Below are just a few of the most recent accomplishments of our talented members! If you want to join this dynamic community, we hope you will consider applying for NYWIFT membership.
NYWIFT members, do you have an upcoming screening, event, campaign or other news to share? Tell us! Contact communications@nywift.org.
Seoul Switch, the short film about an insecure Korean-American boy who switches identities with an international K-Pop star, will premiere in New York on July 18 at New York Asian Film Festival. The film, produced by NYWIFT member Nicole Palermo, stars Korean-American K-pop idol Kevin Woo (of U-Kiss and Broadway fame). Seoul Switch will also screen at the Asian American International Film Festival on August 3 and the Greenpoint Film Festival on August 8. Get tickets.
Hound Dog, a script by native Houstonian and NYWIFT member Letitia Guillory, has won the prestigious Best Script Jury Prize at the 2024 Essence Film Festival. Co-written by Guillory and Crayton Robey, Hound Dog is the story of a pivotal night in music history, revolving around Houstonian Black record mogul Don Robey, his right hand Evelyn Johnson, and rising star Johnny Ace. Congratulations, Letitia!
Sunflower Girl, the short film from NYWIFT member Holly M. Kaplan (writer/director/producer) with Lil Rhee (production assistant and stand-in), will have its hometown New York Premiere at the 47th Asian American International Film Festival on August 8 at 6PM. In Sunflower Girl, Rosie, a 13-year-old Chinese-American girl, embarks on a skateboarding escapade through the streets of New York with her crush and his best friend—at the cost of abandoning her little sister and never delivering a forgotten lunchbox. Sunflower Girl will be featured in the Shorts Block: How To Live as an Asian Woman in NYC Get tickets.
Come see the short play Irreparable, written by Richard Garcia, directed by NYWIFT Board Member and Emmy nominee Okema T. Moore, and produced by NYWIFT member Guneet K. Singh at Act One: One Act Festival! Irreparable will run July 20, July 26, August 1 or August 4. Note the play is program G when you get your tickets.
The world premiere screening of screenwriter and NYWIFT member Alixx Schottland‘s film LOVE MUSIC SHELTER will take place on July 25 at 5 PM as part of the Women’s International Film Festival. Schottland tells the story of a teenage girl and her mother living on the streets and busking for their survival, until a performing arts school gives the talented singer a chance, despite her mother’s fears, alcoholism and past demons. The screening will be at the Cranford Theatre in Cranford, NJ. Admission is free and open to the public, but seats must be reserved. RSVP today.
NYWIFT member and music supervisor LySaundra Campbell invites you to join MDM Productions, Inc. for a private screening of the short film, Dating Daze on July 21 at 6 PM. Ariel and Trey unexpectedly cross paths during a night out in New York City. When her past collides with her present, Ariel must decide if new love is worth the risk. The event will feature a cast & crew panel moderated by the hosts of the 2 Black Nerds podcast, a performance by comedian Grace Johnson, and a panel discussion on dating and relationships. Watch the Dating Daze trailer. Purchase tickets.
A new Word of the Day webinar series begins on July 24. NYWIFT member Marilyn Horowitz will guide you as you use the practice to understand that abundance is not only about money and comes in many forms, including love, creativity, health, time, personal growth, and more. Join Marilyn Horowitz via Zoom on Wednesday, July 24, and journey from understanding abundance to identifying what you can appreciate and be grateful for today, right now, for a happy and joyful life. RSVP to attend.
Longtime member of NYWIFT and experienced entertainment lawyer, Eldonie S. Mason, Esq., founder of Mason Firm, LLC, recently introduced specialized estate planning services tailored to underserved New Jersey communities. This initiative expands Mason Firm’s services beyond its established entertainment, business, and fashion law areas. The aim is to provide essential legal services in estate planning and wills, addressing a significant need within these communities. Learn more.
NYWIFT member Eunice Levis won the screenplay competition at Essence Film Festival this past weekend for her film, Animal! In Levis’ original environmental horror film, siblings discover toxic waste at a construction site and later face off against the monstrous result – a genetically altered rat. Congratulations, Eunice!
