On our May 11, 2020, NYWIFT Talks, we joined filmmaker Rachel Feldman for a virtual Zoom conversation. Rachel discussed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on filmmakers and what the future holds for her current projects.
This conversation was moderated by NYWIFT Executive Director Cynthia López.
Panelists
Rachel Feldman is an accomplished director and writer in film and television. She is currently in active development to direct Lilly, a feature film based on the remarkable life of Fair Pay icon Lilly Ledbetter. The project has been selected for the 2020 Breaking Through The Lens Initiative, was awarded the NYWIFT Ravenal Foundation Feature Film Grant, and is an Athena List winner. Feldman’s drama pilot Kinks won the 2020 Best Drama Pilot Award in the ScreenCraft pilot competition, was selected for 2019 MIP Cannes In Development, and won the WGA Drama Queens Best Pilot Award. Feldman has been directing dramatic television for three decades. This year, she directed the pilot and first season of The Baxters for MGM, multiple episodes of Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, and The Rookie for ABC. She has written and directed movies for Lifetime, Freeform, The SyFy Channel, as well as several award-winning short films broadcast on PBS and HBO. Also known as a vocal activist for gender parity in Hollywood, Feldman is featured in the Geena Davis produced documentary, This Changes Everything, Amy Adrion’s Half the Picture, and Bloomberg Television’s Celluloid Ceilings. Feldman was chair of the DGA Women’s Steering Committee and has taught directing in the MFA program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She holds an MFA from NYU in directing and a BA from Sarah Lawrence College. You can find her full bio and credits at www.rachelfeldman.com and follow her on Twitter @WomenCallAction
Cynthia López is the Executive Director of New York Women in Film & Television, an award-winning media strategist, and former Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, where she implemented strategies to support film and TV production throughout the five boroughs. López is the recipient of many coveted industry awards including: 11 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, a Special Emmy Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking, three Peabody Awards, and two duPont-Columbia Awards. In addition, she received the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Award for Commitment to Corporate Diversity. Prior to working as Commissioner, López was Executive Vice President and co-Executive Producer of the award-winning PBS documentary series American Documentary | POV, and was involved in the organization’s strategic growth and creative development for 14 years. Her ability to forge strategic partnerships among corporate and public interest media has been a signature of her work. Notable partnerships include: New York Times, Reuters, Al-Jazeera Network, Discovery Communications, The Moth, Story Corps, Harpo Studios and ABC News, NIGHTLINE with Ted Koppel. López is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), and is proud to have spent her career collaborating with independent filmmakers across all portions of the film and television industry. She served on the Board of Trustees for the Paley Center, NYC & Company, Museum of the Moving Image and the Tribeca Film Institute Latin America Fund Advisory Board. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Latino Public Broadcasting, Manhattan Neighborhood Network and Hunter College IMA Program.
Produced by Barbara G Vásconez
NYWIFT Talks is a new weekly series to bring updated news and vital information about the impact of COVID-19 on the media and entertainment industry. Industry professionals will be in conversation discussing what you need to know about theatrical releases, digital advances, virtual tools, festival opportunities, production updates and more.
