NYC Pilots: Business is booming in New York, with 11 hour-long pilots shooting here this year. This ties with the previous record year, 2012.
Good News: Although Ava Duvernay’s A Wrinkle in Time wasn’t able to beat Black Panther at the box office, the films still made history, as both the #1 and #2 spots were held by studio films directed by people of color with black leading actors. Black Panther is also doing exceptionally well overseas. Not only do diverse voices matter – but they also make money!
Overlooked Women: The New York Times acknowledged that of the thousands of obituaries it has published since 1851, the vast majority have been of white men. Even in the last two years, only one in five obituary subjects have been female. In honor of Women’s History Month, they are launching Overlooked, a new series that will provide obituaries for important women in history previously overlooked by the paper.
nywift
Related Posts
NYWIFT at Tribeca 2025: In Conversation with Chantel Simpson
Congratulations are in order for multi-hyphenate filmmaker Chantel Simpson, whose compelling short film A Drastic Tale will make its world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. As a proud member of New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), Simpson brings a unique perspective to the screen, having served as the director, producer, screenwriter, and editor of the film. Centered around the Drastic Auto Club — one of the oldest lowrider groups in New York City — A Drastic Tale offers a raw and moving exploration of brotherhood, identity, and the soul of car culture in the urban Northeast. In this exclusive interview, Simpson shares her journey, creative process, and hopes for how her story will resonate with audiences everywhere.
READ MORENYWIFT at Tribeca 2025: In Conversation with Veronica Reyes-How
Award-winning writer, actor, and producer Veronica Reyes-How is making a bold mark on the indie television landscape with the world premiere of her new episodic series, Mother, May I Have a Kidney?, at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. As a proud NYWIFT member and first-generation Filipino-American, Reyes-How brings heart, humor, and authenticity to her storytelling. Her latest project, which she created, wrote, and executive produced, explores themes of family estrangement, empathy, and kidney health through a unique dramedy lens. With a rich background that spans from tech consulting to national tours, hit TV appearances, and more, Veronica continues to champion diverse voices and underrepresented narratives in media.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Anna Koukouli Born
Welcome to our new NYWIFT member, Anna Koukouli Born! Anna Koukouli Born is a bicoastal writer-director splitting her time between NY and LA. She explores women's stories, dysfunctional families, unbearable workplaces filled with Succession-like egos, social inequality, and climate-caused disasters set in the near future. Drawing from her Greek history and heritage, Anna loves allegorical cautionary tales about strong, tragic characters trying to overcome adversity. She’s also obsessed with women's rights and gender parity. Her humor is darker than yours. She bets on it. Anna studied Story Analysis and TV Development at UCLA Extension and holds a BA (Hons) Marketing and an MBA from the UK Universities of Lincoln and Liverpool, respectively. Anna talks about her journey into the film industry, her experiences working on various films, and how she overcomes challenges within these fields!
READ MORENYWIFT at Tribeca 2025: In Conversation with Melanie Armer
NYWIFT member Melanie Armer is celebrating a major milestone in her multifaceted career with the official selection of Last Resort at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. As the Director and Co-Producer of the gripping new audio drama — described as The White Lotus meets Black Mirror — Armer brings her decades of experience in independent theater, multimedia production, and storytelling to a bold and timely project that explores cancel culture, identity, and the blurred lines between technology and transformation. With a creative legacy that includes collaborations on Broadway and groundbreaking work through her company Nerve Tank Media, Armer continues to redefine the boundaries of narrative art and sonic immersion. In our interview, she discusses Last Resort – written and created by her partner Chance Muehleck – and its exciting Tribeca debut.
READ MORE
