Tammy Reese, Author at New York Women in Film & TelevisionNew York Women in Film & Television

NYWIFT on the Red Carpet: Celebrating the Final Chapter of Power Book III: Raising Kanan

The energy was electric as NYWIFT contributors Tammy Reese and LaKisa Renee stepped onto the red carpet on Monday, June 8 at The Times Center in New York City for the highly anticipated premiere of Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 5. In celebration of the series’ fifth and final season, the evening brought together an incredible cast, industry leaders, media professionals, and devoted fans eager to witness the next chapter in one of television’s most talked-about franchises.

Bound at 30: Tribeca Festival Celebrates a Groundbreaking Classic with a Star-Studded Reunion

As part of the 25th Anniversary of the Tribeca Festival’s Reunions & Retrospectives program, audiences were treated to a special celebration honoring the 30th anniversary of Bound, the groundbreaking 1996 neo-noir crime thriller that continues to captivate viewers decades after its release. Tammy Reese and LaKisa Renee bring us all the details, including exclusive video interviews with the cast!

The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only — A Seductive Collision of Cinema, Music, and Immortal Myth at the Beacon Theatre

NYWIFT members Tammy Reese and LaKisa Renee were invited by AMC Global Media and AMC+ to attend an unforgettable evening at the legendary Beacon Theatre in New York City for The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only — LIVE. The event marked a bold, immersive celebration of AMC’s newest installment in Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe, blending premiere screening and live concert performance into one cinematic experience. Tammy offers a full recap of the event!

NYWIFT Board Member Sibyl Reymundo-Santiago on Kaya, Cultural Identity, and Its Tribeca Festival Premier

With more than three decades of experience spanning film, television, theater, and festival leadership across the United States and Asia, Sibyl Reymundo-Santiago has built a remarkable career championing diverse voices and meaningful storytelling. As President of Sitting Cat Productions, Executive Director and Head of Programming for the SOHO International Film Festival, and Board Member for NYWIFT, she has dedicated her career to creating opportunities for filmmakers and bringing impactful stories to audiences worldwide. This year, Reymundo-Santiago serves as Consulting Producer on Kaya (ᜃᜌ), a powerful film featured during the 25th anniversary of the Tribeca Festival. The story follows Nia, a half-Filipina young woman who secretly trains with queer outcast Malic in hopes of joining an elite Filipino Martial Arts team and proving she is “Filipino enough.” Through themes of identity, belonging, cultural connection, and self-acceptance, Kaya explores experiences that resonate far beyond its cultural roots.

Becky Morrison is Championing a Better Future for Film While Bringing “Stand Clear ‘ the Closing Doors” to Tribeca

As the entertainment industry continues to evolve, producers like Becky Morrison are helping lead the charge toward a more thoughtful, people-centered future in filmmaking. A producer, entrepreneur, and advocate for safer production environments, Becky brings both heart and vision to every project she touches — including Stand Clear ‘ the Closing Doors, the powerful short film making its World Premiere at the 25th anniversary of the Tribeca Festival. Set against the backdrop of New York City’s subway system, Stand Clear ‘ the Closing Doors transforms a seemingly ordinary interaction into a gripping reflection on space, respect, tension, and human behavior. The film captures the emotional complexity hidden within everyday moments, offering audiences a story that feels distinctly New York while speaking to universal experiences of dignity and connection.

NYWIFT Member Susan Margolin Brings “Time Warp” to Tribeca’s 25th Anniversary Documentary Competition

For more than three decades, NYWIFT member Susan Margolin has championed independent storytelling that sparks conversation, challenges perspectives, and amplifies voices that deserve to be heard. As an award-winning producer and trailblazer in documentary distribution, she has helped bring hundreds of impactful films to audiences worldwide. Now, she returns to the festival circuit as one of the producers of Time Warp, a powerful new documentary making its world premiere in the Documentary Competition at the 25th anniversary of the Tribeca Festival. Directed by Allison Berg and produced alongside an accomplished creative team, Time Warp follows a drag theater company in Rock Springs, Wyoming, as they stage a shadow cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show 50 years after the cult classic first captivated audiences. For Susan, whose career has been defined by elevating meaningful stories and underrepresented voices, the film arrives at a pivotal cultural moment.

