NYWIFT Masterclass: Character Building for Film & TV with Pamela Gray
Join NYWIFT for this three-part virtual master class, "Character Building for Film & Television with Pamela Gray" to deepen your relationship with your main characters, discover things you don’t know about them, distinguish between what they want vs. what you want, give you insight into secondary characters, and help you move your story forward or take it in a different direction as you and your characters journey together.
READ MORE2026 NYWIFT Fiscal Sponsorship Brunch Meeting in Partnership with Flagstar Bank
NYWIFT is hosting our Fiscal Sponsorship Brunch Meeting in partnership with Flagstar Bank!
Connect with fellow filmmakers in the NYWIFT Fiscal Sponsorship Program, build community, and hear from Flagstar Bank representatives about their current initiatives and resources for filmmakers.
NYWIFT Masterclass: FINDING THE SOUL OF THE STORY – Creating Feature Documentaries & Premium Docu-Series
Join NYWIFT for a Three-Part Masterclass with Humanitas Award-Winning, Independent Spirit Award Nominated and Oscar®-Nominated Director, Yvonne Russo.
In an era saturated with content, audiences are no longer searching for information; they are searching for meaning. FINDING THE SOUL OF THE STORY - Creating Feature Documentaries & Premium Docu-Series is an immersive three-night experience designed for filmmakers, directors, producers, journalists, and storytellers who want to create emotionally resonant cinematic documentaries and premium nonfiction series that connect deeply with audiences and stand apart in today’s entertainment marketplace.
This masterclass explores the essential elements that transform a compelling idea into a powerful cinematic experience, from the earliest spark of inspiration to a streamer-ready documentary feature or docuseries. Participants will learn how to find the soul of a story, identify its emotional truth, shape audience perception, and design narrative architecture that creates engagement, impact, and lasting resonance.
NYWIFT Salon Conversation: An Evening with Women Authors
Join NYWIFT for an evening salon conversation with women authors! Hear about their ambitions, journey, how they got started and what they learned along the way regarding the creative process. Authors will also share industry insights from their publishing journey and what is next for them. Followed by book signing and refreshments.
Speakers include Zenaida Mendez, Rossana Rosado, Denise Tomasetti, and Tèja VanWicklen. Moderated by former NYWIFT Board Treasurer Gretchen McGowan.
NYWIFT 2026 Virtual Masterclass: Feature Film Budgeting with Sirad Balducci
Back by popular demand is one of NYWIFT’s most sought-after masterclasses, Feature Film Budgeting with Producer/Line Producer Sirad Balducci.
Budgeting a feature film can be daunting and overwhelming for any filmmaker, whether they are a newcomer or a seasoned professional, and it is a critical step towards getting their movie financed.
In this two-part masterclass, we will demystify the budgeting process, offering insights into script breakdown and shoot schedules and covering fundamental budgeting basics. We’ll explore how to collaborate effectively with producers, directors, and department heads, and share strategies to align your movie’s production plan with the project's creative vision.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
READ MORENYWIFT 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.
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".
READ MORENYWIFT 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.
READ MORESafety 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.
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.
