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Five Takeaways – True Crime Stories: Relationships and Responsibilities

True crime producer Dana Rossi shares insights from NYWIFT's panel on the relationships and ethical responsibilities of true crime documentary filmmakers.

Terry’s Picks: Changing Times, Tiffany Haddish, Agnès Varda

Changing Times: Every day brings another story of sexual harassment (and worse) in Hollywood, from Louis C.K., to Kevin Spacey to Supergirl’s Andrew Kreisberg. Kudos to all the women and men who continue to speak out and support one another. Tiffany Haddish: Tiffany Haddish made Saturday Night Live history on Saturday by becoming the first...

Positive News for Filmmakers at the New York Film Conference

Entertainment industry experts speaking at the first annual New York Film Conference on October 10, 2017 had some great news for attendees: It’s getting easier to sell your content directly to consumers, consumers are more open to watching films with subtitles and big digital platforms are spending billions on buying new content. NYWIFT member Jane Applegate shares insights from the conference.

Terry’s Picks: Shorts Festival, Alias Grace, Culture Shift

Shorts Festival: NYWIFT’s first-ever online film festival is underway! Watch 74 short projects by NYWIFT members now through November 17 on our Fall Shorts Festival on Indevue – you can even log in and live chat with the filmmakers and fans during select “live screenings.” See the schedule for details. Alias Grace: I’m looking forward...

NYC Indie Filmmaker Vigil Chime Wins the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting

The Writers Lab, presented by New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) and IRIS and funded by Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey, pairs twelve women screenwriters over the age of 40 for a weekend of one-on-one mentoring and script development with accomplished film industry leaders. One of this September’s participating writers may be on the path to becoming one of those leaders herself: Vigil Chime has been awarded the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for her script Bring Back Girl, about a Nigerian teen kidnapped by Boko Haram – the same project she took to The Writers Lab.

Terry’s Picks: Vicious Cycle, #BYkids PSA, Questionable Casting

Vicious Cycle: The LA Times published a great piece on how “Hollywood’s man problem may be a matter of simple math,” taking an in-depth statistical look at Hollywood’s gender imbalance and how it paves the way for discrimination and harassment. #BYkids PSA: BYkids, a global movement that uses storytelling through film to inform, engage and...

Terry’s Picks: Ravenal Grant, Wonder Women, Nancy Schreiber

Ravenal Grant: NYWIFT is seeking additional submissions for the Ravenal Foundation Feature Film Grant, which supports a woman second-time feature film director who is over 40 years of age in the production of a dramatic feature film. Learn more here, and submit your project to us by November 1st. Wonder Women: Director Angela Robinson discusses...

True Crime: Relationships and Responsibilities

There is no doubt that the “true crime” documentary genre is thriving and that such film and television projects are enjoying unprecedented buzz. Studies show that women are their biggest audience, and broadcasters are taking notice. By the nature of their work, non-fiction storytellers are always considering how to present and represent their subjects through the creative process. But how is that further complicated in the “true crime” space, when the stakes might literally be life or death? Where do they draw the line between journalism and entertainment?

Women’s Stories in Film and the Need for an Authentic Ending

Why is it that when men make poignant films about a male’s coming-of-age, they are allowed to explore the pain, heartache, betrayal, danger, and the need for getting even or choosing a lesser evil to right a wrong—while women-centric films are expected to carry out a fairy tale romance? NYWIFT member Heidi Philipsen tackled this question as she made her first feature film.

Terry’s Picks: Fall Drive, VR Jobs, Legal Help

Fall Drive: Now through December 1st is our Fall Membership Drive, during which we offer 50% off the initiation fee when you apply to join NYWIFT! Becoming a member now also lets you attend the star-studded Muse Awards in December at the member rate of $165. Apply now at www.nywift.org/join. VR Jobs: New York City...

NYWIFT’s Statement on Sexual Harassment and Abuse in the Entertainment Industry

NYWIFT's thoughts on Harvey Weinstein, systemic sexism, community support and legal guidance.

Signature Move Director Jennifer Reeder is Surrounded by Women Behind the Camera

Signature Move is a multi-cultural romance about life, love and lady Lucha-style wrestling is opening in NYC this Friday, October 13th. We caught up with filmmaker Jennifer Reeder as she heads to Friday’s opening screening event to get her perspective on breaking down doors.

Terry’s Picks: Inexcusable Behavior, Frances McDormand, Timeless Issue

Inexcusable Behavior: Hollywood was rocked by a New York Times exposé of on decades of sexual harassment allegations leveled at producer Harvey Weinstein. This story is pervasive at all levels of the industry, and we’ve heard similar stories from many of our members. While Weinstein may be the most hypocritical and highest profile, this type...

Terry’s Picks: Swim Team, Shonda Rhimes, Nancy Malone

Swim Team: Tune in or set your DVR for Swim Team’s PBS premiere on POV at 10 PM next Monday, October 2nd! The documentary was a recipient of NYWIFT Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant. Congratulations to director Lara Stolman! #SwimTeamPBS Shonda Rhimes: The must-see TV mastermind launched a new website, Shondaland. As she notes in...

Introducing the New WFPF Series From the Vault: Women’s Advocacy on Film

History is perfectly capable of repeating itself. Issues from the past that seem dated have a way of rearing their ugly heads once more to become present-day concerns. In an age when our collective memory can be short, and in the era of “disposable media,” the NYWIFT Women’s Film Preservation Fund (WFPF) and UnionDocs (UNDO) present FROM THE VAULT: WOMEN’S ADVOCACY ON FILM, a series of nine programs of preserved documentary films, screened monthly. The series considers the relationship of these films to contemporary nonfiction storytelling and makes a strong case for their preservation and continued study.

Terry’s Picks: Reed Morano, Lena Waithe, Silent Revival

Reed Morano: Congrats to The Handmaid’s Tale director Reed Morano, the first woman to win for the Emmy for drama series directing in 22 years. Lena Waithe: Kudos to Lena Waithe, who is the first black woman to win an Emmy for best comedy writing for her spectacular Master of None episode, “Thanksgiving.” (Our own...

Terry’s Picks: Ambitious Woman, Big Inspiration, Sarah Polley

Ambitious Woman: Reese Witherspoon wants to change the idea that a woman with ambition is only out for herself. Big Inspiration: Check out Time’s “46 Women Leaders who are Changing the World.” Sarah Polley: Actor, writer, and director Sarah Polley talks frankly about sexism on set (which she experienced as early as age nine) and...

She Said She Said: Director Lauren Anders Brown and Composer Daisy Coole

NYWIFT member and director Lauren Anders Brown met composer Daisy Coole at a networking event for Women in Film & TV UK, our sister chapter across the pond and are now collaborating on a short documentary together. They discuss early career beginnings, working for "free" and more.

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