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.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Kelli Reilly
Welcome to NYWIFT, Kelli Reilly! Kelli Reilly is a producer, director, and writer working across narrative film and documentary, based between New York and Los Angeles, and the founder of Quartermaster Creative. She studied film and television at NYU Tisch with a focus in experimental cinema and got her start working on acclaimed documentaries, including Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story, The Vow, and Student Athlete. Her recent producing work includes I Got You, SLICK, and The Daughter, and she is currently in post-production on the feature documentary Viva La Dita. She is also in production on the period feature The Florist and is a writer and contributor to the New York Times–recommended podcast Look Behind the Look. In our interview, Kelli discussed how she shaped her artistry, her inspirations, and her upcoming work.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Kasey O’Brien
Welcome to NYWIFT, Kasey O’Brien! Kasey O’Brien (she/they) is a queer-identifying filmmaker based in Queens, working across both fictional narratives and documentaries. While she has dabbled in various positions in film production (including acting, writing, camera operation, and post-production), she is most at home directing and producing. Kasey was integral to the launch of NYU Tisch’s Master‘s in Virtual Production at the Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center, whose inaugural cohort graduated in May 2025. She serves on the board of directors of PANO Network and is a founding member of The Garret Theatre Company. MFA from The New School. In our interview, Kasey discussed her journey to working in independent film production.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Carmen Matias
Welcome to NYWIFT, Carmen Matias! A graduate of Hunter College in the 1970s, producer Carmen earned a degree in Broadcast with a minor in Theatre. Television was both an escape and a source of fantasy throughout her early life, ultimately guiding her toward a career in the medium, which she came to see as the best possible profession for her creative ambitions. In our interview, Carmen discussed her experience producing and shared her advice for young creatives.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Juleyka Lantigua
Welcome to NYWIFT, Juleyka Lantigua! Juleyka is an award-winning filmmaker, journalist, and the Founder of LWC Studios, a digital media studio dedicated to creating socially conscious storytelling for rising-majority audiences. As a filmmaker, she has executive produced multiple short films and documentaries, including the Peabody Award-nominated podcast series 70 Million through LWC Studios. A Fulbright Scholar with a Master’s degree in Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing, Juleyka brings a multidisciplinary approach to storytelling—one that blends rigorous reporting with deeply human narratives across platforms.
READ MORENYWIFT 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.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Therese Cayaba-Jones
Welcome, Therese Cayaba-Jones, to NYWIFT. Therese is a filmmaker with over 15 years of experience with films, documentaries, and series across the Philippines, Singapore, and the U.S. She just finished the feature screenplay for UnMarry, which was recently announced as one of the entries for the Metro Manila Film Festival 2025. Currently, Therese is producing the film Tales My Father Told, and raising money through NYWIFT fiscal sponsorship. Read on to see Therese’s story of moving to New York, her role in the 48 Hour Film Project, and her take on the state of independent filmmaking in the Big Apple.
READ MOREMeet 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.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Jamie Kiernan O’Brien
Welcome to NYWIFT, Jamie Kiernan O’Brien! Jamie is a filmmaker based in New York City and a current M.F.A. candidate at New York University’s Graduate Film program. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., she began her career as an actor before shifting her focus behind the camera. Jamie’s films have screened at Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival, Wicked Queer Boston, and TRANSlations Film Festival in Seattle. She loves highly stylized work that plays with and subverts genre, having made films inspired by horror, screwball comedy, erotic thriller, and melodrama. Her debut short film, an adaptation of The Yellow Wallpaper (in which she also stars), won several awards in the festival circuit and premiered at TRANSlations Film Festival in Seattle in 2022. Her most recent short, Egg, debuted at Wicked Queer in Boston, and went on to screen at Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival and World Pride DC. She received her B.A. in English Literature from New York University. Jamie is an openly trans woman. In our interview, Jamie discusses her transition from acting to directing, recent projects, and the filmmakers who have inspired her work!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Rita Marcocci
Welcome to NYWIFT, Rita Marcocci! Rita Marcocci is founder of Verus Studios, LLC a female-owned, award-winning production studio based in Westport, CT. She is a former executive at FOX Television with an accomplished background in revenue growth and strategic partnerships. Her most recent project, the Oscar and BAFTA shortlisted film The One Note Man, is currently available on Amazon Prime. Next up is a short film collaboration with award winning director, Daniel Deville and the Oscar-winning team at Slick Films. Rita brings a strategic perspective to projects, offering a full understanding of successful operational knowledge as well as diverse, hands-on experience in the entertainment industry. In our interview, Rita discusses her current projects and the process of running Versus Studios!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Cassie Rubio
Welcome to NYWIFT, Cassie Rubio! Cassie Rubio is a Brooklyn-based screenwriter, educator, and community organizer. Whether it’s running free art labs for QTBIPOC youth or teaching guerrilla filmmaking workshops aimed at documenting climate change, Cassie believes in the transformative power each of our creative voices have. A recent graduate of Stony Brook’s MFA in Television Writing program and a 2024 Television Academy Drama Writing Fellowship Finalist, they use their voice to author stories about the harm and healing found in collective spaces. In our interview, Cassie discusses the intersections between activism and filmmaking, their writing inspiration, and an upcoming project!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Ellie Nix
