documentary Archives - New York Women in Film & TelevisionNew York Women in Film & Television

Tribeca Festival 2026: “The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony” Shines a Light on Courage, Community, and Opportunity

At the 2026 Tribeca Festival, audiences were introduced to an inspiring story of resilience, determination, and hope through The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony, a powerful documentary that follows a group of young girls in Pakistan who dare to dream beyond the limitations placed upon them. Directed and written by Habiba Nosheen with Mariska Hargitay as an executive producer, the film takes viewers into Machar Colony, a marginalized fishing community in Karachi where many residents live without official documentation, limiting access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Against these challenges, a gymnastics team emerges as a beacon of possibility for a group of girls determined to create a different future for themselves. Tammy Reese and LaKisa Renee brings us exclusive red carpet interviews with Nosheen and Hargitay.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Anna Bick Rowe

Welcome to NYWIFT, Anna Bick Rowe! Anna is an Emmy Award-winning producer and Head of Production at Smartypants Pictures, an Academy Award-winning production company based in Brooklyn. She thrives on being “multilingual” within the industry, seamlessly navigating between commercial, nonprofit, and documentary projects. Anna has worked on a wide range of high-profile projects, including serving as Executive Producer alongside Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai on Stranger at the Gate, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2023. In addition to her documentary work, Anna has produced content for brands such as Adidas, Delta Air Lines, The Lincoln Motor Company, Macy’s, Snapchat, Cadillac, Indeed, Cooper Tires, and Ford Motor Company, as well as films for dozens for nonprofits. In our interview, Anna shared her journey into producing, what working on the Oscar-winning documentary All the Empty Rooms meant to her, and her approach to social impact storytelling.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Karen “Dr.K” Baptiste

Welcome to NYWIFT, Karen "Dr.K" Baptiste! Karen "Dr. K" Baptiste is an investigative journalist and media storyteller whose work explores the intersections of race, education, and the criminal legal system. She is an Emmy® award-winning filmmaker of the documentary Preschool to Prison, and also works as a speaker, leadership wellness coach, and organizational strategist. Her work centers lived experience, elevating voices that are often overlooked while connecting personal narratives to broader systems of accountability. Dr. K brings a rigorous, human-centered approach to storytelling that is grounded in care, amplification, and long-term generational impact. Originally from the Bronx, she collaborates with mission-driven organizations, creatives, and community leaders across the country to support storytelling and leadership practices that foster meaningful change.

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.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Seohee Lee

Welcome to NYWIFT, Seohee Lee! Seohee is a filmmaker, content curator, and marketer working at the intersection of storytelling, cultural exchange, and audience engagement. Based in New York, she works at the Korea Creative Content Agency New York Center, where she leads international marketing strategies and content-driven programs connecting Korean creative industries with global audiences. Her work spans promotional video direction, film program curation, and large-scale cultural collaborations with institutions such as the Korean Cultural Center New York and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea. Seohee holds an M.F.A. in Film Directing and an M.A. in Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University. Drawing on both creative and strategic experience, she focuses on enhancing the global reach of cultural storytelling and fostering cross-border dialogue through media and programming. In our interview, Seohee Lee discusses her journey as a filmmaker and content curator, her work in international cultural programming, and the projects she hopes to explore next.

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.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Rachel Fleit

Welcome to NYWIFT, Rachel Fleit! Rachel is a writer, director, and producer known for her intimate, character-driven storytelling across documentary and narrative film and television. With a background in fashion and business, Rachel brings both creative sensitivity and an entrepreneurial mindset to her work, balancing artistic vision with thoughtful leadership. Rachel directed the acclaimed documentary Introducing, Selma Blair and has helmed projects including Bama Rush and Sugar Babies, each reflecting her commitment to emotional honesty and layered storytelling. Her latest award-winning documentary, The Slightest Touch—which follows the extraordinary friendship between Emma Fogarty, who lives with epidermolysis bullosa, and actor Colin Farrell—has been acquired by HBO Documentary Films and is slated to premiere later this year on HBO Max. In our interview, she reflected on building trust with her subjects, navigating personal and cultural storytelling, and the creative directions she’s most excited to explore next.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Belén Vilarrasa-Corriero

