NYWIFT Blog

By Briana Wilson

NYWIFT Member Kristen Golden is a writer and producer whose creative work runs the gamut of genres. She wrote the screenplay AWE, for which she won the 2023 Athena Film Festival’s Chinonye Chukwu Emerging Writer Award, and was selected as a 2025 Screenplay Semi-finalist by the Cordillera International Film Festival.

Kristen is a producer of the narrative short film Irving Berlin’s View of the East River, shot in Spring 2025. She is the co-author with her wife, Barbara Findlen, of the book Remarkable Women of the Twentieth Century: 100 Portraits of Achievement. Kristen is the speechwriter for the Women’s Media Center.

In our interview, Kristen discussed her award-winning screenplay AWE, the connection between advocacy and storytelling, and her advice for future female leaders.

Could you give our NYWIFT readers a brief introduction to yourself?

I describe myself as a creative person with a vast imagination. I have ideas spilling out of me all the time (not that all are good or even feasible!). I especially love the start of a project — the brainstorming phase when everything feels possible.

I have used my creativity to develop, manage, and/or thrive in many of my life experiences, including living as an out lesbian, a nonprofit director, fundraiser, author, speechwriter, journalist, organizer, wife, mother, five-time cancer survivor, and most recently, screenwriter and producer.

I lived most of my life in New York, but now I live in a small town in Western Massachusetts with my wife of 38 years. Both of our wonderful grown children live in NYC.

When did you join NYWIFT, and what does the organization mean to you?

I joined NYWIFT in January 2025, after hearing about the organization at the Athena Film Festival in NYC. While I have been a nonfiction writer for many years, I am new to screenwriting. NYWIFT offers an incredibly generous community of women who are willing to share their expertise, wisdom, and camaraderie.

I immediately joined the monthly Writers Group, which has been super helpful in crafting how I present my film and how I talk about it. I’ve also really enjoyed learning about the wide range of projects and subject matter various members of the group are engaged with.

I attend a lot of the virtual offerings from NYWIFT, but I hope to get down to the city for a few in-person events!

What inspired your journey into screenwriting and producing? 

I have always loved storytelling. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been a voracious reader, a huge fan of films, and a writer. I have been able to build a very creative career in nonfiction writing and nonprofit leadership.

I became interested in producing when I was working with Gloria Steinem at Ms. magazine and helping to organize national protest marches in Washington, D.C. This was when celebrities and public figures were first starting to speak out. I realized I had a knack for seeing the big picture, understanding how to approach and engage famous people, and pulling all of the disparate pieces together.

I decided to get an MBA from Simmons Graduate School of Management — an all-women’s business program — to become a film producer. However, after I graduated, the Ms. Foundation for Women asked me to work with them, and I became the original project director for Take Our Daughters to Work Day. My career took a left and I spent many years leading nonprofit organizations that support women and girls, foster youth, vulnerable families, and LGBTQ+ folks.

During the pandemic, I decided it was time to come full circle and try my hand at filmmaking. So, I submitted my script, AWE, to the Athena Film Festival development program in 2022 and I was one of six screenwriters invited to attend. I learned so much and revised and revised and revised my script.

The following year I won the Chinonye Chukwu Emerging Writer Award from the Athena Film Festival. I was paired with Melissa Silverstein, co-founder of the Athena Film Festival and founder of Women and Hollywood, as my mentor. She is now my producing partner for AWE!

Advocacy work for feminism and the LGBTQ+ community has been central to your multifaceted career. How would you describe the bond between advocacy and storytelling?

Storytelling is critical for advocacy. People need to be motivated to take action to make change — whether in their own lives, on a local or community level, or to entrenched systems of oppression.

The best way to motivate people is to tell stories of individuals who have been impacted. People are more likely to give money or volunteer or vote for your cause if you introduce them to some of the people or communities who are affected.

However, I’ve also discovered that people are more motivated by positive stories than by tragic stories of extreme hardship. While setting the context by using statistics to describe real problems is important to understand the scope of an issue, stories of hope and ways that supporters can make a difference are more effective.

One of my favorite projects was a capital campaign for Safe Passage, a domestic violence prevention organization. As Executive Director, I needed to raise money for a new six-family shelter and a community services office space.

