NYWIFT Blog

NYWIFT Talks: ReelAbilities Film Festival

On this week's NYWIFT Talks with ReelAbilities Director and Co-Founder Isaac Zablocki, Michele Spitz(Woman of Her Word), and Lisa Denker (filmmaker), we discuss the changes that ReelAbilities has instituted for the Disabled Community and what progress still needs to be made. We explore the ways movie theaters need to re-structure to accommodate ADA laws, how filmmakers are paving their way to Hollywood with their original stories, and what Reel Abilities offers for disabled filmmakers.

This conversation will be moderated by Executive Director at the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, Rachel Byrne.

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NYWIFT Talks: NYWIFT Goes to the Oscars: ‘The Mole Agent’

Join NYWIFT for a screening of the Academy Award Nominees for Best Narrative Short, Feeling Through, and Best Documentary, The Mole Agent. Followed by a Q&A with Maite Alberdi (Director, Producer of The Mole Agent), Marcela Santibañez (Producer of The Mole Agent), Julie Goldman and (Executive Producer of The Mole Agent).

Maite Alberdi’s The Mole Agent is a stylish combination of an observational documentary and a spy movie, with sleek camerawork and wonderfully watchable characters. It’s a unique meditation on compassion and loneliness that will infiltrate your heart and never let go.

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NYWIFT Talks: COVID-19 Compliance

On this week's NYWIFT Talks, we will discuss how COVID-19 has affected production life and the best practices for preparing for the on-set challenges COVID-19 presents.

Speakers include Producer Blair Breard. Moderated by NYWIFT Board Member Maria Miles.

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NYWIFT Talks: Asian American Representation in Media

On this week's NYWIFT Talks, we explore the intersection of the pandemic and how gender equality and race are directly impacted on the Asian American community. We will also discuss how media is complicit in perpetuating Asian stereotypes including how some journalists portray hate crimes against the Asian American community.

We are joined by filmmaker Diane Paragas (Yellow Rose), Publicist David Ninh (Kino Lorber), Kyung B. Yoon (Korean American Community Foundation) and Merrill Sterritt (Cinereach). This conversation will be moderated by NYWIFT Board Member, S. Casper Wong

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Retirement Planning for Freelancers – April 2021

Join Certified Financial Planners, Gail Linn and William Fischer at Fortis Lux Financial (an office of MassMutual) for their workshop, Retirement Planning for Freelancers. They will inform about the key concepts needed to consider when it comes to saving for retirement, protection strategies, business transition, estate planning and more.

This event is FREE and open exclusively to NYWIFT members.

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Fierce Women Podcasters Panel

Fierce Women Podcasters: A conversation with several women filmmakers of color and podcasters discussing emerging Afro-Latino voices in the United States who are working to create more visibility for their communities and experiences. In conversation with Rocio Mendez, Mercedes Illarraza, Grasie Mercedes, Ona Oghogho, Sola Adenekan, and Julissa Contreras

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NYWIFT Talks: The Writers Lab 2021

Join us for a conversation with the co-founders of The Writers Lab, Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon to discuss the 7th anniversary of the program, upcoming deadlines, lessons learned from women script writers over 40 and new and exciting opportunities. Moderated by NYWIFT Board President, Jamie Zelermyer.

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NYWIFT Talks Wellness in COVID 2.0

NYWIFT sits down with leading experts in physical and emotional health to discuss what we can do to continue to heal ourselves as this pandemic lockdown falls into its one year anniversary. We’ll be discussing ways to help people heal, thrive, and nourish their souls.

The conversation will include Professional Athlete and Yoga Instructor Zachy Christodoulou and a life coach to be announced. After the discussion, a yogi from PureFlo Yoga will be leading a 60 minute Power Flow Yoga Session.

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FGI & NYWIFT Present Fashion & The First Ladies Panel

As we celebrate Women's History Month, join us to discuss the iconic looks from our First Ladies of government in a candid conversation about how our First Ladies are fashion trend setters. Meet our experts to discuss how fashion plays a role and communicates in history, politics and contributes to the making or breaking of public policy.

Featuring Carson Poplin, Fernando Garcia (Co-Director of Oscar De La Renta) and Valerie Steele (Director and Chief Curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology).