NYWIFT member Roberta Pyzel‘s film Dworkin is available to watch online. A portrait of feminist writer Andrea Dworkin, the film challenges us to rethink our most deeply imbedded ideas about the hierarchies of domination and submission that infuse our sexual, social and economic relationships. Her courageous commitment to elevating the voices of people, especially women, who are suffering, was born out of a deep compassion and a belief that another kind of world is possible…a world that disavows cruelty and embraces a truly egalitarian society. Watch the film.
NYWIFT member Lynn Dow‘s debut feature film, Bull Street, is now playing in select theaters. Bull Street follows LouEster Sadie Gibbs (played by newcomer Malynda Hale), a 39-year-old small-town personal injury lawyer whose mother died in childbirth. Her grandmother, Mrs. Big-Gal (Loretta Devine), has raised her in their humble family home with love and a rich spiritual tradition. When an entitled Ivy League lawyer questions their ownership of the home and its surrounding land, the stage is set for a clash of privilege against family. Find a theater near you and get tickets.
For Pride Month, NYWIFT member Frances McGarry sat down with actor and playwright Steven Hauck last week. Hauck’s directorial debut, TOMORROW WE LOVE (co-written by Jeffrey Vause), is a gender-expansive, comedic homage to classic romantic films of the mid-twentieth century showing July 13-23 at the Chain Theater in New York. McGarry and Hauck discuss the healing and sustaining powers of theater in another episode about ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the arts. Learn more and listen here.
NYWIFT member Grace-Mary Burega and her team invite members to the July 12-13 world premiere of Humans and Other Animals. The documentary takes viewers on an epic journey, from witnessing firsthand how animals think, use language, and feel love, using custom-built equipment and never-before-attempted tactics. The film will premiere at the SVA Theatre in NYC. Showtime is at 7:30 PM and will follow with a Q&A with director Mark DeVries. Get tickets.
NYWIFT board member Okema T. Moore and her team won the top prize at the 28th American Black Film Festival! The NYWIFT community celebrates Moore’s second win at ABFF in the last five years. Moore served as producer for Chocolate with Sprinkles, the endearing story of a couple working on their marriage for the first time in 25 years. Chocolate with Sprinkles will be playing next at the Essence Film Festival on July 5 in New Orleans. Good luck, Okema!
Join Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, the Museum of Tolerance and American Friends of Tel Aviv University for the West Coast premiere of Nina is an Athlete, followed by a Q&A with filmmaker and NYWIFT member Ravit Markus in person and NYWIFT Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant winner Nina Gorodetsky on zoom. Film begins at 7:30 PM on June 20. Get tickets.
NYWIFT member Heidi Philipsen-Meisnner‘s first solo directing debut Love & Vodka, will premiere as the closing night film at the Cinetopia Film Festival in Ann Arbor, Michigan on June 23 at 5 PM in the Main Theater. Love, vodka, and the adventure of a lifetime unfold when a young Michigan writer follows his heart to Ukraine, discovering unexpected family, uproarious laughter, and a romance that transcends borders. Get tickets.
Join Roxbury Film Festival for a special screening of An Affirmation Nite Baby Nite, a delightful animated short film by acclaimed children’s author and NYWIFT member Irene Smalls. This enchanting film is a heartfelt celebration of Black children, their dreams, and the boundless love that surrounds them. See An Affirmation Nite Baby Nite at the largest New England Film Festival dedicated to celebrating films by, for, and about people of color around the world on June 26 at 6 PM. Get tickets here.
NYWIFT member Kristina Leigh Copeland is raising funds for her latest eye-opening documentary. The Last Ride. The documentary brings awareness to the gruesome mistreatment and slaughter of horses for human use and consumption. Copeland produced, directed and narrated The Wall Street Conspiracy, a documentary exposing the abusive practice of illegal naked short selling that contributed to the USA 2008 Financial Crisis and hopes to illuminate the truth again with The Last Ride. Add your contribution.
