Dialogue Study: The Signal Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory at USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering recently released preliminary results of a study on the representation of gender, race, and age in a collection of about 1,000 films. One of the major goals of the study was to determine the extent to which female characters were essential to the plot of a given film by looking at language, tone and role.
Rachel Feldman: Rachel Feldman, who received the NYWIFT Ravenal Foundation Feature Film Grant for her Lily Ledbetter project Fair Fight, makes a compelling argument that there are already plenty of qualified women directors ready for prime time.
Dope Queens: I’m happy for comedian Phoebe Robinson, who brought down the house at last year’s NYWIFT Comedy Makers panel. Robinson’s WNYC podcast 2 Dope Queens, which she co-hosts with Jessica Williams, will be developed into four hour-long specials for HBO.
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READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Sophie Ostrove
Welcome to NYWIFT, Sophie Ostrove! Sophie is a thoughtful and funny storyteller who graduated with honors from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she earned her BFA in Film and Television with a focus on comedy. As a queer, disabled, and Jewish writer, Sophie is passionate about creating stories that center joy and offer authentic representation. Based in New York City, she splits her time between writing, freelancing, background acting, teaching filmmaking, ushering — and watching as much TV as possible (a job requirement she’s more than happy to meet). In our conversation, Sophie reflected on her creative journey, the role of comedy in her work, and why representation truly matters.
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