight and advice for up-and-comers.
Melina Matsoukas: Matsoukas, who is the Executive Producer of Issa Rae’s Insecure on HBO, talked to The New York Times about directing Beyoncé’s groundbreaking music video for “Formation” last year.
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Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Elizabeth “Liz” Bendelac
Welcome to NYWIFT, Elizabeth Bendelac! Liz is a locations professional. She’s managed, key assistant managed, scouted, and coordinated for film and television across New York and New Jersey. Her credits? NBC's New Amsterdam. Paramount’s Smile. Sony’s Goosebumps: The Vanishing for Disney+. Indie? She’s there too. Ponyboi, starring Dylan O’Brien and Victoria Pedretti. She’s everywhere you need her to be—quietly making it all happen. Recent work in the Tri-State area? The Home with Pete Davidson. Insidious 5. Manifest. Disenchanted. Resurrection. The Good Nurse. And a standout collaboration with Edward Burns on his sequel to The Brothers McMullen: The Family McMullen. Outside of production, Elizabeth dedicates her time to Surfers Healing, a nonprofit surf camp for children with autism. It’s a cause close to her heart, combining her love of the ocean with her commitment to community and empathy. Elizabeth is also an adjunct faculty member at the New Jersey Institute of Technology where she developed and teaches a course on location management. Elizabeth: She doesn’t just do locations. She produces. And producing, for her, has rules. Collaborate with directors who share her values. Strong roles for women of color. Fresh takes on stories you thought you knew. Films with the elegance of Merchant & Ivory but the punch to succeed in the real world. Films that leave a mark. To that end, she’s developing two scripts with award-winning playwright Montserrat Mendez. Exploring genre mash-ups. Shaking up narratives. Figuring out new ways to make audiences sit up, pay attention, maybe even gasp. Because whether it’s a location or a story, Elizabeth Bendelac knows how to map the journey. She knows the destination. And she will get you there.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Andrea Ocampo
Welcome to NYWIFT, Andrea Ocampo! Andrea is a first-generation Colombian filmmaker. She is drawn to the quiet forces that have shaped her: obsession, memory, and identity in flux. She is a proud artist who directs with a lens for the psychological and surreal, blending documentary realism with fiction laced in intimate mystery. Her latest short Blackout is a psychological thriller set in the NYC subway, and it premiered to a sold-out crowd on September 13th, 2025, at Imagine This Women’s Film Festival. She navigates global crises and inner landscapes with equal urgency. Her work has a raw, honest, and quietly haunted feel to it. Chances are you’ll feel it before you understand it. We spoke to Andrea in late Summer. She recounts her experience in the film industry, tracing her path from a passionate young filmmaker in her early childhood to the successful professional she has become.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Iris De Vita
Welcome to NYWIFT, Iris De Vita! Iris De Vita is the founder of Golden Iris, LLC, where she combines her talents as a photographer and publicist to help clients shine. She also works as a talent booker for The Donna Drake Show. Specializing in portrait and event photography, as well as PR for artists, performers, and small businesses, Iris brings a creative yet strategic approach to every project. Iris’s work has supported films, festivals, and artistic events, drawing audiences and capturing lasting memories. Based on Long Island and in New York City, she is passionate about telling stories, whether through the perfect photograph or a compelling publicity campaign. In our interview, Iris discusses her photography, her promotional work with artists and events, and her love of connecting audiences with art!
READ MOREMaria Miles Previews the 2025 New York Greek Film Expo
As former NYWIFT Board Member Maria C. Miles finishes up her first year as President of the Hellenic Film Society, we sat down with her on the eve of the New York Greek Film Expo to discuss her time with the organization and what we have to look forward to at this year’s fest. Mary is the founder of an entertainment law practice with offices in New York. Maria’s practice focuses on all areas of entertainment law, including film (narrative and documentary), music, literary publishing, and digital media. She has represented award-winning producers, directors, writers, actors, television hosts, multi-platinum recording artists, and corporations in the fashion and sports industries related to their entertainment matters. Maria is the Executive Director of the Hellenic Films Society, USA, and served as Secretary of the board of New York Women in Film & Television. She continues to serve NYWIFT as their legal counsel. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema and the School for Visual Arts, as well as an Adjunct Instructor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
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