Theatre Revolution, the oldest woman-centered theater organization in the Hudson valley region, presents the annual Glass Ceiling Breakers short play and short film festival June 14-16. NYWIFT member Sweta Keswani will appear in the short play Prewritten by Erin Moughon on June 14. On June 15, the festival will run short films including Welcome to Theatre, directed by NYWIFT member Annetta Marion, who will also be a featured panelist for Conversations with Women in the Business. Learn more about this empowering weekend connection artists to each other and the community and get tickets.
NYWIFT member Kim Plumridge is thrilled to announce that her award-winning short documentary My Story of Alzheimer’s Disease is now available on Amazon Prime, iTunes and Google Play! Plumridge produced, co-directed and appears in this first film from her company, MY STORY FILMS. My Story of Alzheimer’s Disease features five diverse caregivers and a compassionate psychiatrist who express the fear, heartbreak, and isolation that are part of caring for a loved one who suffers from a disease that is still so misunderstood by many people. The film offers an uplifting message, focusing on the love that underlines their journey and that gives them the strength to go on with meaning and purpose, even after their loved one has passed. Get more info on how to view the film here.
NYWIFT member Sweta Keswani is seeking contributions to fund The Spark, a 12 minute short film. The film follows the journey of PR Associate Lily after her boss Claudia assigns her the book launch for “A Good Girl’s Guide to Tantra”. As she prepares her presentation, she’s visited by Raven Lucia, a Fairy Godmother of sorts, guiding Lily as she attempts to reignite the spark with her husband Mark. As Lily navigates her own discomfort around sex and strives to pull off a successful launch, she must learn to connect with and go after what she really wants. Keswani stars in the film as Raven Lucia. Support the film.
Producer and NYWIFT member Francesca Van Horne brings play SAD, First to the Hudson Guild Theater on Wednesday, June 5, June 7 and June 9. The premise: Gigi wrote a book about her ex-boyfriend Teddy and in theory, this is her celebratory dinner party. Instead, the limelight scans those about her, seated to her left sucking on lemons salted with Xanax and/or upstairs tap dancing, full of abandon. This unmanageable crowd joins forces when Teddy crashes dessert, twisting yet another plot. Get Tickets.
NYWIFT member Alixx Schottland is producing a scripted musical called Love Music Shelter, along with veteran producer Scott Rosenfelt (Home Alone, Mystic Pizza, Critical Thinking). The film features an impressive cast, including established Broadway and TV stars Brenda Braxton and NYWIFT member Eve Austin, as well as formerly homeless singers and up and coming actors, Esther McGregor, Laurissa Romain and Isabella di Rienzo. Love Music Shelter tells the story of a homeless teenage girl and her mom living on the streets, busking for their survival until a performing arts school offers the talented singer a chance, despite her mother’s fears, alcoholism and past demons. This is a socially conscious film that will shine a bright light on the homeless epidemic. Watch the 2-minute, proof-of-concept trailer here.
Bari Pearlman, filmmaker and NYWIFT member, is thrilled to announce the premiere of World Eats Bread, a new mouth-watering 3-part series brought to you by Part2Pictures and National Geographic. Bari traveled to Guatemala to direct and help tell the deliciously layered story of the tortilla. The episode features a group of women whose lives are entangled in preserving the past while forging the future of this simple but sustaining staple of Guatemalan life. The “Tortilla” episode airs on National Geographic on June 16. Please set your watchlists to yum, as all three episodes will be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.
Throughout this month, The Vow From Hiroshima will broadcast on PBS nationwide. Directed by NYWIFT member Susan Strickler and produced by Mitchie Takeuchi, The Vow From Hiroshima is an intimate portrait of Setsuko Thurlow, a passionate survivor of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. Her moving story is told through the lens of her growing friendship with a second-generation survivor, Mitchie Takeuchi. Screening times will vary by state or region, so viewers are encouraged to check their local PBS listings for other broadcast dates and times. The Vow From Hiroshima will also be available for online VOD/streaming through PBS.org.
Produced by woman-owned production company, Lost and Found Productions, and directed by Indigenous director and NYWIFT member Ise White, Mare Azzuro took home the silver twice at the 2024 Telly Awards. The commercial launched on national broadcast in October 2023, and had massive combined social and TV impressions of ~743 million. Congratulations, Ise! Learn more.
