NYWIFT Blog

NYWIFT Celebrates Tribeca’s 25 Years of Women Filmmakers

As part of Tribeca's Storytelling Summit, New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) looks back on Tribeca’s 25th Anniversary history of championing women’s stories on screen and in the community. Join us as filmmakers across genres will reflect on Tribeca’s formative role in their career trajectory and share stories from years past, insights looking toward the future, and share advice.

Speakers include Sharese Bullock-Bailey (Manhattan Neighborhood Network), Dori Berinstein (award-winning director/producer/writer), Maria Cuomo Cole (award-winning documentary producer), Gabriela Díaz Arp (director and producer), Violet Du Feng (award-winning independent documentarian), Michele Spitz (Woman of Her Word). Moderated by NYWIFT CEO Cynthia Lopez

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Errors & Omissions Virtual Workshop with Front Row Insurance

Navigating the legal side of filmmaking can be a daunting task, but it is crucial to set your film up for success. Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance plays a key role in protecting your production from legal risks and is often required for distribution and financing. In this workshop, we’ll break down what E&O insurance is, how it works, and why it’s essential for every filmmaker to understand.

During this session, Front Row Insurance expert Alyson Locacciato will walk through the process of securing the right coverage for your projects. Explaining how E&O insurance can safeguard filmmakers against lawsuits for copyright infringement, defamation, and more. With her expertise, you'll learn how to make sure your film is legally protected and prepared for distribution.

Open exclusively to NYWIFT members!

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Mergers, Defunding, and Public Media! Oh, My! – Examining the Future of the U.S. Media Landscape

Join NYWIFT featuring a lively discussion with industry experts exploring the impact of corporate media mergers, withdrawal of federal funding, and the future of public media.

Panelists include Sharese Bullock-Bailey (MNN), Leslie Fields-Cruz (Black Public Media), Jax Deluca (Future Film Coalition), Fernando Ramirez (Attorney), Dana Roberson (WNET/Thirteen), and Bernardo Ruiz (Director). Moderated by NYWIFT Board Member Christina Kiely.

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The Business of Adaptations for Film & TV – Spring 2026

Agents, Hollywood producers, and publishers are always searching for the next great story, but not all writers start from scratch. Oftentimes, ideas come from the things we see, read, write and hear. The challenge for many is how to transition these materials from their original form of a book, article, and story into a full-fledged viable screenplay and adaptation material for another medium.

Savvy industry professionals love to leverage their time and efforts by capitalizing on a story that can be adapted into many forms. Learn from this experienced panel about ways to locate common sources for your story or script and the power and pitfalls of working with adaptations for your project.

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NYWIFT Masterclass: Navigating Reinvention with Carolyn Michelle

Join NYWIFT for our next virtual NYWIFT Masterclass with Carolyn Michelle!

A transformative three-day virtual experience designed for creatives navigating reinvention, this immersive workshop guides participants through the powerful process of releasing outdated identities and embodying a more aligned, expansive creative self.

Rooted in mindfulness and resilience practices, each session weaves together breathwork, Tai Chi–inspired movement, embodiment exercises, and affirmations to ground participants in both presence and possibility.

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NYWIFT Virtual Masterclass Series: Writing for Film and Television: Craft Workshop & Refresh

Back by popular demand is one of NYWIFT’s most popular masterclass instructors, critically-acclaimed writer Amy Fox, with a new workshop series for writers of all levels.

Creating dynamic scenes, developing a character arc, building the world of your project...

These are fundamental skills that writers for film and TV use every day. But when's the last time you did a deep dive into these practices? 

In this 3-part interactive workshop, we will practice these tools, learning trade secrets that will elevate your scene work and world-building and deepen your character development. And as a bonus, we will get your plot and your characters talking to each other! New writers find playful ways to explore the fundamentals of the craft, and more seasoned writers will love this chance to further refine their skills. 

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NYWIFT Masterclass: Final Draft 13 Basics

Join NYWIFT for a virtual masterclass to learn tips and tricks on how to get the most out of Final Draft 13.

Get to learn Final Draft 13 powerful new tools including Navigator 2.0, Typewriter, Emoji, Midnight Mode, Structure Lines, Custom Color PDFs and more. 

This virtual class includes demonstrating Final Draft 13 and its features, with opportunity for participation from the audience via chat. Also includes audience Q&A time with the instructor on their career in writing and at Final Draft.