I reached out to public figures and asked them to imagine that they had to flee from a dangerous, abusive partner in the middle of the night, perhaps with kids in tow. But rather than focus on the abuse, I asked them to design a safe, comfortable room in our shelter that they would want to escape to and in which they would be able to heal.

Maya Angelou, Gloria Steinem, Ann Bancroft, singer Dar Williams, and others designed rooms. The local community stepped up to furnish the shelter. We worked with staff from FamilyFun, a Disney magazine published locally, and hosted a fundraising event. Their graphic artist created small icons of everything we needed.

People chose any icon of an item they wanted to pay for, brought it to a cash register, and then placed the icon in a replica of the shelter! “I bought a bike because I didn’t have one as a kid,” or “I’ll buy the bunk beds in honor of my brother who I shared a room with…” There was such a buzz in the room.

Together, we created a beautiful, colorful, welcoming, and fully accessible space to support women and their families in crisis as they started new, healthy lives. Maya Angelou even came to our small town to do a fundraiser for us! 

Your award-winning screenplay AWE is based on the true story of the first female expedition across Antarctica. Could you tell us a bit about the experience of writing the screenplay for such an incredible endeavor?

I have been intrigued by the astonishing life story of polar explorer Ann Bancroft ever since I met her in 1987. Ann thrives in extreme conditions and has extraordinary wilderness skills. She had just become the first-known woman in history to trek to the North Pole. She was the only woman on the Steger Expedition, traveling with seven men and 49 male sled dogs.

I had just started working with Gloria Steinem at Ms. magazine, and Ann was selected as a Ms. Woman of the Year. We became fast friends. Drawn to stories that rely on the character’s insatiable desire to surmount improbable odds, I’ve been fascinated by Ann Bancroft’s remarkable expedition ever since she told me of her desire to cross Antarctica with an all-woman team years ago. I have always wanted to tell her story, and it was clearly cinematic. 

I spent weeks with Ann, hearing her expedition stories, her challenges, her fears, reading the journals of the team, reviewing photographs, articles, videos, and interviews. What made her attempt the impossible? Where did she find the emotional and physical reserves when pushed far beyond her limits?

I loved the challenge of digging into what motivates Ann and portraying that in a way that is compelling and accessible to the general public. As this was her first time leading an expedition, a lot happened that was unexpected or went wrong. This heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat wilderness adventure truly demonstrates women’s unlimited potential and will appeal to anyone with a big, audacious dream.

Working with an explorer is a unique experience. For example, Ann lives in a rural area of Minnesota. We were supposed to meet for dinner in Minneapolis. A short while before, she texted me to say a tree had fallen across her driveway. I was disappointed because I had to leave town the next morning. Her next text said, “so I’ll be about 20 minutes late.” She apparently got out her chainsaw and removed the obstacle!

What advice would you give to young women who aspire to become leaders in their fields?

I have a few suggestions from my hard-earned life lessons:

Confidence is key. My life motto is “Sure! How hard can it be?” I challenge myself to go into new situations knowing I can trust my instincts, apply my transferable skills, and learn what I need to. 

There is no one way to lead. Tell people what you believe and what you’re passionate about, not what you think they want to hear. Your authentic voice and unique perspective is what will make you stand out.

You don’t need to know how to do everything yourself; just figure out who has the specific expertise you are looking for. Learn from them or hire them to do what they do best.

Be a good listener. Great ideas really can come from anywhere. Invite input, feedback, and innovation from your team. Treat everyone with respect, regardless of their position. Own your mistakes and share your success. 

Lift up other women. Mentor younger women. Share the limelight. Acknowledge the hard work of your team. Compliments, gratitude, and encouragement are free.

Be dependable and true to your word. Deliver what you promise, on time. 

Take a risk. Take a chance. Step forward. Why not you? After all, how hard can it be?

Are there any projects you are currently working on or would like to explore in the future?

I’m devoting most of my energy now to producing the film AWE. I am also considering adapting one of my favorite novels into a screenplay.

I do love the visual power of film, the economy of description and dialogue, the close-ups of emotions, and the wide shots of expansive landscapes. Oh no, I’m talking myself into another script as we speak!

Learn more about Kristen Golden on LinkedIn, her website (www.awethefilm.com) and connect with her on Instagram at @awethefilm.

(All images courtesy of Kristen Golden)