women in tv Archives - New York Women in Film & TelevisionNew York Women in Film & Television

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Safiya Songhai

Welcome to NYWIFT, Safiya Songhai! Safiya's cinematic journey is a blend of inspiration, resilience, and the drive to bring authentic stories to the screen. Raised by a pioneering mother in the television industry, Safiya's work as a director is deeply influenced by her upbringing and her commitment to telling stories that highlight love, unity, and the power of Black families. As a television anchor, award-winning director, and university professor, she brings a wealth of experience and passion to both her creative endeavors and her mentorship of aspiring filmmakers. In this article, Safiya shares the themes that shape her storytelling, the challenges she’s overcome, and how she empowers the next generation of filmmakers to tell impactful stories.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Nicole Palermo

Welcome to NYWIFT, Nicole Palermo! Based in New York, Nicole Palermo is a producer and production manager experienced in both narrative and documentary filmmaking. After studying acting in college, she and friends launched a four-episode web series and founded their production company, Talking Back Pictures. She fell in love with producing and transitioned to full-time production in 2019, moving to documentaries with Apple TV+’s The Super Models in 2021. Known for her work in the five-time Emmy Award-winning Jim Henson: Idea Man, her documentary work emphasizes flexibility in storytelling, while her narrative projects, including Seoul Swith and Pen, Again, showcase her abilities working on meticulously executed films. This fall, she is producing the short film The Daughter by Mary Ann Anane.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Meryl Jacobs

Welcome to NYWIFT, Meryl Jacobs! Driven by a lifelong passion for the arts, Meryl Jacobs creative professional has built an inspiring career spanning advertising, Broadway stage management, and post-production as an award-winning video editor and business owner. Embracing challenges with optimism, she believes in the power of self-belief and continuous growth. After returning to New York post-pandemic, she launched her own company, Gotham Edit Inc., confident in the value she provides to clients. Among her proudest achievements are collaborations with Universal Pictures, a corporate branding reel for Tumi, and a recognized PSA for the City of Los Angeles on senior scams. Grateful for every opportunity, she remains dedicated to creating impactful work that helps others. Read on to learn more about her fascinating career!

NYWIFT Member Spotlight: Myrta Vida

Myrta Vida is an award-winning writer and independent filmmaker specializing in features, shorts, documentaries, and stage productions. She serves as a producer at 3DMC, the production company behind the John Cassavetes Award-winning feature Premature (2019) and the Sundance Award-winning hybrid documentary The Infiltrators (2019). Since 2010, Myrta has worked as a story consultant and script doctor for independent filmmakers worldwide. A proud Army veteran from Puerto Rico, she earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and completed a conservatory program in screenwriting at the New York Film Academy, both with summa cum laude honors. Additionally, she holds a certificate in sketch comedy writing from the Upright Citizens Brigade and was a 2022 Fellow with Third World Newsreel. Get to know her in our latest interview!

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Eileen Wolter

Welcome to NYWIFT, Eileen Wolter! After working as a motion picture lit assistant at CAA, working on the Universal lot, and writing lots of coverage in LA, Eileen brings her creativity to us in New York! She holds a BA in Art History & Film from Vassar College, studied acting as The Atlantic Theater Company and The Actors Studio/The New School, and studied writing at UCLA, NYU, Sundance Collab, Stowe Story Labs, and NJ Play Lab. Eileen tells us about her fascinating family history, covering Fashion Week for Comedy Central in 1993, and attending SNL dress rehearsals.

Meet the new NYWIFT Member: Pallavi Bakshi

Welcome to NYWIFT Pallavi Bakshi! Following an incredible career in investment banking and equity research, Pallavi Bakshi is now part of Disney Streaming’s Strategic Finance team. Any given day might include reporting to executives, preparing data sets or market research. She has worked on projects for iconic brands in the Disney portfolio, including Marvel and Pixar. Pallavi shares more about her dynamic days here!

NYWIFT Members’ Advertising Week & Sherri Shepherd Experience

Advertising Week New York came back for its 19th edition from October 16–19, this time at THE PENN DISTRICT, bringing together the brightest minds in marketing, advertising, media, and tech. With an immersive and interactive program, attendees had the opportunity to learn from industry leaders, discover new trends and network with professionals from around the world. NYWIFT members attended - and made a special connection with TV host Sherri Shepherd!

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Christine Toy Johnson

You might recognize NYC-based artist Christine from the stage, the page, or the screen. She played Diane over one thousand times in the first national tour of the musical Come from Away. Other roles span from Sherry Yang in the Netflix Marvel series Iron Fist to Maria in West Side Story. She hosts The Dramatists Guild’s Talkback podcast, where she shines a spotlight on conversations about equality and inclusion. She also participated in The Writers Lab 2016, the screenwriting program co-produced by NYWIFT. Read more about artists she admires, advocacy for other artists, and new movie musical here!

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Candece Tarpley

Welcome to NYWIFT, Candece Tarpley! Candece Tarpley, of Sissipahaw/Tuscarora/Tsalagi descent, is a World Champion Powwow dancer, an actress and a poet-storyteller-playwright who has been writing since childhood. Holding her heritage close, she's been a featured performer nationwide, weaving her crafts with the patrons of the Public Library of Boulder Colorado; Middlebury College in Vermont; Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts; the Pequot Museum in Connecticut; the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Natural History in New York City, as well as other creative venues. Candece spoke to us about how her Indigenous heritage influences her work, the response to her television series, and her next major projects.

