NYWIFT Blog

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Aisha Amin

Welcome to NYWIFT, Aisha Amin! Aisha is an NYC-based writer and director. As a director, her work expands across narrative, documentary, and experimental forms to tell authentic stories built from real experiences. Her past film projects have explored and highlighted overlooked communities particularly in New York City, including formerly incarcerated mothers and communities struggling with the presence of gentrification in their neighborhoods. Amongst her directing, Aisha is an emerging screenwriting and was selected to participate in Cine Qua Non’s 2022 Screenwriting Lab. She is a 2022 recipient of NYFA’s Tomorrowland Grant and a 2021 recipient of the NYFA Women's Fund grant. She was a recipient of the 2019-2020 Sally Burns Shenkman Woman Filmmaker Fellowship at the Jacob Burns Film Center where she directed two short documentaries. She is also a recipient of The Shed's Open Call Fellowship where she expanded her film practice to installation art. Aisha spoke to us about her favorite styles of storytelling, the intersection of narrative and documentary, and her latest projects.

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Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Beth Eisgrau-Heller

Welcome to NYWIFT, Beth Eisgrau-Heller! Beth is a Brooklyn-based visual storyteller and photojournalist, and a proud Gen-Xer to the core! While she explores a variety of subjects through her art, she is mostly interested in addressing issues regarding the present racial divide in the U.S. and aftermath of the pandemic. Some of her work experiences have included collaborating with the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Tish James for NY, the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, ICP, Grey Advertising, and Getty Images. Additionally, she has offered her talents to KEXP, Willie Mae Rock, Camp for Girls, and the Hip Top Music Fest, all of which are causes and organizations close to her heart. Learn more about Beth as we converse about her relationship to her craft, the reigning philosophies that she lives by and that influence her technique as a visual artist, and her potential sixth sense when it comes to the merging of music and photography!

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Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Tanis Parenteau

Welcome to NYWIFT, Tanis Parenteau! Tanis Parenteau is Métis/Cree from the Métis Nation of Alberta. She is an actor, producer, and casting director. Her work focuses on uplifting Native voices telling contemporary and futuristic Native stories. As an actor, she has appeared on Billions, House of Cards, Designated Survivor, FBI: Most Wanted, Gossip Girl, and Tribal, and she has performed at The Public Theater, Signature Theater, 59E59, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Tanis has produced eight short films, has a short form digital series in post-production, and is developing multiple Native-led features and series. She is an associate casting director at tbd casting co in NYC. Her latest project, the short film Glenburn 12 WP, is fiscally sponsored by NYWIFT.  Tanis spoke to us about her dedication to uplifting Native voices, how working in casting has influenced her performing, and the best advice she’s ever received.

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Weekly Roundup: Dinners, Movies, Podcasts & ‘Wonder Woman’!

//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/455781430?et=uSJjXvrKQ9JuzXhIyl-DSA&flyout=off&sig=VXRfNEizB7-TEJyIus89qal9YlvXTc9lQ0cKb-EtsDw= SNL member Cecily Strong chosen to host the White House Correspondents Dinner. Beyond The Lights star Gugu Mbatha-Raw discusses the film’s important empowerment messages. Women and Hollywood launches a podcast. Spread the word! Michelle MacLaren will probably direct Wonder Woman. Lexi Alexander said “no way” to the opportunity. Women are funny but being a woman in comedy is...

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