NYWIFT Blog

By Mariana Valencia

Welcome to NYWIFT, Natalie Mahoney!

Natalie Mahoney is an award-winning photographer, writer, and filmmaker from New York. She received her B.A. in TV/Film from DeSales University ’24 and recently received her M.F.A in Film Production from the City College of New York. 

Natalie has experience in both filmmaking and as an educator with a passion for assisting young creatives conceive, construct, and produce their own projects. 

Natalie wants to be able to inspire and encourage others with her work, and watch others tell their own stories through the many mediums of the arts!

New NYWIFT Member Natalie Mahoney

Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself?

I’m Natalie! I’m a Producer, Assistant Director and Educator based in New York City. I’m passionate about visual storytelling and how it can cross over into a way for people to learn more about themselves and the world around them. 

What brought you to NYWIFT?

I was one of the three recipients of the 2026 New York Women in Film & Television scholarship upon my graduation from The City College of New York. 

Natalie Mahoney on set with crew.

What aspects of your life and background have motivated the stories you want to tell?

Aspects of my life that have led me to want to tell the stories from my work have been the fact that I am neurodivergent and queer. It took years for me to really come into my own and recognize that the way I view the world was different from others. I’ve always found artistic expression to be the most therapeutic for me during the harder times of my life, when words fail and I need a way to explain to others how I feel. 

I started out in animation, wanting to combine narrative storytelling with the drawings I would spend hours working on. After trying it out, I realized it wasn’t for me and decided to try live-action narrative storytelling. I fell in love fast and from then on knew that I wanted to continue doing this for a career. 

Since then, I’ve gone on to tell stories based on my own experiences through the medium of filmmaking, with the hope that someone else can relate to them, feel seen, or even be inspired to create on their own. 

Natalie Mahoney on the House of The Dragon red Carpet.

What characteristics of producing made you follow that career path? 

The aspects of producing that have made me want to pursue this career path is being able to help others bring their projects to life. To put it simply: I love helping people! One of my greatest joys is seeing others express themselves, being able to see different perspectives in how other artists see the world. 

Just like how no snowflake is alike, it’s the same with all types of art. What makes individual art so unique is that you will have similar stories and messages, but they’re never told in the same way. Everyone has a different perspective, that has been influenced by the various experiences that have shaped their lives, and it’s beautiful that when they’re able to express this artistically, they’re able to create something that is exclusive to them.

Being a producer has allowed me to help others reach their fullest potential with the stories they want to tell. Of course, making a film is not all lights, camera, and action. There’s a lot of paperwork involved too, which is why I market myself to those I meet as the one who will do all the paperwork you don’t want to do!

Natalie Mahoney on set.

What is the most fulfilling aspect of being a young filmmaker and educator?

The most fulfilling aspect of being a young filmmaker and educator is the ability to allow yourself to make mistakes and understand that you’ve still got a long way to go in everything you do. 

Being a film educator in a way is like being a producer: you’re helping these young, bright-eyed artists put together a passion project and seeing it through until the end. What I love most, though, is that I get to bring my students on this journey of learning to be kinder to themselves as artists, so that they can have the mentality reinforced to them in the classroom. 

The ability to learn is a gift, and with learning comes trial and error. I try to be encouraging with my students and let them know that they’re in a safe space and that there’s no judgment in wanting to try new things. 

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far in your career?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that mistakes don’t equate to failure. I’ve always been very hard on myself and have battled with perfectionism as an artist and as a human. Even now, I still struggle with the need for everything to be fantastic, but sometimes you need to come back down to earth and tell yourself: “I’ve done the best I can do with what I have, and what I’m capable of.”

This mindset has allowed me to accept mistakes and be kinder to myself. We all make mistakes; no action or path is immune to them. Rather than wallowing in what you felt went wrong, take a different approach and be mindful for next time. Nothing in life is perfect, and similar to my previous point about how unique art can be from various perspectives, this is no exception. Practicing kindness with yourself. 

NYWIFT Member Natalie Mahoney

What project(s) are you currently working on that our readers should be on the lookout for?

My MFA thesis short film Meet Me at the End is currently on the film festival circuit. The film is a queer coming-of-age drama about a teenage girl who comes to a crossroads when she’s manipulated into feeling she must choose between her sexuality and her faith.

Two films that I helped co-produce that are also rotating within the festival circuit are No One Carbs Alone (dir. Jason McCluskey), a short documentary about the bond between two young men who share the same disability, Type 1 Diabetes; and Carved (dir. James Hartranft), a short dramatic thriller about a young girl battling obsessive perfectionism and urge to self-harm as she tries to complete a wood carving without her father.

Aside from these films, all other projects that I am producing and assisting with are currently under wraps and will be unveiled within the coming months!

Connect with Natalia Warchol on Instagram at @nmahoneyfilms  on her website nmahoneyfilms.wixsite.com/nmahoneyfilms, and at nmahoneyfilms@gmail.com.

(All images courtesy of Natalie Mahoney)