Meet the New Board Members: Yvonne Russo

NYWIFT is governed by an 18 member Board of Directors, elected by the membership in late Spring. This diverse, accomplished group of women are at the top of their game in TV, film and digital media. We get to know producer Yvonne Russo, one of the latest additions to our leadership team.

Gaia Visnar on channeling her own search for home into her character in The Basis of Intimacy

NYWIFT member Katrina Medoff spoke with fellow member Gaia Visnar, an actor and producer for the short film The Basis of Intimacy, which was made by a female-driven and largely international crew. They spoke about the power of a silent film and what conversations Visnar hopes to spark with the film.

You’re The Pest creator Taylor Coriell on collaboration, inclusion and her new comedy web series

NYWIFT member Taylor Coriell is the executive producer, co-creator and co-star of the new comedy web series You’re The Pest. Fellow member Leah Curney, who is currently developing her own web series, sat down with Coriell to chat about the joys and challenges of being a multi-hyphenate creator.

Report from Tribeca: Isabella Olaguera on AD’ing, Celeb Encounters and Breaking into the Biz at 14

New Jersey-based assistant director Isabella Olaguera has worked professionally on over 50 feature films, television shows and commercials since 2010 – including an Oscar-nominated short. She has every right to brag, but she’s been keeping a big secret: she’s only 20 years old! She may very well be the youngest member of New York Women in Film & Television. Isabella discusses her work as the 2nd AD on the indie feature film All These Small Moments, a coming-of-age tale shot entirely in NYC, which premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival this month.

Writer Patty Carey Gets the #Greenlight from NYC

NYWIFT member Patty Carey discusses MOME, her #GreenlightHer pilot competition win, life as a multi-hyphenate, the NYWIFT New Works Lab and more!

Misha Calvert on creating her relatable dating web series Tinder is the Night

NYWIFT member Katrina Medoff speaks to fellow member Misha Calvert about creating, executive producing and starring in her new series Tinder is the Night, which explores the joys - and horrors - of online dating.

NYC 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.

Heather Taylor on Crowdfunding for Pay to Stay and the Importance of Onscreen Diversity

"I want to have representation across different sexualities and different races in my films because that is the world I see when I walk down the streets of New York," says NYWIFT member Heather Taylor. Katrina Medoff sat down with Taylor to talk diversity in filmmaking (both onscreen and off) as her crowdfunding campaign for her horror short Pay to Stay draws to a close.

The 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.

Meet Kahane Cooperman, the Director of Oscar-nominated Short Doc Joe’s Violin

Director and producer Kahane Cooperman discusses the inspiration for her short documentary Joe's Violin, her Oscar nomination, and the support she received from New York Women in Film & Television.

NYWIFT Member Jill Rosen Talks Entertainment Publicity and Sundance Success

At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Focus Features, Amazon, Fox Searchlight and Netflix were among the buyers in a bidding war for Michael Showalter’s dramatic comedy The Big Sick. Amazon won, paying $12 million for the U.S. rights. And NYWIFT member Jill Rosen was right there at the heart of the action building buzz for the breakout film. Rosen explains what goes into being a marketing and publicity consultant, and discusses some of the highlights from Sundance.

Coming Soon: PA TVee Will Teach Production Assistant 101

Producer and NYWIFT member Jane Applegate offers a sneak preview of PA TVee, her new online video series that teaches young people the ins and outs of being a production assistant. Inspired by a real life 16-year-old PA (who also hosts), the videos offer a humorous but educational take on paying attention, the film set chain of command, and the importance of craft services.

Meet 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.

Creative 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!

Creative Block: A Production Diary of Filming in Paris (Part 1)

In part 1 of her two-part production diary, NYWIFT member Nicola Rose describes the joys and challenges of shooting her short film in Paris, featuring early call times, angry shop owners, delightful locals, and a little balloon drama.

A Review of “Honour: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan” by NYWIFT Member Gaudys Laxury

Gaudys Laxury shares her thoughts on fellow NYWIFT member Dipti Mehta's one-woman show "Honour: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan," now playing at the New York International Fringe Festival. "Honour" offers a fun and poignant look at the exotic, dangerous life of Mumbai's real-life brothels and why they exist.

Meet the New Board Members: Terra Bliss

As NYWIFT finishes our Meet the New Board Members interview series, we sit down with Terra Bliss, Vice President and General Manager at Panavision New York. Bliss discusses inequality, shaking up the hiring process, and seeking out new partnerships to diversify entertainment industry recruitment.

Meet the New Board Members: S. Casper Wong

NYWIFT member S. Casper Wong left a cushy Silicon Valley job as IBM corporate counsel to become a filmmaker, and has since written, directed and produced both shorts and features; founded The Peace Pod Project; and founded (and currently chairs) Asian American Women Media Makers. Now, she brings her passion and activism to the NYWIFT Board. Join us as we get to know one of the new additions to NYWIFT's Board of Directors.

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