NYWIFT Blog

Cynthia’s Picks: Women’s Soccer, Mulan Trailer, Invitation Parity

Women’s Soccer: The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team did more than just win the World Cup this weekend – they started a worldwide conversation about equal pay. They play better and bring in more income than the men’s team, but are paid less. And they’re suing. Mulan Trailer: The trailer for Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan...

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Cynthia’s Picks: NYWIFT Summit, Media Workshop, Yellow Rose

NYWIFT Summit: Thank you to all who attended last week’s first inaugural NYWIFT Summit. The theme of the 2019 Summit was Inclusion, Equality and Safety, and it established forward-moving strategies to create change in these areas with an eye towards mobilizing support and leadership for the future. We had many meaningful conversations and I look...

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Cynthia’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...

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Cynthia’s Picks: Mindy Kaling, Booksmart Buzz, Thumbs Down, Designing Women

Mindy Kaling: CBS Sunday Morning profiled Mindy Kaling, who spoke candidly about not seeing people like herself represented on screen, and how her new film Late Night is one of the first comedies all about workplace inclusivity. Booksmart Buzz: The disappointing box office returns from the Olivia Wilde-directed comedy Booksmart, which had been hotly anticipated...

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Cynthia’s Picks: Latinx Stars, Expanded Opportunities, Listen In

Latinx Stars: The Hollywood Reporter wisely points out…amid the call for diversity in entertainment, particularly inclusive casting, why don’t we have more Latinx movie stars? Part of it, of course, comes down to unconscious bias – which we all need to work on identifying and correcting. Expanded Opportunities: The Academy has voted to expand the...

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Cynthia’s Picks: Muses-on-the-Move, 21 Leaders, Draft Diversity

Muses-on-the-Move: Great news from two past NYWIFT Muse Honorees: Lucy Liu will be the second-ever Asian-American woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (the first was Anna May Wong in 1960), and Judith Light will receive the Isabelle Stevenson Award at the Tony’s in June in tribute to her advocacy to...

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Cynthia’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...

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Cynthia’s Picks: NY Women, Gender Parity, Captain Marvel

NY Women: Congratulations to the NYWIFT members selected to receive some of the first round of grants in the Mayor’s Office of Entertainment and Media’s “Made in NY” Women’s Film, TV & Theatre Fund. Gender Parity: Kudos to the Tribeca Film Festival, whose 2019 lineup for competition films achieved gender parity for the first time....

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WIFT Around the World: Report from Berlinale (Part 1) – Adriana Shaw on Gender Parity

Is true gender parity in film on the horizon? Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI) hopes so. NYWIFT member filmmaker/journalist/actress Heidi Philipsen attended the 2019 Berlinale International Film Festival, where the 10% for 50/50 gender parity initiative was introduced. Philipsen spoke with longtime member Adriana Shaw, who also attended the fest, about what this could mean for the future of our industry.

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Cynthia 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...

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Cynthia’s Picks: Diversity Wins, Seen vs. Heard, Emma Speaks, Networking Tips

Diversity Wins: The Oscars this weekend proved historic on several fronts: Black Panther costume designer Ruth E. Carter (one of our first Designing Women honorees) and production designer Hannah Beachler became the first African-American women to win in their respective fields; Spike Lee and Alfonso Cuaron took home prizes for writing and directing respectively; women...

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Cynthia’s Picks: Black Agents, Children’s Media, Female Representation

Black Agents: Of the hundreds of talent agents working at the major Hollywood agencies, only a few dozen are black. The New York Times ran a great interview with several of the reps, who discussed the systemic barriers they have faced and the change they hope to see. Children’s Media: The Geena Davis Institute conducted...

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Cynthia’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,...

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Cynthia’s Picks: Kim Snyder, Male Allies, Writers Lab

Kim Snyder: Kudos to Kim Snyder, CEO of our partner Panavision, for her incredible commitment to supporting women at all stages of their lives and careers. Forbes published a great interview with Kim, focusing on how she helps women advance in the industry and the particular support and consideration she gives to working parents. Male...

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Cynthia’s Picks: Natural Leader, Sobering Statistics, Regina King

This week please join us in welcoming new NYWIFT Executive Director Cynthia Lopez! Cynthia will offer her top picks of NYWIFT and industry news to share with you every Tuesday.     Natural Leader: Inspirational words to kick off your 2019! NYWIFT Board Member Flo Mitchell-Brown shared her “start story” with StartTV, explaining why women...

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Terry’s Picks: Great Gifts, Online Festival, Yvonne Russo

Thank you to everyone who attended the 39th Annual Muse Awards on Thursday! It was such an honor to receive the Made in NY Award from the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment, and I was touched by how many of our members came out to support our organization (and give me a hug). My...

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Terry’s Picks: Board Buzz, 62 Writers, Top Performers

Board Buzz: Great news from several NYWIFT board members! The Tale – produced by Simone Pero – continues to rack up award nominations, including a Golden Globe nom for last year’s Muse honoree Laura Dern and a Critics Choice nom for this year’s Muse Ellen Burstyn; Annetta Marion was selected for NBC’s Alternative Directors Program...

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Terry’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...

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