NYWIFT Blog

NYWIFT Member Spotlight: Arlette Thomas-Fletcher

NYWIFT member Arlette Thomas-Fletcher is a multi-talented filmmaker and production executive. She has handled every creative and technical aspect of media production during her decades-long career, writing, directing, and producing her own projects and those of others.  

Arlette’s 2022 western Christian film The Lonesome Trail was released in July 2022 on all VOD platforms and Blu-ray disc, and also as a hardcover book. The Lonesome Trail won 18 awards and has two nominations.  

Arlette is a published author and has several books on Amazon, including her children’s book Dreamer’s Journey, which was just released. She is currently working on an animated series called The Cat Faced Cat.

 

 

Tell us about yourself – give us your elevator pitch!

I am an award-winning writer, director, and producer of family content. Also, I am an author and singer/songwriter. I love to tell stories! Whether it is writing a children’s book, singing a song, or telling a western story. I just want to entertain and motivate audiences to take a positive journey through a fantastic tale. We all want to be wowed or exhilarated by a story that is different and life-changing. That’s what I love to do for people of all ages whether it is through my books, songs, or my films.  

You’re a true multi-hyphenate – directing, writing, producing, and more. Which aspect of the media industry is your favorite and why?

My favorite part of the media industry is directing. I love visually mapping out a story and seeing it come to life first in the actor’s face, and then the audience that sees the end product.  

 

What first brought you to NYWIFT? 

I came to NYWIFT because I love being around creative people. I was president of Women in Film and Video in Maryland, and I grew as a filmmaker. I am still growing and learning. I believe NYWIFT can help me expand my knowledge in the film industry and become a better filmmaker. 

 

Congratulations on your new book! What is it about? 

Dreamer’s Journey is about dreaming and exploring through a child’s imagination. The purpose of the book is to assist a child with learning what they can become in the future. It allows children to know that they can be anything they want to be in this world. It is a great book for children to read to practice and learn how to plan their dreams. The book also can be a partnership between the parent and child together discovering all the fantastic things that a child can learn and use to make their dreams come true. 

 

You mentioned that you’ve been involved in the NYWIFT New Works Lab and that your colleagues from the Lab helped make this book happen. Can you tell us more about that? How did the NYWIFT community contribute to your creative process?   

The NYWIFT New Work Lab was a great place to present my book and get an objective view from the members of NYWIFT. It helped me to rework my book and shape it into a stronger story. 

 

What do you hope readers will take away from your book? 

I hope the readers will take away that dreaming is wonderful! Also, they will understand that there are so many opportunities for them to be anything they want if only they would dream. I want them to be able to see the manifestation of their dreams come true. This book will help parents and children to see this happen.  

 

 

What’s next for you? 

I am currently working on an animated series called The Cat Faced Cat. I am also in the development of a female-focused action feature film. Further, my new book will be coming out in the coming months which is called Giving God’s Love to Others. My book for my feature western film The Lonesome Trail can be found on Amazon. 

 

Connect with Arlette on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and follow The Lonesome Trail on its Instagram as well.  

 You can learn more about her personal website www.arlettethomasfletcher.com and the website for her production company, www.fruitsofthespiritproductions.com. 

Check out Dreamer’s Journey on Amazon

PUBLISHED BY

Katie Chambers

Katie Chambers Katie Chambers is the Senior Director of Community & Public Relations at New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT). She is also a regular contributing writer for From Day One, an outlet focused on innovations in HR. She serves on othe Board of Directors of the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs and is a freelance writer, copyeditor, and digital marketing strategist. Follow her @KatieGChambers.

View all posts by Katie Chambers

Comments are closed

Related Posts

NYWIFT Member Spotlight: Kathryn O’Kane

Today, we’re shining a spotlight on former NYWIFT Board Member Kathryn O’Kane! Kathryn is the co-director and co-writer of the short comedic film Subtext, which has been accepted into the 2025 LA Shorts International Film Festival, screening July 26 at 7:45 p.m. LA Shorts is the longest-running short film festival in Los Angeles. The festival screens over 400 films and attracts 10,000 attendees each year, including Hollywood industry professionals and emerging undiscovered independent filmmakers. Subtext follows Eric, who is running late to his first date with Sara, and he just can’t stop texting. A feeling so many of us, unfortunately, are bound to relate to. Kathryn sat down with co-director, co-writer, and editor Christopher Raby to talk to us about their creative process.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Christine Stoddard

Welcome to NYWIFT, Christine Stoddard! Christine Stoddard is a filmmaker, TV personality, and video artist named one of Brooklyn Magazine’s Top 50 Most Fascinating People. Her latest film is 5 Ways I Didn’t Marry You, directed by Tom Dunn. A 2025 graduate of Columbia Journalism School and the Columbia Painting Intensive, she creates imaginative films, deeply reported TV programs, and playful videos.  Currently, she hosts the TV show Don't Mind If I Don't with Aaron Gold. She also runs the YouTube channel Stoddard Says and terrorizes the Internet with her alter ego Art Bitch. Her feature film, Sirena's Gallery, is streaming on Amazon and Tubi and was featured in The Brooklyn Rail.  As founder of Quail Bell Press & Productions, her film and theater projects have been recognized by the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, the Puffin Foundation, the Brooklyn Arts Council, and other organizations. Get to know Christine, her roots in the film industry, and her experiences as a TV host!

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Andrea Frierson

Welcome to NYWIFT, Andrea Frierson! Two-time Helen Hayes Award nominee Andrea Frierson is a Dramatists Guild Fellow, a NYSCA grant recipient, and a Library of Congress Award-winner (Ethnographic Research, American Folklife). Her plays and musicals have been produced by Lincoln Center Theater and the York Theatre Company in NYC, among others. As an actor, her Broadway productions include: The Lion King, Once on This Island, Bring in ‘Da Noise/Bring in ‘Da Funk, Eubie!, For Colored Girls, Marie Christine, and Julie Taymor’s Juan Darien: A Carnival Mass. Television appearances include: Quantico, Pose, Red Oaks, Elementary, and Harlem. Andrea was a series regular on the Nickelodeon TV series, Allegra’s Window. In our interview, Andrea discusses her experiences as a writer, actor, and singer, and her journey writing her memoir.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Laci Joseph

Welcome to NYWIFT, Laci Joseph! Laci Joseph is a graduating senior at Temple University, earning her B.A. in Film and Media Arts in Spring 2025. She is passionate about production design and visual storytelling, with a focus on African American culture, history, and uplifting marginalized communities. Her creative interests include themes of love, romance, identity, and global exploration.  Laci aspires to design for music videos, short films, and documentaries, while also bringing her own passion projects to life. Through her work, she aims to build immersive visual worlds that inspire connection, celebrate culture, and reflect powerful, underrepresented stories. Laci discusses what brought her to film, projects she is currently working on, and the themes she conveys through her work!

READ MORE
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
css.php