From Set to Screen: Katherine Filaseta and Ellie Sachs Celebrate Lucy Shulman at Tribeca

The 25th anniversary of the Tribeca Festival is shining a spotlight on bold storytelling, unforgettable voices, and films that capture the spirit of New York City — and Lucy Shulman is doing exactly that. Premiering as part of the festival’s prestigious U.S. Narrative Competition, the sharply funny and deeply heartfelt feature follows a young woman navigating heartbreak, family dynamics, bad dates, and the complicated journey of finding herself again. Written, directed by, and starring filmmaker Ellie Sachs, the film blends humor with emotional honesty in a way that feels both intimate and universally relatable.

Behind the scenes, NYWIFT member Katherine Filaseta played a vital role as Second Assistant Director, helping keep the ambitious production moving while supporting the creative vision that brought the story to life. In this exclusive conversation, Ellie Sachs and Katherine Filaseta open up about collaboration, creative trust, independent filmmaking, the realities of balancing multiple roles on set, and what it means to premiere a deeply personal New York story at one of the city’s most celebrated film festivals.

NYWIFT Member Violet Du Feng Brings Two Powerful Projects to the 25th Anniversary of the Tribeca Festival

As the 25th anniversary of the Tribeca Festival shines a spotlight on bold storytelling and groundbreaking filmmakers, Violet Du Feng is arriving with not one, but two standout projects that are already generating conversation. The Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker and NYWIFT member serves as producer on TikTok Never Dies, featured in the festival’s Spotlight Documentary category, while Only the Lonely has been selected for the prestigious New York Times Op-Docs Showcase. For Violet, whose work consistently explores the intersection of personal identity and larger societal shifts, the moment represents both creative growth and artistic alignment. Known for acclaimed projects including The Dating Game and the Oscar®-shortlisted Hidden Letters, Violet has built a reputation for crafting emotionally layered documentaries that connect intimate human experiences to broader cultural conversations.

NYWIFT Member Juleyka Lantigua Brings The Lorraine to Tribeca Festival’s 25th Anniversary Celebration

For filmmaker, writer, and producer Juleyka Lantigua, storytelling has always been rooted in truth, history, and the voices too often left out of the conversation. Now, the award-winning creative and proud member of New York Women in Film & Television is bringing one of those powerful stories to the forefront as an Executive Producer and Co-Writer of The Lorraine, which will have its World Premiere during the 25th anniversary of the Tribeca Festival. Through the lens of The Lorraine, Juleyka helps illuminate the legacy of the Lorraine Motel and the Bailey family, whose impact stretched far beyond the historic events forever tied to the Memphis landmark. The documentary explores Black excellence, resilience, entrepreneurship, music history, and the enduring fight for justice during one of America’s most turbulent eras.

Nia Long Invites Audiences to Celebrate Joy, Legacy, and Love in Michael

For more than four decades, renowned actress Nia Long has defined what it means to bring authenticity and emotional depth to the screen. A cultural icon in her own right, she now takes on one of her most meaningful roles to date, portraying Katherine Jackson in the highly anticipated biopic Michael. Tammy Reese sat down with Nia Long for an exclusive conversation about her latest role.

Women and Horror Take Center Stage at the 98th Oscars

The 98th Academy Awards were historic in every sense, proving that women and the horror genre are making waves in Hollywood and finally receiving the recognition they have long deserved. Tammy Reese covered the event via The Oscars virtual press room, from which she brings us an exclusive interview with the recipient of the first-ever award for Casting, Cassandra Kulukundis.

NYWIFT Interview: A Conversation with Jessica Chastain on Her New Film “Dreams”

Academy Award–winning actress and producer Jessica Chastain has never shied away from stories that sit in discomfort. In Dreams, opening in theaters February 27, she leans directly into it. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Michel Franco, the film pairs Chastain with celebrated ballet dancer Isaac Hernández in a tense, intimate drama that interrogates love, power, and the invisible lines that shape our lives. Tammy Reese brings us an exclusive interview with Chastain about her exciting new project.

