NewFilmmakers Los Angeles Film Festival audience at AT&T Center in Downtown LA.
The face of Los Angeles independent filmmaking is changing, and it has been for a while. More and more festivals showing short and experimental films are popping up in the capital of the Hollywood machine. Young and new filmmakers are not scared of sharing their vision with others, and different programs provide them with an opportunity to put that vision on the wide screen.
My first encounter with NewFilmmakers LA (NFMLA) was in 2011 when I participated in the inaugural program for On Location: The Los Angeles Video Project with the director with whom I produced a Women In Film LA PSA, Journey to Safety (winner of a 2012 Silver Telly). My team’s film won that year’s NFMLA jury and the audience awards. But I got so much more out of the competition than just awards. The producing team that developed while working on this project is still alive and strong and collaborating four years later, the cinematographer has been tapped to shoot a documentary that benefited from the prize’s in-kind donations, and other professional relationships blossomed.
This year I was invited to chair the Events and Programming Committee for NFMLA, an opportunity that I couldn’t refuse. I felt I had to give others a chance to get the experiences I received when working with NFMLA. Since joining the organization, I’ve learned how tedious the process to secure a perfect program is, how complex getting that elusive sponsor can be, and how exciting meeting local, national, and international filmmakers has become to the LA community.
The strength of NFMLA for me resides in their encouraging, approach to hear the voices of often-overlooked groups in the film industry: the female auteurs with stories that range from standard genre approaches to “out-there” ideas, the LGBT community, veterans, international filmmakers, and many others. Everyone is given a chance.
I encourage anyone who wants to be a part of a supportive film community to check out NewFilmmakers LA. We have monthly film festivals without hard deadlines, offer a yearly On Location competition, and acknowledge the NFMLA alumni in our yearly “Best of” awards.
Join us in celebrating the art of film, and submit your short, documentary or feature!
— MARINA VISCUN
Marina is a freelance film, television, and commercials producer, film festival organizer, and avid chocolate enthusiast.
(Edited on Dec 17, 5:39 pm EST.)
nywift
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Herrana Addisu
Welcome to NYWIFT, Herrana Addisu! Herrana Addisu is a multi-disciplinary artist and social impact strategist. Her family's journey to the United States and her personal experience growing up in Ethiopia and immigrating to the U.S. have shaped her career in human rights. She works to uplift marginalized communities through advocacy initiatives, research, and programming. She incorporates her expertise in various human rights issues into her artistry through Chucha Studios LLC, a creative production agency that aims to reduce social disparities within marginalized communities by connecting the art of visual storytelling with systemic change. NYWIFT was proud to present Herrana with the NYWIFT Award for Excellence in Short Film Directing at the 2024 UrbanWorld Film Festival for her short film The River this past Fall. She spoke to us about her short film, upcoming projects, and what types of creative work resonate with her most.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Lindsey Lambert
Lindsey Lambert is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker originally from Austin, Texas. She works as a location scout for film and television in the NYC area, currently on Law & Order: Organized Crime. After receiving her Master’s Degree in Human Rights from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the spring of 2022, she began directing and producing her debut feature documentary Teaching Social Studies about public school education and the anti-critical race theory laws in Texas. It is currently in production and she hopes the film will be completed by the summer of 2025. In our interview, she discusses her decision to go back to school, her work on the new Amazon Prime series Étoile, how to educate young people about our challenging history, and the most memorable location she's scouted to date.
READ MORECracking the Code on Film Fundraising: Insights from NYWIFT’s Winter Film Festival Panel
On a brisk February afternoon, I found the perfect escape from the cold—diving into an eye-opening discussion at the 2025 Winter Film Festival. One of the standout moments? Navigating Film Fundraising with NYWIFT, a must-attend panel for any filmmaker tackling the most daunting part of filmmaking: raising money. Leading the conversation were Easmanie Michel, NYWIFT’s Director of Artists Programs and Finance, and NYWIFT Member Joanna Rudolph, executive producer of Burning Annie and The Co-op: The Kids of Dorie Miller. Their wealth of knowledge made for a powerful session, packed with real-world success stories and actionable strategies. Marchelle Thurman summarized some key takeaways to help you fund your next film.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Stephanie Mishelle Ard
Welcome to NYWIFT, Stephanie Mishelle Ard! Stephanie Mishelle Ard is a Texas-born, Brooklyn-based, multi-hyphenate storyteller, who works both in-front-of and behind the camera. Her work as a Director, Producer, Writer, and Actress spans narrative film, unscripted series, documentary, music videos, and branded content. Her debut short film, That Day, premiered at Berlinale 2016 and her most recent work, Shelly Belly, had its New York premiere at the Greenwich Village Film Festival this past November. In Stephanie's branded work, she has had had the opportunity to work with major brands and entertainment clients like HBO Max, DC Comics, State Farm, Travel Channel, and Warner Bros. Stephanie’s highest career aim is to tell impactful stories that unify us around the human spirit and spread empathy, while continuing to create opportunities for women and underrepresented groups to work in this industry and tell their stories through film and television. In addition to creating film magic, Stephanie loves to spend her time cooking, doing home-improvement DIY activities or crafts, and snuggling her cat Swayze (that is, when Swayze allows the snuggles 😼). Get to know her in our latest interview!
READ MORE