Welcome to NYWIFT, Belén Vilarrasa-Corriero! Belén is a Spanish-American documentary filmmaker making her directorial debut with Entre Las Paredes (Within the Walls), an intimate, feature-length project in development that follows her Abuela’s final days. Born and raised in New York City in a bilingual household, Belén brings a deeply personal lens to her work, believing that some of the most powerful stories live within our own families. Alongside her own projects, Belén works as an assistant director across narrative and commercial productions, where her focus, adaptability, and collaborative spirit help keep sets running smoothly. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts, she continues to grow her craft through diverse filmmaking experiences, driven by a dedication to emotionally resonant, visually compelling storytelling. In our interview, Belén reflects on documenting her family’s history, navigating grief and memory through film, and the projects she’s most excited to explore next.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Sun Roller

Welcome to NYWIFT, Sun Roller! Sun Roller is a Chickasaw creative and producer raised in Oklahoma and based in New York City. With a career spanning production design, art direction, project management, and large-scale leadership, Sun Roller brings a deeply intentional, intuitive approach to every project she touches—grounded in spirituality, connection to nature, and collaboration. Sun Roller has worked across film and television on projects including Reservation Dogs, I Saw the TV Glow, Poker Face and The Lowdown. In recent years, she has expanded her work into producing, with a focus on Indigenous-led stories and community-centered narratives. When she’s not on set or behind a computer, Sun Roller can often be found outdoors soaking up the Sun and enjoying time in nature with her elder pup, Wrigley, and her partner, Annie H. In our interview, Sun Roller reflects on her path into film and television, building a career across male-dominated industries, and the stories she’s most excited to bring to the screen next.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Jackie Yunchang Zhang

Welcome to NYWIFT, Jackie Yunchang Zhang! Jackie Yunchang Zhang is a non-fiction filmmaker and video artist from Hangzhou, China, now based in New York. Working across lens-based media and animation, she uses a hybrid non-fiction approach to explore identity, resilience, and cultural displacement. With a strong sensitivity to emotion, memory, and interpersonal dynamics, her work examines how people navigate relationships, belonging, and the quiet negotiations of everyday life. Through an observational yet personal style, she creates films that reveal the subtle ways we understand ourselves and the world around us.

NYWIFT at Sundance: In Conversation with Carolyn Hepburn

NYWIFT Member producer Carolyn Hepburn attended the 2026 Sundance Film Festival with her latest project with EPSN Films, The Brittney Griner Story. This documentary, directed by Alexandria Stapleton, explores the circumstances that led to Brittney Griner playing basketball outside the U.S. despite being one of the best players in the sport, including her harrowing detainment, unwavering determination to secure her freedom, and her advocacy for the release of other wrongful detainees. Carolyn Hepburn is an Emmy, Peabody, Gotham, and Critics’ Choice Award-winning producer who joined ESPN Films in 2022. She spoke to us about her return to Sundance, the power of her latest doc, and the ethical responsibilities of producing socially impactful work.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Louisa Brown

Welcome to NYWIFT, Louisa Brown! Blogger Marchelle Thurman had the pleasure of interviewing Louisa Brown. She is a storyteller, connector, and unapologetic champion of underrepresented voices in film and media. At Urbanworld Film Festival, she builds bridges between artists, audiences, and cultural institutions, creating moments that matter. She’s a founding member of M.A.D.E., where she produces the award-winning MADE Talks series, celebrating Black creativity and bold ideas. Her own films, including Family Time and Mila and Mimi Too, have won Lionsgate recognition and festival accolades. In addition, she has collaborated on various projects, headed initiatives for commercial brands, and serves on the management team for musical artist Laila! Louisa brings heart, humor, and a global perspective to everything she does.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Madeleine Rotzler

