By Catherine Woo
Welcome to NYWIFT, Gaelin Rosenwaks!
Gaelin is a multitalented scientist, explorer, photographer, filmmaker, and author of Sperm Whales: The Gentle Goliaths of the Oceans. A lifelong fascination with the marine world inspired her to start diving at age 14. She began her career at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and earned her Master’s Degree from Duke University. She founded Global Ocean Exploration Inc in response to alarming changes to our oceans. Her projects inspire people to connect and care for our oceans.
Her aptitude for science and storytelling brought her on a journey that spans from appearing as an expert and host on many TV networks to being one of the few women to be featured on the cover of Outside Magazine. She is currently working on a documentary.
Gaelin shares more about her fascinating journey here!
NYWIFT Member Gaelin Rosenwaks
Describe yourself. Give us your elevator pitch!
I am a marine scientist and ocean storyteller. I use film, photography, and writing to inspire people to care about the ocean and our planet. Currently, I have taken a deep dive into the world of sperm whales.
NYWIFT Member Gaelin Rosenwaks
What brings you to NYWIFT?
I joined NYWIFT to meet other amazing women in the film industry with hopes of collaborations in the future.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I ever received was to “make myself indispensable” whenever I was part of a team.
Gaelin Rosenwaks swimming with a whale
Congratulations on your book Sperm Whales: The Gentle Goliaths of the Oceans! How was your approach to storytelling through still photographs different from your approach to storytelling through film?
The first medium that I worked with as a storyteller was photography so for me, it was a wonderful return. My approach was different as I had to capture the one perfect frame that encapsulated what was often a longer encounter, and to ensure that the movement and dynamic nature of these interactions were captured in one still frame. It was a challenge, but also an opportunity to allow the viewer’s imagination to wander.
You are currently working on Finding Physty, a story about sperm whales and their family dynamics. In the trailer, you take on part of this exploration with your own mother. What was that experience like for you?
It has been wonderful to bring my mother on these expeditions and have her join my team. She introduced me to the ocean and art as a child, so introducing her into my world of expedition film and photography has been a privilege. She taught me so much growing up and now we have come full circle and I have been able to teach her new skills.
Gaelin Rosenwaks photographing a shark
In Finding Physty, were there any moments or memories that didn’t make the final cut of the project?
Too many to list here! Every moment in the water with these whales is unique so choosing the best of the best moments is very difficult! Fortunately, the moments that have ended up on the cutting room floor for the film are mostly covered in the book so they are great companions to one another.
Gaelin Rosenwaks taking photos on ice
What’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects that you’re excited about?
Right now, I am excited to be finishing up my film and looking forward to sharing it with the world! I have a few new projects in the pipeline, but mostly am focusing on sharing my book with new audiences through talks and lectures around the country, with great anticipation of the film premiering in the not-too-distant future!
Connect with Gaelin Rosenwaks on Twitter and Instagram @GaelinGOExplore or through her website www.gaelinrosenwaks.com.
Catherine Woo
Catherine Woo is an intern at NYWIFT and an aspiring screenwriter. She will graduate from NYU Tisch with a BFA in Dramatic Writing in 2024. She has interned at Rattlestick Theater and Protozoa Pictures. She has done production photography for PrideFest 2023 at The Tank and Broke People Spring 2023 Play Festival at NYU.
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Veanne Cao
Welcome to NYWIFT, Veanne Cao! We had the opportunity to interview Veanne Cao, a Vietnamese-Chinese writer and director whose work spans both the personal and the playful. Her short films—ranging from intimate dramas that explore memory, identity, and the Asian diaspora to comedies inspired by life’s absurdities—have screened at festivals around the world. Beyond the indie film space, she brings her storytelling sensibilities to the commercial and editorial world, producing content for global brands and publications. Veanne currently lives in Brooklyn with her partner and two shih-tzus.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Andrea Ocampo
Welcome to NYWIFT, Andrea Ocampo! Andrea is a first-generation Colombian filmmaker. She is drawn to the quiet forces that have shaped her: obsession, memory, and identity in flux. She is a proud artist who directs with a lens for the psychological and surreal, blending documentary realism with fiction laced in intimate mystery. Her latest short Blackout is a psychological thriller set in the NYC subway, and it premiered to a sold-out crowd on September 13th, 2025, at Imagine This Women’s Film Festival. She navigates global crises and inner landscapes with equal urgency. Her work has a raw, honest, and quietly haunted feel to it. Chances are you’ll feel it before you understand it. We spoke to Andrea in late Summer. She recounts her experience in the film industry, tracing her path from a passionate young filmmaker in her early childhood to the successful professional she has become.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Courtney DeStefano
Welcome to NYWIFT, Courtney DeStefano! Courtney grew up in a small town, where she spent hours devouring old movies and pouring through every indie-film magazine she could get her hands on. She graduated with a BFA in Film & Television from NYU Tisch School of the Arts before embarking on her editing career where she worked with clients like CBS, Bravo, Showtime, BET, NatGeo, Discovery & TLC. She’s spent the last several years dividing her time between chasing after her three young sons and hiding in her home office to write. Her work has been recognized by the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, PANO Network, Hollyshorts and the PAGE Awards, among others. In our interview, Courtney discussed her small-town inspirations, how editing informs her writing and directing, and her latest short film.
READ MORENYWIFT 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
Comments are closed