Changing Times: Every day brings another story of sexual harassment (and worse) in Hollywood, from Louis C.K., to Kevin Spacey to Supergirl’s Andrew Kreisberg. Kudos to all the women and men who continue to speak out and support one another.
Tiffany Haddish: Tiffany Haddish made Saturday Night Live history on Saturday by becoming the first black female stand-up comic to host the show in its 43 seasons – yes, 43. That’s 836 episodes without one black female comedian host. It’s absurd it took SNL this long, and hopefully she will be the first of many.
Agnès Varda: Congratulations to filmmaker Agnès Varda on receiving an Honorary Award from the Academy at the 2017 Governors Awards this past weekend.
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READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Rachel Cheung
Welcome to NYWIFT, Rachel Cheung! Rachel is a dynamic writer and producer born and raised in New York City and Long Island with Chinese and Irish roots. With a BFA in Film and Television from NYU, she has honed her craft through diverse experiences, including roles as an assistant to the President of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences and at WME in the Brand Partnerships department. Rachel's background enriches her unique perspective in the industry, driving her storytelling prowess. Get to know her in our latest interview!
READ MORENYWIFT at Sundance: In Conversation with Katharina Otto-Bernstein
Since premiering and winning the Jury Prize in the 2022 Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival (the first to do so from the Indian subcontinent), Joyland has moved audiences worldwide with its human portrayal of the limits of love in the face of patriarchy. The film follows the youngest son in a traditional Pakistani family as he takes a job as a backup dancer in a Bollywood-style burlesque, and quickly becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman who runs the show. The film is both a loving portrait of the people of Lahore, Pakistan, and a painful depiction of how rigid traditional gender roles and repressed sexuality can have a ripple effect that harms the whole community. NYWIFT member Katharina Otto-Bernstein, who produced Joyland, spoke to us about discovering new artists through mentorship, political pushback on Joyland, and how Malala Yousafzai helped the film finally reach Pakistani audiences.
READ MOREThe Mole Agent: Highlights from the NYWIFT Goes to the Oscars Q&A with Maite Alberdi, Marcela Santibañez, Julie Goldman
The team behind The Mole Agent, Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary, discusses its powerful impact, and how they created a film both so visually stunning and rich with character that The New York Times review believed the film to be partly dramatized. It wasn’t!
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