Goodbye, winter caps—hello, summer hats! It’s that glorious time of year where many of us can switch from content creators to content consumers. NYWIFT members Mellini Kantayya and Kathryn O’Kane have put together #SummerHours, a series of fun summer books, movies, and TV shows by or about women.
By Mellini Kantayya
My insistence that the mid 90’s to early 2000’s was the Belle Époque of independent film is well documented. Not so documented is my love teen romantic comedies (we’ll just keep that one between us, yes?). One of my favorites from that era and of that genre is The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love. Directed by Maria Maggenti and edited by NYWIFT member Susan Graef, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love chronicles the romance of teens Randy and Evie—opposites who attract and overcome obstacles…propelling them to the one of the sweetest last-scene-of-a-rom-com ever.
Available on Netflix and Amazon.
(Cover photo by Bridgette Matthews)
Mellini_Kantayya
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Christine Oliva-Castillo
Welcome to NYWIFT, Christine Oliva-Castillo! Christine is a licensed clinician and award-winning screenwriter with over two decades of experience in substance abuse disorder treatment and public health. Drawing on lived experience and clinical expertise, she writes stories that challenge how we see addiction, recovery, and the systems people navigate to survive both. Her feature screenplay Worthy has earned recognition at the Toronto Female Film Festival, Love Wins Film Festival, Page Turner Awards, LGBTQ Unbordered International Film Festival, and the Script Hall of Fame, among others. She is currently producing YTHROW, a short film set over one night in a county jail holding cell — a story of hope that honestly confronts the barriers standing between people and the care they deserve.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Rhona Silverbush
Welcome to NYWIFT, Rhona Silverbush! Rhona’s windy career path led to her co-writing the award-winning pilot for Dark Ladies, a series she and Sami Plotkin are poised to take into the marketplace. Rhona studied psychology and theater, acted regionally, became a lawyer representing asylum seekers, and worked with the Roosevelt Institute before returning to her first loves – theater and writing. She co-produced/co-directed Conversations with Shakespeare with Daniela Varon at Symphony Space. She’s written Speak the Speech! Shakespeare’s Monologues Illuminated with Sami Plotkin; ‘wichcraft: craft a sandwich into a meal–and a meal into a sandwich’ for chefs Tom Colicchio and Sisha Ortuzar; and the Terrific Toddlers picture books with Carol Zeavin. She’s also a story consultant for documentarian George Nierenberg. In our interview, Rhona shares insight on pivoting careers, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and all things Shakespeare.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Kaitlyn Diehl
Welcome to NYWIFT, Kaitlyn Diehl! Kaitlyn is an actor, producer, and screenwriter based between Philadelphia and NYC. She has starred in 25+ shorts, features, web series, and commercials in lead and supporting roles. Her first foray into filmmaking began when she co-wrote, co-produced, and co-starred in a short film with her sister, Jackie Diehl, titled Willow. The short was accepted into 13 festivals up and down the East Coast and won Audience Choice at the Media Film Festival. Inspired by the positive reception of Willow, Kaitlyn has since produced another short, Stand Up, and her first feature film, TINO. Both began their film festival circuits this spring. Kaitlyn continues to write and is currently in pre-production for a few exciting film projects. Stay tuned!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Ariana Marie Luque
Welcome to NYWIFT, Ariana Marie Luque! Ariana is an award-winning director/cinematographer from The Bronx, NY. She is a NYU Tisch alum, having graduated with a Bachelor's in Film/TV production. Her work is often rooted from her Latin background, prioritizing culture and interpersonal relationships in her work. Her goal is to amplify stories from underrepresented communities and diversify the entertainment industry in front and behind the camera. She has gained international experience working in Iceland, Italy, and Puerto Rico, and has collaborated with major studios including Amazon Prime, Walt Disney, and Paramount under production roles. Most recently, she completed a film fellowship at the Bronx Documentary Center and is currently developing a short narrative film and is in production on two short documentaries. In our interview, Ariana discusses her background, what she’s learned from working in the industry, and the importance of film.
READ MORE
