If you’re at Sundance, don’t miss this debut feature from writer-director Maya Forbes. We’re hoping to see Infinitely Polar Bear, starring Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana, in theaters soon.
— MICHELE DAGLE
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Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Eleanore Pienta
Welcome to NYWIFT, Eleanore Pienta! Eleanore is an award-winning screen and stage actor, comedian, dancer, and filmmaker. Pienta has carved out a niche for herself by portraying uncompromising and complex characters in films such as Sundance Award Winner Josephine, A Different Man, Soft & Quiet, and many more. Filmmaker Magazine called her role in See You Next Tuesday: “…one of the most original, indelible, infuriating and truly felt movie characters in some time, a sister to Loden’s Wanda and Rowlands’ A Woman Under The Influence.” Pienta’s directorial debut, Ada, premiered at the New York Film Festival 2018. Her second short, Master of the House, premiered at The New/Next Film Festival 2024. In our interview, Eleanore discusses her motivations for the performing arts, her inspirations, and how her collaborations with others elevate her creative work.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Rachel Fleit
Welcome to NYWIFT, Rachel Fleit! Rachel is a writer, director, and producer known for her intimate, character-driven storytelling across documentary and narrative film and television. With a background in fashion and business, Rachel brings both creative sensitivity and an entrepreneurial mindset to her work, balancing artistic vision with thoughtful leadership. Rachel directed the acclaimed documentary Introducing, Selma Blair and has helmed projects including Bama Rush and Sugar Babies, each reflecting her commitment to emotional honesty and layered storytelling. Her latest award-winning documentary, The Slightest Touch—which follows the extraordinary friendship between Emma Fogarty, who lives with epidermolysis bullosa, and actor Colin Farrell—has been acquired by HBO Documentary Films and is slated to premiere later this year on HBO Max. In our interview, she reflected on building trust with her subjects, navigating personal and cultural storytelling, and the creative directions she’s most excited to explore next.
READ MORENYWIFT at Sundance: In Conversation with Louis E. Perego Moreno
For NYWIFT Member Louis E. Perego Moreno and the team behind TheyDream, the road to the 2026 Sundance Film Festival was 18 years long. The feature documentary is a deeply personal tale from Writer, Director, Producer, DP, Animator, Editor and fellow NYWIFT Member William D. Cabellero. After 20 years of chronicling his Puerto Rican family, Cabellero and his mother face devastating losses. Through tears and laughter, they craft animations that bring their loved ones back to life, discovering that every act of creation is also an act of letting go. Consulting Producer Moreno has been with the project since it started as a short film nearly two decades ago. And there is extra sweetness to the team’s Sundance success: TheyDream, which debuted in the Next category, won the NEXT Special Jury Award for Creative Expression. He spoke to us about TheyDream’s journey to Park City and its timely cultural message.
READ MORENYWIFT at Sundance: In Conversation with Carolyn Hepburn
NYWIFT Member producer Carolyn Hepburn attended the 2026 Sundance Film Festival with her latest project with EPSN Films, The Brittney Griner Story. This documentary, directed by Alexandria Stapleton, explores the circumstances that led to Brittney Griner playing basketball outside the U.S. despite being one of the best players in the sport, including her harrowing detainment, unwavering determination to secure her freedom, and her advocacy for the release of other wrongful detainees. Carolyn Hepburn is an Emmy, Peabody, Gotham, and Critics’ Choice Award-winning producer who joined ESPN Films in 2022. She spoke to us about her return to Sundance, the power of her latest doc, and the ethical responsibilities of producing socially impactful work.
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