NYWIFT Blog

NYWIFT @ Tribeca: In Conversation with Casting Director Bess Fifer

By Katie Chambers

As an independent casting director based in New York, NYWIFT member Bess Fifer has played a key role in shaping numerous careers across film and television. Her commitment to authentic, diverse, and inclusive casting has made her an in-demand collaborator, an Artios Award Winner, and an Emmy Nominee. Fifer specializes in ground-breaking independent features, such as Lingua Franca and The Light of the Moon, and hugely popular television shows, including the Apple TV+ series Severance, It’s Bruno! (Netflix), and Escape at Dannemora (Showtime).

Fifer’s latest project – prolific music video director Barnaby Clay’s feature directorial debut, The Seeding –  will be scaring up audiences at the 2023 Tribeca Festival. When a hiker gets lost in the desert, a gang of feral children propelled by haunting legacies traps him in a sadistic battle for survival with a frightening endgame. Tribeca describes the film as “a stone-cold nightmare that confronts our fears of isolation and unchecked toxic masculinity headfirst.”

Fifer talked to us about her process casting the film.

 

NYWIFT Member Bess Fifer

 

Congratulations on your premiere! What does inclusion in the Tribeca Festival mean to you?

C’mon it’s Tribeca! Iconic! I’ve been lucky enough to have several films premiere at Tribeca and it’s always so exciting. Being able to show your finished project to a festival of your home town peers… amazing.

 

Tell us about The Seeding. How did you get involved in the project?  

I had worked with Producer Brian Etting previously on a feature called Tuscaloosa. He sent me The Seeding. I found the script to be fresh and [director] Barney Clay to be absolutely fascinating. I wanted the opportunity to work with him and I’m glad I did.

 

Still from The Seeding

 

Do you as a casting director approach the horror genre any differently than other genres when looking to cast certain roles? Some of these characters, I imagine, have to be scary! The official description of the film from Tribeca calls it a “stone-cold nightmare!”

In general, no, it’s the same process. We start by working with the rest of the creative team to get a good understanding of the world we are looking to create. Then Casting goes to try to populate that world and find the talent who will tell our story. It’s the world and the characters of horror that are different, not the process.

 

Many of the characters in The Seeding are children and teens. Is your approach to casting young actors any different in how you approach working with adults?

I love casting kids, they are constantly changing and growing (literally and figuratively) and it’s so important to keep seeing them and who they are at this moment. I also find “child actors” to be incredibly professional. They are a joy.

 

Still from The Seeding

 

What was your favorite moment working on the film? And the biggest challenge?

Casting our female lead was definitely a challenge. It’s very easy to see her simply as a victim. We are so lucky to have the incredibly Kate Lyn Sheil.

 

What’s next for you?

City On Fire is currently airing on Apple TV+ and we are in the middle of Season 2 of Severance.

 

Connect with Bess Fifer on Instagram @castingbybess and her website www.fifercasting.com.

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

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Catherine Craig

Welcome to NYWIFT, Catherine Craig! Catherine Craig was George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic's first animation FX camerawoman, later becoming a digital artist at ILM. A highly regarded film archivist, Craig designed the Coppola film archive and implemented Zoetrope's domestic and international film distribution. As an early female entrepreneur, Craig founded her own award-winning, union and guild-affiliated film company, specializing in high-end industrial and commercial productions. Her vast experience spans all aspects of filmmaking: she's worked as a director, producer, camera operator, concept artist, storyboard artist, special FX artist, sound recordist, and more. Her screenplay OddFX was accepted into the NYWIFT-affiliated The Writers Lab. The film follows a mother living in a women's shelter, battling a physically abusive husband and a broken support system, who enlists the help of a special FX film crew. Catherine discusses her groundbreaking work with ILM, her drive to tell her own stories, and her film currently in development, OddFX!

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Faith Trinker

Welcome to NYWIFT, Faith Trinker! Faith Trinker is a virtual production filmmaker and immersive storyteller. She recently graduated from NYU Tisch’s inaugural Virtual Production Master’s program, and has a background in 3D computer art and animation from Syracuse University. In her work, she blends digital worldbuilding with on-set filmmaking, and is passionate about evolving workflows, fast-paced environments, and collaborative creativity. Her credits include projects for ESPN and the 2025 MSC Cruises Super Bowl spot featuring Drew Barrymore and Orlando Bloom. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, drawing, cars, and her dog, Freddie. She’s eager to work with her new NYWIFT creative community. Faith discusses her path to virtual production, favorite projects, and goals for the future!

READ MORE

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
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
css.php