Positive News for Filmmakers at the New York Film Conference
Entertainment industry experts speaking at the first annual New York Film Conference on October 10, 2017 had some great news for attendees: It’s getting easier to sell your content directly to consumers, consumers are more open to watching films with subtitles and big digital platforms are spending billions on buying new content. NYWIFT member Jane Applegate shares insights from the conference.
READ MORENYC Indie Filmmaker Vigil Chime Wins the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting
The Writers Lab, presented by New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) and IRIS and funded by Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey, pairs twelve women screenwriters over the age of 40 for a weekend of one-on-one mentoring and script development with accomplished film industry leaders. One of this September’s participating writers may be on the path to becoming one of those leaders herself: Vigil Chime has been awarded the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for her script Bring Back Girl, about a Nigerian teen kidnapped by Boko Haram – the same project she took to The Writers Lab.
READ MOREWomen’s Stories in Film and the Need for an Authentic Ending
Why is it that when men make poignant films about a male’s coming-of-age, they are allowed to explore the pain, heartache, betrayal, danger, and the need for getting even or choosing a lesser evil to right a wrong—while women-centric films are expected to carry out a fairy tale romance? NYWIFT member Heidi Philipsen tackled this question as she made her first feature film.
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Wonder Woman, Vanessa Redgrave, Indie Stats
Wonder Woman: Indiewire reports that Wonder Woman may be the best DC universe film yet! Vanessa Redgrave: The legendary actor explains how the refugee crisis inspired her to step behind the camera for the first time…at the age of 80. Indie Stats: Dr. Martha Lauzen of the Center for the Study of Women in Television...
READ MOREA 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.
READ MOREStarless Moonlight’s Lesson on Making Your Production Shine Brighter: Q & A with Casting Director Angela Mickey
After Moonlight won the Oscar for best picture, casting director and NYWIFT member Angela Mickey had some insights on what independent filmmakers and can learn from its casting.
READ MORESound Advice: Avoid (or Fix) the Two Biggest Mistakes in Sound Design
Mismatched ambient noise and clothing rustle are the two biggest mistakes in sound design, according to award-winning sound designer, editor and mixer Paul Michael. At a recent NYWIFT program, he explained to how to avoid - or fix - these problems.
READ MOREThe Ask for Jane Filmmakers on Telling a Little-Known Story from Women’s History
When NYWIFT member Cait Johnston first heard about the Jane Collective — a real-life group of women who helped others get abortions before Roe v. Wade — at a NYWIFT screening, she knew it was a story she had to tell. She teamed up with fellow member Rachel Carey, a screenwriter and director she know through a NYC theater company called The Shelter, to create Ask for Jane, a narrative feature film that they are currently crowdfunding for on Seed&Spark.
READ MOREMeet the Creators of Inappropriate Jane Austen
What were the Regency ladies of Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility really thinking? The bold, hilarious new web series "Inappropriate Jane Austen" tackles that question head on. Actors and co-creators Katie Gibson and Alex Trow discuss their creative process, the joys and perils of being first-time indie filmmakers, and their great success at the New York Television Festival.
READ MORECreative Block: A Production Diary of Filming in Paris (Part 2)
In part 2 of her Paris production diary, NYWIFT member Nicola Rose encounters police, dogs and national landmarks, and shares her words of wisdom...some of which are French!
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Goodbye Alicia, Independent Women, Preserving the Legacy
Goodbye, Alicia: This weekend we bid farewell to The Good Wife, a classic made-in-New-York show with a marvelously complex female-driven storyline, starring our own 2009 NYWIFT Muse Honoree Julianna Margulies as power attorney Alicia Florrick. It will be missed. Independent Women: A new study from Martha Lauzen at the Center for the Study of Women...
READ MOREFor Indie Projects: An Actor’s Table Read Offers Best Results
On an indie film set there is little to no time to rehearse and most of the times the story is shot out of sequence, so it makes sense to have an actor table read before you start shooting.
READ MORETerry’s Picks: Indie Women, Revolution, Jill Soloway
Good news: Four of the top five highest grossing indie films of 2015 feature women leads. Even better? Three of them are over the age of 50. Revolution: 2013 NYWIFT Muse Honoree Robin Wright says “we need a female Che Guevara” to fight Hollywood sexism. “We need a revolution.” Important Read: The Moveable Fest printed...
READ MORENYWIFT Members at Sundance Film Festival
From the documentary The Hunting Ground. Members of New York Women in Film and Television have films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which runs from January 22 to February 1 in Park City, Utah. Here’s a sneak peek: ADVANTAGEOUS Section: U.S. Dramatic Competition Director: Jennifer Phang Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang Production Designers: Dara Wishingrad (NYWIFT Member), Aiyana...
READ MORENYWIFT Member Suzanne Hayes Kelly on Producing ‘Isn’t it Delicious’
Still from Isn’t it Delicious with Alice Ripley (L) and Suzanne Hayes Kelly ®. Photo courtesy of Aquapio Films. Last week, New York Women in Film and Television members were invited to see Isn’t It Delicious, an independent feature film produced by NYWIFT member Suzanne Hayes Kelly, at the Quad Cinema in New York City....
READ MOREAdvice from an Indie Producer: The Page Turn
After you’ve hired your crew, it’s now time to schedule a meeting with your key department heads to go scene by scene through the script, which is called a “page turn.” A page turn ensures all the department heads are in alignment with the producer/director’s vision. This meeting saves time and money because it reduces...
READ MOREDispatch From the West Coast: How Indie Films Are Conquering LA
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles Film Festival audience at AT&T Center in Downtown LA. The face of Los Angeles independent filmmaking is changing, and it has been for a while. More and more festivals showing short and experimental films are popping up in the capital of the Hollywood machine. Young and new filmmakers are not scared of...
READ MOREWeekly Roundup: NYWIFT Muse Awards, Golden Globe Noms & THR Power 100 List
(L-R) Loreen Arbus, Wanda Sykes, Abigail Disney, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary Bailey, Dawn Ostroff, Judy Gold, Alexis Alexanian, and Terry Lawler at NYWIFT’s 2014 Muse Awards. NYWIFT’s 2014 Muse Awards honored Maggie Gyllenhaal, Wanda Sykes, Dawn Ostroff, Mary Bailey, and Abigail Disney. Ava DuVernay makes history, and other Golden Globe news! Meet the women on this year’s The Hollywood Reporter’s Power 100 List. Melissa Joan...
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