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NYWIFT Co-Presents “Cover-Up” at 2025 Hamptons Doc Fest

Join NYWIFT at the 2025 Hamptons Doc Fest on Sunday, December 7th at 2:00pm ET for a co-presentation screening of the film Cover-Up. Followed by a Q&A with Directors Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus. Moderated by NYWIFT CEO Cynthia Lopez.

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NYWIFT Holiday Screening & Conversation: “The Family McMulllen” at DGA Theater

Join NYWIFT at the DGA Theater for a special festive screening and salon conversation celebrating the team behind the new holiday film The Family McMullen.

Followed by a conversation with Director/Writer/Star Edward Burns, Producer Ellen Schwartz, and Costume Designer and NYWIFT Member Rosemary Lepre Forman. Moderated by NYWIFT Board Member Audrey Rosenberg.

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NYWIFT Co-Presents “BLOOM” at Queens World Film Festival

NYWIFT is proud to co-present the short film BLOOM directed by Chloë Levine and co-produced by NYWIFT Board President Kim Jackson during the film bloc "Change of Pace: 7 films that change the story into an unexpected outcome".

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NYWIFT Co-Presents at Queens World Film Festival: Tough as Nails Showcase

New York Women in Film & Television is proud to co-present at Queens World film Festival "Tough as Nails: 7 Films that remind us she is more than a manicure". These films represent stories about the spirit, the heart, the wisdom, and when needed, the grit of our mothers, sisters, daughters and friends. 

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Safety on Set Workshop with Intact Insurance

Join NYWIFT for a virtual workshop with Intact Insurance on production set safety.

Erin Kelly (entertainment underwriting manager) and Chuck Redington (risk control manager) of Intact Insurance will share a presentation on set safety from pre-production through post-production. They will share valuable safety planning strategies that have been used to help productions run efficiently and lower costs associated with production delays.

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NYWIFT Masterclass: Documentary + Docu-Series with Yvonne Russo

Join us for NYWIFT Masterclass Series titled The Documentary + Docu-Series Masterclass: From Seed to Stream: The Art and Architecture of non-fiction storytelling. A dynamic three-night virtual program led by award-winning filmmaker Yvonne Russo, guiding participants from the heart of an idea to a streamer-ready pitch.

Over three immersive sessions, filmmakers learn to uncover the soul of their story, craft its emotional and structural architecture, and translate that vision into professional development materials that resonate with industry executives.

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NYWIFT Masterclass: Post-Production at Company 3 NYC Location

Join us for an in-person NYWIFT Masterclass at Company 3's NYC location!

Learn all about post-production with the award-winning world-renowned team at Company 3.

Discover the history of the post-production process, the latest advancements in color correction technology, best practices for how to communicate with your post team, and what to keep in mind as you budget for the finishing touches on your film.

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NYWIFT Member Screening: Familiar Touch

Join us October 22, 2025 at Tribeca Screening Room for a NYWIFT Member Screening of the narrative feature Familiar Touch followed by a Q&A with Writer, Director, Producer and NYWIFT Member Sarah Friedland and cast members Kathleen Chalfant, Carolyn Michelle and H. Jon Benjamin. Moderated by Kate Erbland (IndieWire).

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NYWIFT Co-Presents NewFest Closing Night Film “Christy”

NYWIFT Co-presents the closing night film Christy at the 37th NewFest Film Festival on Sunday, October 19th.

Fueled by determination and an unrelenting will to win, Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney) explodes from her small-town West Virginia roots into the world of professional boxing. Under the guidance of trainer Jim (Ben Foster), she becomes a champion, commanding a fiery persona inside the ring. But outside of it, her life begins to unravel as she confronts her family, her identity, and a relationship that turns violent and life-threatening.

Based on remarkable true events, Christy is a rare sports film with a queer real-life figure at its center — a gripping story of resilience, courage, and the fight to reclaim one’s life against all odds.

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NYWIFT CEO Cynthia Lopez in Conversation with Spike Lee at Storytelling 360

Join NYWIFT CEO Cynthia Lopez for a keynote conversation with Award-Winning Director Spike Lee at Storytelling 360 at DGA Theater!

Storytelling360 is a curated series of discussion panels featuring creative luminaries, providing practical insights into the state of the craft and profession of storytelling.

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NYWIFT Co-Presents with Fulbright India: Aparna Sen & Deepa Mehta in Conversation with Vishaka Desai

NYWIFT in collaboration with the Fulbright Association India Interest Group, invites you to a special virtual event bringing together two of India’s most acclaimed filmmakers, Aparna Sen and Deepa Mehta, in conversation with cultural leader Vishaka Desai.

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