NYWIFT Member Spotlight: Toni R. Israel

Meet NYWIFT Member Toni R. Isreal. Toni is the CEO and Founder of REALEMN Productions LLC, Broadway’s leading multicultural marketing and PR team, run by Black women. In addition to being a proud member of New York Women in Film & Television, she is a co-founding member of The Industry Standard Group. Previously, Toni was the Managing Director of Walker International Communications Group (WICG) where she led a team providing all aspects of marketing consultation to arts organizations. A proud member of CTI — Commercial Theater Institute, Toni was instrumental in multiple projects including 2018 Tony Award-Winning Once on This Island, Disney’s Aladdin and The Lion King, A Raisin in The Sun, A Trip To Bountiful, A Streetcar Named Desire, Baby It’s You, and Stick Fly. Toni R. Isreal is an awardee of the Central New Jersey Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women for Excellence in Economic Empowerment and advocates promoting the arts and entertainment to multicultural communities.

NYWIFT Member Spotlight: Sweta Keswani

Meet NYWIFT Member Sweta Keswani! After starring in some critically acclaimed and hugely popular prime time television series in India which made Sweta Keswani a household name, she moved to New York in 2010 for love. She was seen on The Blacklist with James Spader, was recurring on New Amsterdam and AMC’s supernatural thriller Nos4a2. She had a fun role on Apple TV’s dark anthology series Roar and Mayim Bialik’s first directorial feature, As They Made Us, with Dustin Hoffman and Candice Bergen last year. Sweta also appears in The Beanie Bubble, which was released late July in theatres and globally on Apple TV. Sweta continues to hone her craft as an actor, whether it’s being in a stage combat or acting class, working on plays locally, or helping with R&D and as social media consultant for the Remarkable Women docuseries.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Deniz Cam

After a career as a journalist for Forbes magazine, Deniz is taking her skills as a storyteller the world of film and TV. She is on the research team for The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV+, a talk show about current events including climate change, the economy, and foreign policy. She is also writing and acting in a live reading of her pilot, 60 Days, about a Turkish immigrant who must get married in 60 days to keep her visa status after quitting her job. Deniz tells us about her love of New York, being an immigrant from Istanbul, and her Carrie Bradshaw moment seeing her cover story on a billboard on Fifth Avenue.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Lisa St. Hill

Welcome to NYWIFT, Lisa St. Hill! Born in Brooklyn, Lisa St. Hill is a multi-talented creator with a strong appreciation for her Barbados heritage. A fashion enthusiast at heart, she has worked as an editorial contributor and designed a recovery belly band for new mothers that caught the attention of some celebrity moms. Furthermore, Lisa also produced Phenomenal Women, which highlights various accomplished women who have achieved success within the realm of film and television. Some of her aspirations include the development of youth-centered projects such as the publication of Beautiful Brown Girl, an inspiring children’s book that she is currently illustrating and writing, and a limited series about her relative, the legendary Shirley Chisholm. Lisa spoke to us about her inspirations, the advice from Idris Elba that drives her day-to-day, and how she defines a phenomenal woman.

2023 Tribeca Festival Recap

After a whirlwind trip to the 2023 Tribeca Festival, Tammy Reese offers highlights from her favorite interviews - including Dan Rather, Billy Porter, Phylicia Rashad, Morris Chestnut, Angela Bassett, Patricia Field, and much more!

NYWIFT @ Tribeca: In Conversation with Nikia Nelson

NYWIFT member and graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology Nikia Nelson has been working in the fashion and entertainment industries for several years. She started her career working in magazine publishing in the fashion and photo departments. She was able to parlay her experience into working as a stylist & costume designer for fashion, film, and television. Nikia recently worked as Assistant Costume Designer for the Amazon series The Horror of Dolores Roach. Based on the hit Spotify podcast series of the same name, The Horror of Dolores Roach is a contemporary Sweeney Todd-inspired urban legend of love, betrayal, weed, cannibalism, and survival of the fittest. The series will premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Festival.

NYWIFT @ Tribeca: In Conversation with Hayley Davis

NYWIFT Member Hayley Davis is a DGA Training Program Graduate and filmmaker from Atlanta, GA now living in Brooklyn. She’s worked on shorts, television, and feature films with the goal in mind to create an efficient and positive environment on set and is looking to continue that philosophy as an A.D. in New York City. Hayley recently worked on the highly anticipated series, The Walking Dead: Dead City as a DGA Trainee Assistant. The Walking Dead: Dead City is set to screen at the Tribeca Festival on June 13th, 2023 (OKX Theater at BMCC TPAC) at 8:00 PM and on AMC Networks on June 18th. Davis is one of 15 NYWIFT members with projects premiering at Tribeca 2023.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Katrina Montgomery

Please join us in welcoming new NYWIFT member Katrina Montgomery! Katrina is an NYC filmmaker with an affinity for the Bronx, the neighborhood where she grew up and still considers home. Katrina served as both Director and Director of Photography for Get Away For A Day with Allyshia Renay, which aired on BRIC, MNN, and BronxNet. Currently, she is studying film directing at Brooklyn College’s Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema and will be receiving her diploma shortly. Katrina spoke to us about her inspirations, using comedy to tackle tough topics, and lessons learned from a successful fundraising campaign.

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Derya Celikkol

Welcome to NYWIFT, Derya Celikkol! A proud graduate of the Experimental Theatre Wing at Tisch Schools of the Arts, Derya Celikkol is a Turkish filmmaker who lives in New York City and has contributed her extraordinary artistry to numerous projects. In addition to acting and production designing, Celikkol has directed and produced films, some of which have been showcased and won awards at film festivals worldwide.

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