#SummerHours Series: The NYWIFT #SummerHours blog series by members Mellini Kantayya and Kathryn O’Kane is back again this year with recommendations for your summer reading and watchlist. So far Kathryn has shared her thoughts on past NYWIFT Muse honoree Whoopi Goldberg’s latest book, and Mellini has created a list of bingewatch-worthy comedy picks.
Debra Granik: I saw Debra Granik’s new film Leave No Trace this weekend and it was great. Another example of her amazing talent as a director. She also directed Winter’s Bone, which gave Jennifer Lawrence her start. The same thing is likely to happen to Thomasin McKenzie, who gives a really good performance in the film.
Darya Zhuk: Congratulations to Darya Zhuk, whose debut feature Crystal Swan was selected by Belarus as its submission for the Oscars’ foreign film category. We honored Darya with the NYWIFT Outstanding Female Content Creator Award for her pilot The Real American at the New York Television Festival (NYTVF) back in 2015. We’re proud to say “we knew her when!” Speaking of NYTVF, the festival returns for 2018 this week, July 14-19, having switched from a Fall to a Summer schedule to provide even more opportunities for content creators. Be sure to check it out.
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