NYWIFT Blog

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Ekaterina Korshunova

Let’s welcome new NYWIFT member Ekaterina Korshunova! Ekaterina (or Kate for short) attended Moscow’s RUDN University where she graduated with a degree in journalism. Kate currently works as a freelance social media coordinator and producer. She has filmed and produced promotional videos for many local businesses as well as major brands. She spoke to us about her move to the US, her teaching philosophy, and her dreams for the future.

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NYWIFT @ Tribeca: In Conversation with Producer Su Kim

The 2022 Tribeca premiere "Sansón and Me" traces a young immigrant’s path from coastal Mexico to a life sentence for murder in California. The harrowing tale does not unfold in a traditional documentary format, but instead uses evocative recreations – many of them featuring members of Sansón’s own family as actors – to explore the meaning of a life fragmented by poverty, borders, and incarceration. We spoke to producer Su Kim about the team’s unusual, wildly creative, and ultimately deeply powerful approach to sharing Sansón’s story.

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Recognizing Our Shared Humanity: Idil Ibrahim on Her Film “Sega”

Women filmmakers throughout history have often been at the forefront of advancing social change, and NYWIFT member Idil Ibrahim is no exception. Ibrahim sat down with us to discuss the making of her award-winning short film "Sega" and how she hopes it might change viewers’ perception of modern immigrant stories.  

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Cynthia’s Picks: Diane Paragas, Michele Clapton, MOME Fund

Diane Paragas: In NYWIFT’s latest collaboration with Honeysuckle Magazine, we interviewed filmmaker Diane Paragas about her film Yellow Rose and how it contributes to our nation’s ongoing heated conversation around immigration. Michele Clapton: I always love seeing the latest and greatest from our Designing Women honorees! You can spot 2019 honoree Michele Clapton’s costume designs...

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Diane Paragas’ Timely Immigration Story “Yellow Rose” Arrives in NYC

In a media landscape dominated by outraged, emotional debates over our nation’s immigration crisis, DACA, ICE, detainment, and children’s immense suffering, writer/director Diane Paragas’ long-in-the-making film "Yellow Rose" has burst on to the scene. And it could not be more timely. Paragas discusses the film's long journey to the screen and what she hopes to contribute to our cultural conversation on immigration.

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AfriAmerican Immigrant Screening: Local Stories, Global Themes

In Astoria’s historic Kaufman Studios, filmmakers from the African diaspora shared local stories that reverberated deep into universal themes and questions as part of New York Women in Film & Television’s Women Filmmakers: Immigrant Stories screening on May 31, 2018. Featured in the fourth season of this NYWIFT series highlighting narrative and documentary films about the New York immigrant experience, these short films tackled issues ranging from the #MeToo movement, to President Trump’s travel ban, to the immigrant experience, to what it means to be American, among many more.

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Terry’s Picks: Role Reversal, Designing Women, Immigrant Series

Role Reversal: IndieWire looks into the ways that gender swapping characters in television can re-shape perspectives and gain parity for women on screen. Designing Women: Get your tickets for NYWIFT’s Designing Women on Monday, May 21st, honoring the best and brightest of hair, makeup and costume designers. Honorees for this year are: costume designer Dana...

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A Filmmaker is Born: How the Power of One Immigrant’s Story Inspired a Musician to Go Visual

Filmmakers create great stories every day. But once in a while, a truly great story will create a filmmaker. Such was the case with Patricia Shih and her debut film, Undocumented. The inspiring documentary, which was screened on March 16th at the Queens World Film Festival as part of NYWIFT’s Women Filmmakers: Immigrant Stories series, showcases the realization of the American Dream through the unique story of undocumented-immigrant-turned-successful-cardiac surgeon, Dr. Harold Fernandez.

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“Knowledge is Something Nobody Can Take Away from You:” Yvonne Ng Discusses her Student Academy Award Win

NYWIFT scholarship recipient Yvonne Ng, a Singaporean immigrant who came to the U.S. to study photography, discusses inspiring women, her powerful short film Cloud Kumo, and her Student Academy Award win.

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Terry’s Picks: Screening Series, Swim Team, Get #Social

Screening Series: NYWIFT is seeking films by women filmmakers for our second Immigrant Women’s Screening Series. Films should be about the New York immigrant experience. See details. Swim Team: Swim Team, the recipient of the NYWIFT Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant at the Muse Awards in December, has been nominated for Indiewire’s Project of the...

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