NYWIFT at Tribeca 2025: In Conversation with Victoria Hill

Victoria Hill is no stranger to creating cinematic magic, and her latest project, The Best You Can, premiering at the 2025 Tribeca Festival, is yet another example of her storytelling prowess. As lead producer of and actor in the narrative spotlight film — starring real-life couple Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick — Hill brings a deeply human story to life, exploring connection, loneliness, and unexpected friendship in midlife. NYWIFT Board Member Gretchen McGowan is one of the film’s executive producers. “When Victoria Hill and Andrew Mann brought Michael Weithorn’s script to us, I thought: we’re all ready for Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon to appear on the screen together again. This is something the world could use right about now,” McGowan said in a NYWIFT announcement of member projects at Tribeca. With a stellar career that spans producing, acting, and writing across internationally acclaimed films like First Reformed, The Chaperone, and The Secrets We Keep, Hill’s dedication to complex, character-driven stories continues to shine. In this exclusive NYWIFT interview, Hill shares insights into filming on location in NYC, collaborating with industry heavyweights, and her mission to amplify women’s voices through Fibonacci Films.

Tribeca Festival 2025: Celebrating Stories, Icons, and Impact with NYWIFT

With this article, our coverage of the 2025 Tribeca Festival comes to a close — and what an unforgettable experience it has been. NYWIFT members LaKisa Renee and Tammy Reese had the incredible opportunity to represent the organization on the ground, capturing exclusive red carpet moments, world premieres, and powerful conversations highlighting the festival’s spirit of storytelling, advocacy, and artistic excellence. One of the most moving moments came when EGOT icon and past NYWIFT Muse Honoree Whoopi Goldberg gave a heartfelt shoutout to New York Women in Film & Television. Her support meant the world to our team.

NYWIFT at the 2025 Tribeca Festival: Music Legends, Maternal Power, and Unapologetic Truths

The 2025 Tribeca Festival may be in the rearview, but the stories told, the icons celebrated, and the bold truths shared are still echoing through the industry and NYWIFT was proud to be part of the magic. This year, NYWIFT’s own LaKisa Renee and Tammy Reese hit the red carpet to cover several of the festival’s standout spotlight documentary premieres, each of which celebrated trailblazers who transformed their personal journeys into global movements. From ’80s pop icons to maternal rights warriors and queer faith leaders, our coverage captured the heart, soul, and grit of storytelling at its finest.

Tribeca Festival 2025 Recap: One Spoon of Chocolate World Premiere

Next stop on our Tribeca Festival recap journey: the World Premiere red carpet of One Spoon of Chocolate — a powerful new film that’s already got the industry talking. Written and directed by the legendary RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, One Spoon of Chocolate follows Unique (played by Shameik Moore), a wrongly imprisoned Army veteran seeking peace and a fresh start in Ohio. But when systemic racism, corruption, and cruelty resurface in the form of a violent sheriff and his band of bigots, Unique is forced to pick up his sword — literally — and fight back.

Dorothy! Dorothy! Dorothy! Oh My! NYWIFT at the 2025 Tribeca Festival

By Tammy Reese The 2025 Tribeca Festival has now come to a close and NYWIFT was right there on the scene to witness it all! This year, NYWIFT Media Hosts Tammy Reese and LaKisa Renee covered a variety of red carpets, exclusive premieres, and special events. One enchanting stop in particular was the World Premiere of It’s Dorothy! — a Spotlight Documentary selection that transported audiences down memory lane and into the iconic world of Oz.

NYWIFT at Tribeca 2025: In Conversation with Carolyn Hepburn

Award-winning producer and NYWIFT member Carolyn Hepburn is making waves once again with the highly anticipated world premiere of Empire Skate at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. As part of the festival’s prestigious Spotlight Documentary section, the film captures the vibrant heart of New York City’s downtown skate culture — a world Hepburn remembers vividly and honors with deep authenticity. With a producing career that spans Emmy, Peabody, and Gotham award-winning projects, Hepburn continues to shape the documentary landscape with bold storytelling and emotional depth. In this exclusive NYWIFT interview, she reflects on her journey from Long Island to the global film stage, the power of community in filmmaking, and why Empire Skate feels like a personal love letter to the city that raised her.

Posts by: Tammy Reese