NYWIFT Blog

Weekly Film & TV News Roundup

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey will be hosting the 2014 Golden Globe Awards. Photo via NBC.   And the Golden Globe and BAFTA nominees are… First Sasheer Zamata and now this?! New Year, new SNL (finally). Has 27-year-old producer Megan Ellison dethroned Harvey Weinstein? My love for Tig Notaro and her new EW talk show is boundless. Downton Abbey costume designer Caroline McCall explains the absence of...

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Flix Not To Miss: Oscar-Worthy Performances by an Actress

Now that the crisp winter air has arrived and films are trotted out for Oscar consideration, I highly recommend these spectacular performances by female actors in film.  BEST ACTRESS Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine. Blanchett’s turn as Jasmine, a fictional Ruth Madoff-like character, is virtuosic. She doesn’t shy away from showing us the ugly, manipulative...

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Notes from a Screenreader: Why Now?

Photo via Go Into the Story. To perform well in a competition, your script has to be able to answer the critical question, “Why now?” Successful, readable scripts hinge on an event, the outcome of which has the power to change the life of the protagonist. A showdown, a mountain to climb, a home run to...

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Terry’s Picks: January 7, 2014

Photo via sasheer.com. Rooting For: Sasheer Zamata, who recently joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. Zamata will be the first black female cast member since Maya Rudolph, and will appear in the episode airing January 18. Loving the Variety of Formats In: Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell, which screens at the MoMA’s Roy and Niuta Titus Theater on...

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Muse Awards Red Carpet Interviews by Hollywood.TV

“This is one of the most incredible honors that I could receive.” — Connie Britton being interviewed, along with Ellen Barkin and Robin Wright, by Hollywood.TV at NYWIFT’s Muse Awards on December 12, 2013.

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NYWIFT Recap: Create the Buzz, Audience Will Follow

Cheree Dillion, Kristin McCracken, Gary Hustwit, Roz Murphy, Marisa Vitale, Angela Tucker, Elisabeth Holme, and Jorge Rivera.  The power of social media in independent film is undeniable. Which is why filmmakers want to know how can social media can increase their film’s visibility and audience reach. Held on November 21, Create the Buzz, Audience Will...

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Hey, Hollywood! Movies That Pass the Bechdel Test Make More Money

Infographic and quote from Vocativ. We analyzed the top 50 biggest box office movies of 2013 to see if they passed the Bechdel Test, which evaluates whether a movie has two or more women in it who have a conversation about something other than a man. It’s named after cartoonist Alison Bechdel, who wrote about it in her...

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2013 Year-End Film & TV News Roundup

Hit web series Broad City from Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer.  This week’s entry is a roundup of stories I felt were the most informative, inspiring, or entertaining of 2013. New York State extended the film tax credit program. These marketing, grantwriting, and consulting articles offer new insight. Comedian Tig Notaro hit her personal and professional stride. So inspiring. Woman-centered...

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Notes from a Screenreader: Start by Finishing

Photo via Go Into the Story. In the same way that a recipe is not a batch of warm cookies on a baking sheet, an unfinished draft is merely an intention — and like raw dough, a story won’t show its shape until it comes out of the oven. Most contest submissions suffer from a half-baking....

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The NYE party scene from When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron.

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The NYE party scene from When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron.

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The NYE party scene from When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron.

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The NYE party scene from When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron.

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Submit It! Winter & Spring Calls for Entries

We’ve rounded up the top film festivals, writing competitions, and grants with winter or spring deadlines. It’s time to polish that script, shoot that video, upload that film. We’ll be updating this list as more submission dates become available, so check back often. Film/Video/TV Festivals, Contests, Labs & ScreeningsNashville Film Festival (WAB 1/10)LA Film Festival (1/10,...

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Acting Up: Every House Has a Back Door

Sunbeam Castle by Rachael Towne on Flickr. I hear actors constantly talking about not being called in by a casting director. I feel their frustration and know the amount of energy they’re putting toward meeting casting directors and getting on their radar. If there’s a project you want in on, reach out to the producer, the writer, the...

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Flix Not to Miss: ‘The Punk Singer’

Start your New Year off in a fierce way by watching the inspiring documentary The Punk Singer about Bikini Kill and Le Tigre feminist lead singer Kathleen Hanna. Directed by Sini Anderson, this great music documentary shows the rise of Bikini Kill among a Pacific Northwest grunge/punk scene mostly populated by all-male bands and mosh pits....

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Weekly Film & TV News Roundup

Lake Bell’s In a World, which she also stars in. Pinterest page and Twitchfilm.com list that nail 2013 women’s filmmaking. Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs on the refreshing direction the organization is taking. Yet another example that bad publicity does exist. Lawyer Lisa Callif answers 4 important questions from indie filmmakers. New York Film Society Executive Director Rose Kuo exits. ‘Tis...

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Terry’s Picks: December 24, 2013

Degeneres showing off her moves (image via Indiewire). Greatly anticipating: Ellen Degeneres as Oscars host, after glimpsing her first teaser trailer for awards in February, which was released last week and features the television host and comedian dancing and lip-synching. Bringing another: female comedian to the mix with Melissa McCarthy, who beats out male-driven blockbuster...

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