Moderated by Senior Critic at Large at The Washington Post, Robin Givhan.

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NYWIFT Talks SXSW 2021

We are joined by SXSW leaders Janet Pierson (Director of Film) and Claudette Godfrey (Senior Programmer) to discuss what SXSW 2021 looks like, how the pandemic affected them, and what they are doing to reclaim that momentum for filmmakers.

Moderated by Easmanie Michel, NYWIFT’s Special Projects Associate.

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NDI & NYWIFT Present: Representation Matters

Join the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and NYWIFT for this incredible panel that will focus on addressing the power imbalances and gender gap in politics and the media caused by excluding and biased representation. These often male-dominated mechanisms - e.g. media production hiring practices and party candidate selection committees - mean that women are shut out of the storytelling and policymaking processes, therefore they are not in control of their own narrative and empowerment.

A globally representative panel of political leaders, media experts and producers will be asked to discuss why representation matters, and provide examples of initiatives across the media and politics which promote a more diverse and intersectional environment.

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NYWIFT Talks: ‘Making a Way out of No Way’: The Importance of Amplifying BIPOC and Black Women Voices with Visionary New York Media Arts Organizations

NYWIFT celebrates Black History Month by honoring the accomplishments and contributions of Black and BIPOC filmmakers.

In this week’s NYWIFT Talks, we return with part 2 of our conversation with NY Media Arts Organization that represent diversity artists. Learn how Black Public Media, Third World Newsreel, Manhattan Neighborhood Network, and Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series have continued to push their mission to amplify Black and BIPOC voices who have been battling against marginalization outside the mainstream. 

In discussion with Carolyn Butts, Leslie Fields-Cruz, JT Takagi, and Victoria Bert, and moderator to be announced.

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NYWIFT Talks with The Creative Coalition’s Robin Bronk

On this week's NYWIFT Talks, join CEO of The Creative Coalition, Robin Bronk, moderated by NYWIFT Advisory Board President Simone Pero.

The Creative Coalition is a non-profit social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community dedicated to educating, mobilizing, and activating its members on issues of public importance.

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NYWIFT Industry Screening + Q&A: ‘Test Pattern’

Join us on February 23rd for a screening of Test Pattern followed by a conversation.

Test Pattern follows an interracial couple whose relationship is put to the test after a Black woman is sexually assaulted and her white boyfriend drives her from hospital to hospital in search of a rape kit. Q&A date will be announced soon.

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NYWIFT Industry Screening + Q&A: ‘A Thousand Cuts’

Join us on Tuesday, February 16th for a screening of A Thousand Cuts followed by a conversation with the creative team Ramona Diaz (Director & Producer), Raney Aronson-Rath (Executive Producer), Leah Marino (Editor/Producer), and Julie Goldman (Producer). Moderated by Brenda Robinson, President, International Documentary Association.

In this powerful documentary, journalist Maria Ressa risks her life and freedom as an outspoken critic of Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

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NYWIFT Talks Covid Waivers

On this week's NYWIFT Talks, the first installment in a two-part series, we are joined by attorney Anna Broccolo to discuss COVID waivers as part of a series of conversations of the future of film regulations.

This conversation will be moderated by NYWIFT Board Member Maria C. Miles

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NYWIFT Industry Screening + Q&A: ‘Flower Punk’ with Director Alison Klayman

Join director Alison Klayman to discuss her new film Flower Punk. We'll talk about releasing a film in the time of COVID-19 and virtual screenings. Plus, updates on her new work.

Flower Punk is a hypnotizing short documentary that brings you inside the work and process of Japanese artist Azuma Makoto. After watching, you won't be able to think about flowers the same way again.

This conversation will be moderated by NYWIFT Board Member Joyce Pierpoline.

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NYWIFT Talks: NYWIFT Goes to Sundance

Join us for this NYWIFT Talk with NYWIFT Members at Sundance 2021! Spotlighted are Michele Stephenson and Margarethe Baillou, discussing their experience participating at this year's online Sundance Film Festival, working to complete a film during covid, and how they envision making an impact with their work/creativity during the pandemic.

Moderated by NYWIFT Board Member Gretchen McGowan.

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