NYWIFT Blog

By Ana Juanola

Welcome to NYWIFT, Kaitlyn Diehl!

Kaitlyn Diehl is an actor, producer, and screenwriter based between Philadelphia and NYC. She has starred in 25+ shorts, features, web series, and commercials in lead and supporting roles.

Her first foray into filmmaking began when she co-wrote, co-produced, and co-starred in a short film with her sister, Jackie Diehl, titled Willow. The short was accepted into 13 festivals up and down the East Coast and won Audience Choice at the Media Film Festival.

Inspired by the positive reception of Willow, Kaitlyn has since produced another short, Stand Up, and her first feature film, TINO. Both began their film festival circuits this spring. Kaitlyn continues to write and is currently in pre-production for a few exciting film projects. Stay tuned!

NYWIFT Member Kaitlyn Diehl

Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself?

Hi, I’m Kaitlyn Diehl! I started in this industry with one goal: to become an actress. After earning a minor in Theater Performance from the University of Delaware and completing the three-year Meisner curriculum at Playhouse West in Philadelphia, I realized not only did I want to live in fictional worlds, but I wanted to create them, too.

My goal as both an actor and filmmaker is to tell stories that explore the raw, and sometimes painful, aspects of the human condition. I am a believer, so I also like finding ways to show God’s love for all people – especially in the dark places where He is often not depicted in film and TV.

What brought you to NYWIFT?

As a Next Wave Member and a young filmmaker, I am SO excited to learn from other women who are further along in their careers! This world can be unforgiving of artists, so I also find that building a strong community of fellow dreamers and doers fills my cup back up.

You work across acting, producing, and screenwriting. How do these roles influence one another in your work?

Acting definitely makes me a better producer and screenwriter because it has given me a very unique lens through which to see sets and scripts; I’ve worked on 25+ sets as an actor across a broad range of disciplines: commercial, shorts, features, web series, student films, etc. Each project gave me behind-the-scenes insight into what works and what definitely does not work on a set. By the time I was ready to produce my first film, I felt very comfortable working in that fast-paced environment, and I was already familiar with the crew roles and procedures.

Unexpectedly, producing also helped my acting; I feel less nervous joining a new project as an actor because I now understand that 1) The crew is so busy with their own tasks that they aren’t singularly focused on me and my performance, and 2) I now appreciate the full filmmaking lifecycle, from pre-production all the way through post, and realize that actors are just a small part of the living and breathing organism that is a movie. 

Finally, acting has helped my screenwriting because it has required me to study and break down hundreds, if not thousands of scripts – whether that be through audition sides, plays I’ve read, scenes for class, and more. The bad scripts have taught me just as much as the good scripts. And of course, screenwriting while wearing my producer’s hat has me considering the budget and logistics as I write in new locations or characters.

You recently produced your first feature film. What drew you to that project, and what was the experience of bringing it to life?

Yes! What a journey it has been. I was drawn to the project for a few reasons; first, I was excited to work with Michael James Mina, the film’s director and screenwriter. I’d seen his work before and was impressed by his ability to weave softness and beauty, both visually and emotionally, into very heavy subjects.

Second, I connect with the story on a personal level. TINO follows a young man struggling with addiction and homelessness as he tries to reconnect with his estranged father. Both the director and I have loved and lost addicts in our own lives. Living in Philadelphia, we also see these folks on a regular basis and witness firsthand the lack of support they receive. 

Bringing this film to life was a crash course on producing. It was incredibly difficult yet insanely rewarding, and I wouldn’t change a thing. As a co-producer alongside my sister Jackie Diehl and Michael James Mina, I had my hands in every department: finding locations, fundraising, casting, hiring crew, marketing, accounting, scheduling- the list goes on. We started the project at the end of 2023, shot it across 14 days in September 2024, and started submitting it to film festivals this spring!

It’s been a long journey, but I can’t wait to see where it goes.

What did producing your first feature teach you about yourself as a filmmaker?

Coming out on the other side of this project, I know that I am 10 times stronger as a filmmaker. One of my biggest takeaways was the following: Do not put a “no” in someone’s mouth before they’ve had a chance to give it to you. Just ask. I was astounded by how many people and companies were happy to do us favors; free locations, free crafty, generous financial donations, and more, all because we were willing to set our pride aside and reach out.

I also learned that I am resilient. Filmmaking is HARD, and producing can be thankless. Organization is a strength of mine, and when paired with perseverance, you’ve got a recipe for success!

What is a lesson you learned the hard way in your career that you wish you had known earlier?

I wish I had let go of perfectionism sooner. I spent a lot of my life “waiting to be ready” before I would allow myself to participate in the arts. At its core, this was rooted in a fear of judgement and vulnerability. Now, I believe that the risk of falling flat on my face is worth the joy of learning alongside other flawed, creative humans. After all, if I had waited to be the “perfect” producer, I never would have made TINO.

As your film begins its festival run, what are you most excited to experience or learn from this next stage?

I am SO excited to see how the film lands with audiences. I love watching my films take on a new life through others’ eyes, and I’m also looking forward to the types of conversations it will generate. Finally, I am excited to learn more about tackling the festival circuit. We put our all into this film, so we aren’t going to pull back now!

Connect with Kaitlyn on Instagram @its_a_diehl, on her website www.kaitlyndiehl.com, and learn more about her film TINO.

(All photos courtesy of Kaitlyn Diehl)