Talya Tibbon’s “Sky and Ground” Puts a Human Face on the Refugee Crisis
NYWIFT Member Talya Tibbon's Sky and Ground tells the harrowing tale of one Syrian family's three-month journey from Greece to Germany feeling violence in their homeland. Facing setbacks, heartaches and threats of deportation, their determination propels them towards a better future. In advance of the film's screening as part of the NYWIFT Member Screening Series, Talya discusses her process and how being an "outsider" is an asset to documentary filmmaking.
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Fall Drive, IDA Awards, Pay Up
Fall Drive: We just launched our Fall Membership Drive – become a NYWIFT member by December 2nd to save 50% off the initiation fee and attend the Muse Awards on December 10th at the member rate! There are so many new and exciting NYWIFT initiatives coming up. I hope you will join our community. ...
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Board Members: Gretchen McGowan
As summer heats up, New York Women in Film & Television gears up for the start of our new year – and with it, new faces join our leadership team! Next up, meet Gretchen McGowan, an award-winning producer and Head of Production at Goldcrest Features.
READ MORENYWIFT Member Jill Salvino Brings LGBTQIA Documentary “Between the Shades” to Schools Nationwide
NYWIFT member Jill Salvino is an accomplished storyteller and commercial director with over 200 awards to her name, including an Emmy. But one of her proudest accomplishments is also one of her most recent – her feature documentary directorial debut Between the Shades. Profiled in The New York Times in April under the quippy headline “How Gay Are You?” the documentary asks just that, yet so much more. Salvino spoke to us about the process of making the film, working with her documentary subjects and what she hopes to accomplish with the film’s educational release.
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Emmy Noms, Tom Donahue, Member News
Emmy Noms: Congrats to all the NYWIFT members nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards this year! Can’t wait to watch and cheer you all on. Tom Donahue: Check out this great interview with NYWIFT member Tom Donahue on his recent documentary This Changes Everything (exec produced by Board President Simone Pero) and the importance of male...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Nancy Schwartzman, Maybe Representation, Audition Inclusion
Nancy Schwartzman: Last week NYWIFT hosted a Twitter chat with director Nancy Schwartzman of Roll Red Roll, available now on PBS’ POV. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a must-watch, especially if you have kids. Its harrowing look at rape culture in a high school is unusual for a true-crime doc in that it...
READ MORENYWIFT Members Doing Justice to True Crime
Death Row Stories explores the fallibility of the ultimate criminal penalty, capital punishment. Narrated by current and former death row inmates, each episode of Death Row Stories seeks to unravel the truth behind a different capital murder case and poses tough questions about the U.S. capital punishment system. Six NYWIFT members who worked on the show, including Board Member Kathryn O'Kane, share the insight they gained into the criminal justice system through their work on the show.
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Working Moms, Member News, Documentary Labs
Working Moms: Celebrating Mother’s Day this weekend was a powerful reminder that being a working mother is especially tough in the film and television industry. Thankfully, there are groups like Moms-in-Film and our own NYWIFT Moms Network affinity group trying to level the playing field. Member News: NYWIFT member are always doing great things, but this week...
READ MOREFive Takeaways: Finding the Right Documentary Lab for Your Film
Participating in a documentary film lab can be a great way to refine your story, develop your creative vision and build partnerships. But which one should you pick? NYWIFT member Janine McGoldrick has the scoop.
READ MOREHow I Built a Distribution Plan at Film Festivals
NYWIFT member Lara Stolman reflects on her unique path to success with her documentary "Swim Team" - using film festivals to expand her audience and find unique opportunities, even after the film's television debut.
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Agnes Varda, Ravenal Grant, Amy Poehler
Agnes Varda: I was so saddened to hear about the passing of legendary filmmaker, documentarian and cinephile Agnes Varda. Indiewire offers up a list of where to watch eight of her best films. Ravenal Grant: Congratulations to directors Lydia Dean Pilcher and Suzanne Guacci, both recipients of this year’s NYWIFT Ravenal Feature Film Foundation Grant. We are...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Yellow Rose, Political Inspiration, Nancy Schwartzman
Yellow Rose: Congratulations to filmmaker Diane Paragas and her 2018 NYWIFT Ravenal Foundation Feature Film Grant winning film Yellow Rose, which will open the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in May. Combining drama, music and timely issues, Yellow Rose tells the story of a headstrong Filipino girl from a small Texas town who fights to...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Barbara Hammer, Self-Advocacy Skills, Rotten Reviewers, Provincetown Summit
Barbara Hammer: Our industry lost a legend this week, pioneering queer experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer. A recent Vanity Fair interview highlighted the inclusive spirit that was a hallmark of her work: “There is room for everyone.” Self-Advocacy Skills: Five powerhouse women offer advice on how to advocate for yourself – how to speak up about...
READ MORECynthia Picks: Be Natural, NYWIFT Podcast, Meet Jane
Be Natural: NYWIFT is proud to co-present a special screening of Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché – the first female filmmaker and inventor of many modern filmmaking techniques – at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, in honor of Women’s History Month. The documentary features clips from several Guy-Blaché films preserved by...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Thelma Schoonmaker, Unequal Representation, Inclusion Commitment, Record Breaker
Thelma Schoonmaker: Congratulations to 1995 NYWIFT Muse honoree Thelma Schoonmaker, who was honored this weekend with a BAFTA fellowship for her incredible 50-year editing career. Unequal Representation: The Women’s Media Center’s “Investigation 2019: Gender and Non-Acting Oscar Nominations” found that women are once again missing from the picture. No women were nominated in Directing, Cinematography,...
READ MOREFive Film Festival Takeaways
In 2018, from mid-October to mid-December, NYWIFT member Lauren Anders Brown embarked on a film festival season filled with five very different festivals. These are the valuable lessons she learned from each one.
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Life Lessons, Dream Team, Zero Weeks
Life Lessons: Be sure to read Manohla Dargis’ brilliant piece in The New York Times about what movies teach us about being a woman. She says: “Movies get into our bodies, making us howl and weep, while their narrative and visual patterns, their ideas and ideologies leave their imprint.” Representation matters. Dream Team: Thanks to...
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Giving Tuesday, Be Natural, Women Mentors
Giving Tuesday: Today is Giving Tuesday, and I hope you’ll consider making a donation to NYWIFT as part of your holiday spending to help support our 2018-19 programming season, which will include more than 40 professional development and training programs and 15+ screening events celebrating the achievements of women filmmakers. Plus, if you give through...
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