What’s in Your Toolkit: Kathryn O’Kane
"In this increasingly digital age, I still really like to work on paper," says television director and producer Kathryn O'Kane. Learn what else is in Kathryn's toolkit!
READ MORE“Ask for Jane” Producer and Star Cait Cortelyou Brings Women’s History to Life on Screen
NYWIFT member Cait Cortelyou has performed on stage or film since childhood but makes a breakthrough debut as producer (and star) of Ask for Jane, which screens at the NYWIFT Member Screening Series on November 19th. Cait sat down with us to discuss how a slice of women's history inspired her to make her producing debut, and what opportunities she sees for women working in the industry today.
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Harriet Movie, Lenore DeKoven, Membership Drive
Harriet Movie: Huge congrats to director Kasi Lemmons and the team from Harriet on their huge success this weekend! Lenore DeKoven: NYWIFT co-founder Lenore DeKoven is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the publication of her book, Changing Direction: A Practical Approach to Directing Actors in Film & Theatre, which features a forward by Ang Lee....
READ MOREWhat’s in Your Toolkit: Sini Anderson
Our new column asks our members about their favorite tool, software, article of clothing, shoes on set, favorite scriptwriting software, etc. We caught up with Sini Anderson after her short film screening at the NYWIFT Women Calling the Shots Shorts Showcase at the Hamptons International Film Festival.
READ MORETalya Tibbon’s “Sky and Ground” Puts a Human Face on the Refugee Crisis
NYWIFT Member Talya Tibbon's Sky and Ground tells the harrowing tale of one Syrian family's three-month journey from Greece to Germany feeling violence in their homeland. Facing setbacks, heartaches and threats of deportation, their determination propels them towards a better future. In advance of the film's screening as part of the NYWIFT Member Screening Series, Talya discusses her process and how being an "outsider" is an asset to documentary filmmaking.
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Emmy Panel, Elizabeth Banks, Melinda Gates
Emmy Panel: Check out the September 27th episode of the No Rest for the Weekend podcast for a fun recap of our NYWIFT Season Kickoff: The Road to the Emmys event. Elizabeth Banks: Elizabeth Banks became the first female director honored as Pioneer of the Year in the 78-year history of the Will Rogers Motion...
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Board Members: Alex Cirillo
NYWIFT member Alex Cirillo is a director, producer and the Co-Founder of Big Vision Empty Wallet, an inclusion-focused incubator that produces content that keeps you at the edge of your seat. Next up, she brings her talents and passion for inclusion to the NYWIFT Board of Directors.
READ MORENYWIFT Member Jill Salvino Brings LGBTQIA Documentary “Between the Shades” to Schools Nationwide
NYWIFT member Jill Salvino is an accomplished storyteller and commercial director with over 200 awards to her name, including an Emmy. But one of her proudest accomplishments is also one of her most recent – her feature documentary directorial debut Between the Shades. Profiled in The New York Times in April under the quippy headline “How Gay Are You?” the documentary asks just that, yet so much more. Salvino spoke to us about the process of making the film, working with her documentary subjects and what she hopes to accomplish with the film’s educational release.
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Film Registry, My Update, Orange Ending
Film Registry: Our Washington, DC, sister chapter WIFV-DC launched their annual campaign to include more women-directed films in the National Film Registry. We hope you will support them by nominating some wonderful female-driven films this year. My Update: Speaking of DC, I sent out a recent update to the NYWIFT community about my first seven...
READ MOREDiane 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.
READ MOREThrowback Thursday: NYWIFT on No Rest for the Weekend
This Spring, NYWIFT Community Engagement Director Katie Chambers sat down with host Jason Godbey on his indie film podcast No Rest for the Weekend to discuss the rise of women in media, the continued challenges they face, NYWIFT's mission and how the organization creates a supportive network for women to get ahead in their careers.
READ MORECynthia’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...
READ MORENYWIFT Members Doing Justice to True Crime
Death Row Stories explores the fallibility of the ultimate criminal penalty, capital punishment. Narrated by current and former death row inmates, each episode of Death Row Stories seeks to unravel the truth behind a different capital murder case and poses tough questions about the U.S. capital punishment system. Six NYWIFT members who worked on the show, including Board Member Kathryn O'Kane, share the insight they gained into the criminal justice system through their work on the show.
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Designing Women, Rachel Chavkin, Queer Women
Designing Women: Thank you to all our honorees, presenters, supporters, volunteers and attendees for a truly fabulous 20th anniversary Designing Women Awards last week. Be sure to check out our photo highlights and stay tuned for videos of the inspirational ceremony. Rachel Chavkin: Hadestown director Rachel Chavkin’s fiery Tony Awards acceptance speech (she won Best...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Sarah Finn, Ava Duvernay, Olivia Wilde
Sarah Finn: Casting Director Sarah Finn may the true superhero of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – she cast more than a thousand actors in almost every single Marvel film since the first Iron Man– including all of the stars. It was a unique challenge that required thinking how the cast members might overlap in the...
READ MORENew Four-Part Comedy Series “Half Life” by Patty Carey Debuts May 10
#GreenlightHer Winner Patty Carey’s Comedy Series ‘Half Life’ Premieres May 10 on NYC Life Winner of NYC’s First-Ever Pilot Competition for Stories by, for, and about Women Offers Hilarious Insider’s Look at the Film Industry from a Mom’s Perspective Larisa Oleynik, Finnerty Steeves, and Nancy Giles star in four-part series Patty Carey’s Half Life,...
READ MORECynthia’s Picks: Director Disconnect, Board Elections, Ladies’ Morning
Director Disconnect: While the call for diversity in Hollywood is getting more bandwidth than ever, the movement toward inclusion is still not reaching the director’s chair. Board Elections: NYWIFT members, don’t forget to vote in our Board Elections! Ballots have been emailed out to you and voting closes on May 1st. (If you missed...
READ MORECynthia’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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