Welcome to NYWIFT, Madeleine Rotzler! Madeleine Rotzler is an Emmy® Award-winning director and producer of documentaries and narrative feature films. Fiction films include the upcoming O Horizon and O.G., currently on HBO. Non-fiction films include HBO’s Emmy-nominated It’s a Hard Truth Ain’t It, Emmy-winning Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus, and Oscar-shortlisted The Lottery. Her most recent film, O Horizon, was described as “bound to be one of the season's sweetest charmers.” The film premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2025 where it won the Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema. O.G., Madeleine’s narrative feature debut, and It’s a Hard Truth Ain’t It were both filmed inside a maximum-security prison in Indiana in collaboration with men incarcerated there. Most of the cast of O.G. were incarcerated. It’s a Hard Truth Ain’t It marked the first time incarcerated directors were nominated for an Emmy. In our interview, Madeleine discussed her award-winning films and her perspective on the impact of filmmaking.

NYWIFT Member Spotlight: Kelcey Edwards

NYWIFT Member Kelcey Edwards found her way into documentary filmmaking through Iron Gate Studios, a nonprofit gallery and artist workspace she cofounded in her early twenties in Austin, Texas. At the time, she was making small narrative films alongside many other Austin-based filmmakers involved in the “mumblecore” scene; her first film, Letter, screened at SXSW in 2006. Since cameras and equipment were always present in the gallery, she began interviewing many of the artists who visited the space. Over time, the habit of recording conversations and documenting artists’ lives became a steady part of her practice. That interest eventually led her to pursue an MFA in Documentary Film at Stanford and later to move to New York, where she continued developing their work. About a decade later, she directed The Art of Making It, a feature documentary about the art world, which won the Audience Award at SXSW in 2022. It’s currently available on most streaming platforms. Kelcey’s films have received support from the MacArthur Foundation, Sundance, and Tribeca Film Institute, among others, have been broadcast internationally, and have screened at top-tier festivals including SXSW, Berlinale, and Hamptons International. In our interview, Kelcey discussed her teaching philosophy, approach to filmmaking, and upcoming projects.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Tenzin Sedon

Welcome to NYWIFT, Tenzin Sedon! Tenzin Sedon is a Tibetan filmmaker from Tibet, and an MFA candidate in the Graduate Film Program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Her work spans narrative, documentary, and experimental forms. She has received numerous awards, including the Hot Docs Best Canadian Short Documentary and the Golden Mountain Award, and has been nominated for the Hot Docs CrossCurrents Doc Fund (CCDF) and Docs Port Incheon. She is a recipient of the 2025 Ang Lee Scholarship. Her films have screened internationally and been exhibited at major institutions.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Farah Otero-Amad

Welcome to NYWIFT, Farah Otero-Amad! Farah Otero-Amad is a trilingual video producer and host for The Wall Street Journal, where she writes, shoots, and edits short-form vertical videos that reach millions across platforms. She recently directed and produced her first award-winning short documentary, Breaking the Cycle, which follows a hip-hop school in Medellin, Colombia, where students compete for the title of the city’s top breakdancer. Previously, Farah worked for The New York Times, Apple TV’s The Problem with Jon Stewart, and NBC News. She is a graduate of Columbia’s Journalism School, a Fulbright Scholar, and a former Division I athlete.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Isabel Cama

Welcome to NYWIFT, Isabel Cama! Isabel Cama is a Brazilian screenwriter, filmmaker, and editor based in New York City. A recent Bard College graduate with a BA in Film Production, her thesis film, Tiny Dancer, screened at the Albany, Coney Island, and East Village Film Festivals. Isabel’s professional experience spans production roles with Disney Brazil and Ventre Studio, post-production research with Academy Award-nominee Petra Costa, and Operations work at the Woodstock Film Festival. Currently working as the first Social Video Fellow at BuzzFeed, she is passionate about stories that explore layered female characters and bridging cultures through film and media.

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