Welcome to NYWIFT, Ellie Nix! Ellie Nix is a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, where she played key roles in over 25 short films during the three years it took her to complete her degree. With a growing passion for assistant directing, Ellie brings a unique blend of efficiency and diplomacy to the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of media production. Ellie is most inspired when surrounded by people who challenge their perspective and a passion for those perspectives, and hopes to spend a lifetime pushing boundaries and helping bring bold visions to life. In our interview, Ellie discusses her experience as an assistant director, finding film community, and her short film Barreling Down!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Elizabeth “Liz” Bendelac
Welcome to NYWIFT, Elizabeth Bendelac! Liz is a locations professional. She’s managed, key assistant managed, scouted, and coordinated for film and television across New York and New Jersey. Her credits? NBC's New Amsterdam. Paramount’s Smile. Sony’s Goosebumps: The Vanishing for Disney+. Indie? She’s there too. Ponyboi, starring Dylan O’Brien and Victoria Pedretti. She’s everywhere you need her to be—quietly making it all happen. Recent work in the Tri-State area? The Home with Pete Davidson. Insidious 5. Manifest. Disenchanted. Resurrection. The Good Nurse. And a standout collaboration with Edward Burns on his sequel to The Brothers McMullen: The Family McMullen. Outside of production, Elizabeth dedicates her time to Surfers Healing, a nonprofit surf camp for children with autism. It’s a cause close to her heart, combining her love of the ocean with her commitment to community and empathy. Elizabeth is also an adjunct faculty member at the New Jersey Institute of Technology where she developed and teaches a course on location management. Elizabeth: She doesn’t just do locations. She produces. And producing, for her, has rules. Collaborate with directors who share her values. Strong roles for women of color. Fresh takes on stories you thought you knew. Films with the elegance of Merchant & Ivory but the punch to succeed in the real world. Films that leave a mark. To that end, she’s developing two scripts with award-winning playwright Montserrat Mendez. Exploring genre mash-ups. Shaking up narratives. Figuring out new ways to make audiences sit up, pay attention, maybe even gasp. Because whether it’s a location or a story, Elizabeth Bendelac knows how to map the journey. She knows the destination. And she will get you there.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Iris De Vita
Welcome to NYWIFT, Iris De Vita! Iris De Vita is the founder of Golden Iris, LLC, where she combines her talents as a photographer and publicist to help clients shine. She also works as a talent booker for The Donna Drake Show. Specializing in portrait and event photography, as well as PR for artists, performers, and small businesses, Iris brings a creative yet strategic approach to every project. Iris’s work has supported films, festivals, and artistic events, drawing audiences and capturing lasting memories. Based on Long Island and in New York City, she is passionate about telling stories, whether through the perfect photograph or a compelling publicity campaign. In our interview, Iris discusses her photography, her promotional work with artists and events, and her love of connecting audiences with art!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Olivia Fouser
Welcome to NYWIFT, Olivia Fouser! Olivia Fouser is an award-winning queer writer and director. She's been featured in multiple LGBTQ film festivals such as the LGBTQ+ Toronto & Los Angeles Film Festival and the Seattle Queer Film Festival with her short film The Last Gay In Indiana, and has won numerous awards for her queer Western screenplay Blood On The Saddle. With her work, Olivia aspires to bring diversity both to the screen and behind the camera, and to make viewers laugh, cry, and, in seeing a story or character that's rarely seen on screen, hopefully widen their worldview.
READ MOREMeet The NYWIFT Member: MéLisa Best
Welcome to NYWIFT, MéLisa Best! MéLisa is an award-winning producer and director creating culturally rooted, visually rich narratives across film, branded content, and immersive media. She is the founder of HAUS of Infinity Studios, a boutique creative production house and visionary agency that provides branded content and immersive storytelling experiences that center culture, clarity, and creative truth. The HAUS is an extension of herself, guided by abundance, alignment, and possibility, with a unique "yes, and" approach that builds worlds where story isn't separate from impact. MéLisa told us about her journey in filmmaking, her vision for creating culturally rooted narratives, her work with Black Women Euphoria, and her exciting upcoming television pilot project.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Alex Kokenis
Welcome to NYWIFT, Alex Kokenis! Alex Kokenis (she/her) is a queer filmmaker and editor living in Brooklyn, NY. Her last short film, A Pickle and a Coke, is currently in its festival run, recently winning Best Script at Chicago Film Frenzy. Through her production company, It’s a Long Story Productions, Alex has co-written and co-directed two short films, Wednesday, and The Root, as well as directed and edited music videos. When she is not creating her own work, she is a passionate editor and loves to bring others’ stories to life. Alex is currently an Assistant Editor for narrative features and a proud member of IATSE Local 700. She cites Steven Soderbergh and the Duplass Brothers as her main inspirations for storytelling. She loves a good vest and to go bowling.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Catherine Craig
Welcome to NYWIFT, Catherine Craig! Catherine Craig was George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic's first animation FX camerawoman, later becoming a digital artist at ILM. A highly regarded film archivist, Craig designed the Coppola film archive and implemented Zoetrope's domestic and international film distribution. As an early female entrepreneur, Craig founded her own award-winning, union and guild-affiliated film company, specializing in high-end industrial and commercial productions. Her vast experience spans all aspects of filmmaking: she's worked as a director, producer, camera operator, concept artist, storyboard artist, special FX artist, sound recordist, and more. Her screenplay OddFX was accepted into the NYWIFT-affiliated The Writers Lab. The film follows a mother living in a women's shelter, battling a physically abusive husband and a broken support system, who enlists the help of a special FX film crew. Catherine discusses her groundbreaking work with ILM, her drive to tell her own stories, and her film currently in development, OddFX!
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