Planning on seeing: all 22 filmsTime Magazine listed in “22 Movies Featuring Women We’re Excited to See in 2015.”
Terry Lawler is NYWIFT’s Executive Director. Tune in every Tuesday for her picks.
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Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Trish Appello
Welcome to NYWIFT, Trish Appello! For Trish Appello, turning 55 sparked a bold new chapter. The executive producer of the comedic series The EffYou 50s proudly declared, “I can thrive at 55,” and from that moment, her journey into the independent film and television world began. Appello recognized the importance of on-set experience and chose to pursue an educational path, enrolling in the UCLA Extension independent film-producing certificate program. Upon graduation, Appello realized it was time to tell the story that had lived inside her for almost two decades. Appello spoke to us about her career transition, finding her writing voice, and what she is currently working on.
READ MORENYWIFT @ Sundance: In Conversation with Ruth Ann Harnisch
NYWIFT Member and organizational supporter Ruth Ann Harnisch heads to the 2026 Sundance Film Festival as an executive producer of two wildly different but equally impactful documentary films: Seized and Cookie Queens. Seized, directed by Sharon Liese and premiering in the U.S. Documentary Competition, follows along as the small town of Marion, Kansas, is thrust into the international spotlight after a police raid on the Marion County Record and the death of its 98-year-old co-owner. A fierce debate ignites about the abuse of power, journalistic ethics, local journalism, and the United States Constitution. Cookie Queens, directed by Alysa Nahmias, premieres in the Family Matinee lineup. It’s Girl Scout Cookie season, and four tenacious girls strive to be a top-selling “Cookie Queen,” navigating an $800 million business in which childhood and ambition collide. On screen and off, Ruth Ann has been a bold first-money funder of people and projects that challenge entrenched power and move culture toward greater equity. She spoke to us about her two exciting new projects.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Hyten Davidson
Welcome to NYWIFT, Hyten Davidson! Hyten Davidson is a SAG-AFTRA actor and award-winning screenwriter, currently serving as one-third of Maternity Leave Films after years of touring the festival circuit with various films. Her short film The West Virginian Starfish, which she wrote and co-directed, won the Long Island Film Expo award for Best Short Film, in addition to a host of other nominations and screenwriting wins. Hyten has additionally been a Featured Female Filmmaker nominee at the Shortcut 100 International Film Festival, PANO grant recipient, and Mary W. Shelley Scholarship winner from the Horror Writers Association. In our interview, Hyten discussed her approach to writing horror, representing motherhood and female-driven stories in film, and her upcoming film Something of a Monster.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Dolores Diaz
Welcome to NYWIFT, Dolores Diaz! Dolores Diaz is a Queens, NY native who grew up in a theater and musical theater world through Once Upon a Time in Richmond Hill. She later attended the American Academy of the Dramatic Arts and joined Angry Jellow Bubbles, an all-female sketch comedy group directed by Eva Minemar. While attending the MA Media and Social Change program at CUNY Queens College, Dolores served as an assistant to media theorist Douglas Rushkoff and co-produced the 1st Annual Queens College Arts Festival. She founded the production company Mulberry Queens Films LLC with Eva Minemar in 2018, and the duo has worked together on features, shorts, music videos, and documentaries. Dolores is now the Chair of the Board for Once Upon a Time Inc. and the Co-League Director for NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association), NY. In our interview, Dolores discussed her production company, transitioning from theater to film, and the project that left the biggest impact on her.
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