NYWIFT Blog

By Tammy Reese

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.

NYWIFT Member Veronica Reyes-How (image courtesy of Veronica Reyes-How)

Congratulations on the Tribeca premiere! What inspired the story behind Mother, May I Have a Kidney?

Thank you so much, we’re so grateful to premiere our project at Tribeca!

When Doug hired me to create and write a narrative project for him, I had a sillier, more comedic concept I was working on at first. Then, it was a perfect storm of things — Doug shared that he was estranged from his mother, our director Paul Schnee encouraged us to bring more gravitas to the current script, and my father had been diagnosed with kidney cancer — so the idea of a man needing a kidney and his estranged mother being the perfect match seemed like a story I was interested in telling.

I wrote an outline, then a treatment, and then jumped into the script to build the story. I’d say a lot of the story elements from Mother also come from various parts of my own life as well.

Still from Mother, May I Have a Kidney? (image courtesy of Tribeca)

Without giving too much away, what should audiences brace themselves for ahead of watching and what do you want them to take away from the series?

Well, first and foremost, it’s a drama/comedy, so I hope it will make people laugh. I’m always exploring how to weave levity into stories that tackle heavier topics. One topic I explore in this series is family estrangement. I think it’s an important topic, and one that is increasingly common. Ideally, after seeing this project, I would want people to walk away thinking about how to approach one another with an increased sense of empathy.

Every single person I’ve ever met is going through something. Sometimes they come right out with it, and sometimes it takes a while for people to trust someone to share it with. I think when we understand where people are coming from, it helps us look at one another with kindness. That, and if we could solve world peace — that would be great!

Creator-Writer-EP Veronica Reyes-How at video village on set MMIHAK (Photo by Sabastian Betts)

Your work often celebrates diverse voices — how intentional are you about including representation in your storytelling, and why is that important in today’s media landscape?

Growing up, I rarely saw stories that reflected my own experience, or those of the communities I grew up around. That absence made me hyper-aware of whose stories were being told — and whose weren’t. So when I write, I’m always thinking about whose perspectives are missing, and how I can create space for characters who’ve historically been sidelined.

For me, representation is about reflecting the world as it really is, in all its complexity and richness. The stories we tell need to feel authentic, layered, and inclusive. When people see themselves reflected on screen — in all their messiness, humor, and humanity — it can be powerful and healing. And when others get to see worlds outside their own experience, that builds understanding. Some of my favorite shows are very diverse—The Bear, Slow Horses, Bridgerton, and Grey’s Anatomy — that’s the kind of storytelling I want to be part of.

What inspired you to become a NYWIFT member, and how has being part of this community influenced your creative path?

I wanted to be part of a community that actively champions women storytellers — not just in theory, but in action. Being a woman of color in this industry can feel isolating at times, and NYWIFT felt like a space where I could find not just networking opportunities, but true camaraderie, mentorship, and support.

My dear friend [NYWIFT Board Member] Sibyl Santiago encouraged me to join. I know this has been an important community for her. And it’s been a reminder that none of us have to do this alone — there’s a whole network of women lifting each other up, and that’s incredibly powerful.

Still from Mother, May I Have a Kidney? (image courtesy of Tribeca)

What’s next for you after Tribeca? Any new stories or collaborations on the horizon that you’re excited about?

Post-Tribeca, I’m back into production on CostCutters, a Vertical series I created with a group of friends who are writers, producers and actors. I have a number of scripts I’ve been developing for the last couple of years .

 I’m particularly excited about a feature script I have called Mahjong Queen — it’s a coming-of-age feature about a young Filipina girl who is gifted at the game of Mahjong. We’ll likely be shooting a concept trailer in the fall.

And directly after Tribeca, I may be headed to London because a pilot I wrote called American Doctor, which is based on my mother who is a doctor with a photographic memory, is currently a Raindance Film Festival Quarterfinalist.

Still from Mother, May I Have a Kidney? (image courtesy of Tribeca)

As a creator, writer and executive producer, what advice would you have for women who want to follow your career path?

Take big swings. I think well-meaning people gave me notes on various scripts that tamped down things that made my work unique. I’m really grateful that Mother is getting some attention because the writing process for it was quick, and I didn’t really have time to over analyze my writing.

I’ve heard people describe it as quirky. I like that. I think I took big swings on jokes I wrote, and I guess we’ll see if they play well at the screenings. I got some notes from people saying “too much vomit,” so I added more! (Oh yeah, there’s vomit…)

Connect with Veronica Reyes-How via her company website is www.pinoycinematicuniverse.com and find her on Instagram at @imveronicareyes, and @pinoycinematicuniverse.

Learn more about Mother, May I Have a Kidney? at Tribeca: https://www.tribecafilm.com/films/mother-may-i-have-a-kidney-2025

And we interviewed Veronica for our special Tribeca Festival episode of The NYWIFT Podcast. Listen now!

Learn more about the rest of the NYWIFT member projects at Tribeca 2025!

Veronica Reyes-How (Creator/Writer/EP) is an award-winning writer/actor/producer based in NYC. A 1st Generation Filipino-American, she graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A in Mathematics. She left a career in tech consulting when she booked the national tour of RENT from an open-call audition.

Another breakthrough came when she booked the ABC/Disney Talent Showcase. She went on to book credits such as CBS’ Blue Bloods, NBC’s The Blacklist, CBS’ Person of Interest, and ABC’s Alex Inc. She was also featured in HBO’s East of Main Street documentary along with Lucy Liu and Daniel Dae Kim.

A short film she co-produced and acted in screened at over 10 festivals and won Best Micro Thriller at Austin Revolution Film Festival. She eventually found her passion in writing. Her scripts have been finalists in 8 national writing competitions

 After completing the Sesame Street Writing Fellowship, she was hired for her first narrative writing job as an EP / head writer to develop kids shows that focused on Math. That same year, she was hired to create, write and Executive Produce an Indie tv series called Mother, May I Have a Kidney? which will have its world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival.